Canonical forms

Any second order PDE in two variables can be reduced to canonical

form of hyperbolic, parabolic and elliptic PDE’s under suitable trans-
formation. Let us convert the PDE Equation 2.1.1 using the coordi-
nate transformation _(x, y), _(x, y). Also take w(_, _) = u(x(_, _), y(_, _))
ux = w_ _x + w_ _x
uy = w_ _y + w_ _y
Similarly compute uxx, uyy and uxy in terms of w__, w__ and w__. After
substitution of these terms into the Equation 2.1.1 gives
a(_, _)w__ + 2 b(_, _)w__ + c(_, _)w__ = (w_,w_,w, _, _)
where
a(_, _) = A_x
2 + 2B _x _y + C_y
2
b(_, _) = A_x _x + B (_x _y + _y _x) + C _y _y
c(_, _) = A_x
2 + 2B _x_y + C _y
2
We need a justification that the form of the PDE remains invariant
even after the coordinate transformation i.e., hyperbolic remains as
hyperbolic, parabolic remains parabolic and vice versa. It can be
observed that

ab
bc
!
=

_x _y
_x _y
!
AB
BC
!
_x _x
_y _y
!
Taking the determinant on both sides gives
b2 − a c = (_x_y − _y_x)2  
B2 − AC
_
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