ME741 Individual Assignment 1 (One submission per

student)
Total:25 points. Due by Jan 27th, 5:30 p.m. late submissions will be penalized at
least 25%. Please submit assignments at my mailbox in the department office.
Only hardcopies will be accepted for grading.
1. (5 points) Consider the following system of equations for x(t) and y(t):
dx
dt
dy
dt

= 1y

(1)

= x2 y 2

(2)

Find the fixed points of this system (i.e. find points (x, y) where dx/dt =
dy/dt = 0). Comment on the stability of the solution around each fixed point.
2. (2+2+3+3 points) Cartesian tensor notation problems:
(a) Show ij xj = xi (show explicitly, expanding the summations)
(b) Show

xi
xj

= ij

(c) Show

r
xi

xi
r ,

where r = (x x)1/2 (Use Cartesian tensor Notation)

(d) Use the relations i = ijk Wjk and ijk lmk = il jm im jl to show
that Wij = 12 ijk k . Here Wij = Wji .
3. (5 points) Starting with the Navier Stokes equation:
Ui
Ui
+ Uk
t
xk

2 Ui
P
+
xi
xk xk

(3)

Use Cartesian tensor notation to take the Curl of the above equation, and find
k
the equation for vorticity i = ijk u
xj . How does this equation differ from the
Navier Stokes equation ?
4. (5 points) Consider stability analysis for a parallel viscous flow, for which the
base flow is given as U = U (y)i. Start with the linearised 2D Navier Stokes
equation for the velocity perturbation u(x, y, t) = u(x, y, t)i + v(x, y, t)j and

pressure perturbation p(x, y, t):

u
u
U
+U
+v
t
x
y
v
v
+U
t
x
u v
+
x y

p
1 2
+
u
x Re
p
1 2
=
+
v
y Re
=

= 0

(4)
(5)
(6)

The relation between velocity perturbation and its streamfunction (x, y, t) is

given by u =
y and v = x . Assuming the normal-mode form (x, y, t) =
(y) exp[ik(x ct)], eliminate pressure from the above equation and obtain the
Orr-Sommerfeld equation for (y). (Hint: Use continuity equation to eliminate
the pressure.)