Math 110A: Homework 1 solutions

1.1.2 (a)

L(u + v) = (u + v) x + x (u + v)y = (u x + xuy ) + (v x + xvy ) = Lu + Lv

L(cu) = (cu) x + x (cu)y = cu x + x (cuy ) = cL(u),
(b)

so L is linear.

L(u + v) = (u + v) x + (u + v)(u + v)y

= (u x + uuy ) + (v x + vvy ) + vu x + vuy
Lu + Lv = (u x + uuy ) + (v x + vvy ),

(d)

so L is nonlinear.

L(u + v) =
(u + v) x + (u + v)y + 1
= u x + v x + uy + vy + 1
Lu + Lv = (u x + uy + 1) + (v x + vy + 1) = u x + v x + uy + vy + 2,
so L is nonlinear.
1.1.3 The way to do this is by moving any terms that dont involve u to the right hand
side; this will be the function g. Then, we define Lu to be the terms on the left hand
side.
(a) ut u xx = 1 is linear homogeneous, with a linear operator L =
g( x, t) = 1.
(c) The operator L defined by Lu = ut
is a nonlinear equation.

2
x2

and

u xxt + uu x is a nonlinear operator, so this

(e) The operator L defined by Lu = iut u xx + ux is a linear operator, so this is a

homogeneous linear equation.
p
p
p
(h) As we can see that 1p
+ u + v 6= 1 + u + 1 + v, so the operator L defined
by Lu = ut + u xxxx + 1 + u is a nonlinear operator. Therefore, the equation
is nonlinear.
1.1.4 Let v and w be two solutions of Lu = g. Since L is linear, so L(v
g g = 0.

w) = Lv

Lw =

1.2.1 Since the directional derivative in the direction of v = 2i + 3j (on the t-x plane) is 0 so
u must be constant on lines parallel to v. The equations for such lines is 3t 2x = C
where C can be any constant. Therefore, the solution is u(t, x ) = f (3t 2x ) where
1

f is any function of one variable. From the condition u(0, x ) = f ( 2x ) = sin x,

y

we can plug in x = y/2 to see that f (y) = sin( 2 ). After figuring out f , we can
finally find out what u is;

2x 3t
u(t, x ) = f (3t 2x ) = sin
2
1.2.2 Let v = uy , then the equation is 3v + v x = 0. This is an ODE that can be solved
by using the method of integrating factor; the solution is v = Ce 3x . However, the
function v depends on y as well, so we have ti replace the constant by a function of
y. Hence,Rv( x, y) = f (y)e 3x for some function f . By integrating v in y, we have that
u = e 3x fR(y) dy + h( x ) for some function h. We can simply the solution further
by defining f (y) dy = g(y) for some function g, so the solution is
u( x, y) = e

3x

g(y) + h( x )

for some functions g and h.

p
1.2.6 u( x, y) is constant along curves whose tangent vector at ( x, y) is ( 1 x2 , 1). This
is because such curve f ( x ) has slope f 0 ( x ) = p 1 2 at the point ( x, y) and we have
1 x
that
d
u
u
u
1
u
u( x, f ( x )) =
+ f 0 (x)
=
+p
= 0.
dx
x
y
x
1 x2 y
R
We know that p 1 2 dx = arcsin x + C. Therefore, the solution is
1 x

u( x, y) = g(y

arcsin x )

where g is any function of one variable. With the condition u(0, y) = g(y) = y, we
have that g is the constant function, so
u( x, y) = g(y

arcsin x ) = y

arcsin x.

1.2.9 The trick here is simplifying the nonhomogeneous linear equation into a homoge
neous one by defining v = u x. Since u x + uy = 1 = x
x, we have that

(u

x )y = v x + vy = 0.

x ) x + (u

We know that the solution to this equation is v( x, y) = f ( x y) for any function f

of one variable. Then, we have that u( x, y) = v( x, y) + x = f ( x y) + x.
k
1.3.6 We have the heat equation ut = kDu where k = cr
.Since the heat only depends on
the radius from the center, we will change into cylindrical coordinate ( x, y, z) !
(r cos q, r sin q, z). The formula for the Laplacian in this coordinate is

1
1
Du = urr + ur + 2 uqq + uzz .
r
r
2

Since u only depends on r, we can simplify this to

1
Du = urr + ur .
r
Therefore, the heat equation is ut = k (urr + 1r ur ).
1.3.7 In a similar manner to 1.3.6, we will transform into spherical coordinate ( x, y, z) !
(r sin q cos f, r sin q sin f, r cos q ) The formula for the Laplacian in this coordinate is

2
1
1
Du = urr + ur + 2 uqq + (cot q )uq +
uff .
r
r
sin2 q
Since u only depend on r, we can simplify this to
2
Du = urr + ur .
r
Therefore, the heat equation is ut = k (urr + 2r ur ).