
248 G.
Freiling and V. Yurko
6.2.24. Find the
Riemann function for the operator
L u = u
tt
−a
2
u
xx
, a = const,
and solve the Cauchy problem
u
tt
= a
2
u
xx
+ f (x,t), −∞ < x < ∞, t > 0,
u(x,0) = ϕ(x), u
t
(x,0) = ψ(x).
6.2.25. Solve the Cauchy problem
x
2
u
xx
−y
2
u
yy
= 0, −∞ < x < ∞, 1 < y < +∞,
u|
y=1
= ϕ(x), u
y
|
y=1
= ψ(x).
6.3. Parabolic Partial Differential Equations
Parabolic partial differential equations usually describe various diffusion processes. The
most important equation of parabolic type is the heat (conduction) equation or diffusion
equation. In this section we suggest exercises for this type of equations.
1. The Cauchy problem for the heat equation
6.3.1. Using the Poisson formula (3.2.6) solve the following problems:
1. u
t
=
1
4
u
x
x
, u
(x,0) = e
2x−x
2
, −∞ < x < ∞, t ≥ 0;
2. u
t
=
1
4
u
x
x
, u
(x,0) = e
−x
2
sinx, −∞ < x < ∞, t ≥ 0;
3. u
t
= u
xx
, u(x, 0) = xe
−x
2
, −∞ < x < ∞, t ≥ 0.
6.3.2. Prove that the non-homogeneous equation
u
t
= a
2
u
xx
+ f (x,t), −∞ < x < ∞, t > 0
with the initial condition
u(x,0) = 0
has the following solution:
u(x,t) =
t
0
∞
−∞
f (ξ, τ)
1
2a
p
π(t −τ)
e
xp
³
−
(ξ −x)
2
4a
2
(t −τ)
´
dξdτ.
Hint. Apply
the
method from Chapter 2, Section 2.1 for the non-homogeneous wave
equation.
6.3.3. Solve the following problems in the domain −∞ < x < ∞, t ≥ 0 :