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Governing equation

The governing equations of a mathematical model describe how the values of the unknown
variables (i.e. the dependent variables) change when one or more of the known (i.e.
independent) variables change.

Mass balance …

A mass balance, also called a material balance, is an application of conservation of mass to the
analysis of physical systems. It is the simplest governing equation, and it is simply a budget
(balance calculation) over the quantity in question:

Differential equation

Physics
…
The governing equations[1][2] in classical physics that are lectured[3][4][5][6] at universities are
listed below.

balance of mass

balance of (linear) momentum

balance of angular momentum

balance of energy
 balance of entropy

Maxwell-Faraday equation for induced electric field

Ampére-Maxwell equation for induced magnetic field

Gauss equation for electric flux

Gauss equation for magnetic flux

Classical continuum mechanics

…
The basic equations in classical continuum mechanics are all balance equations, and as such
each of them contains a time-derivative term which calculates how much the dependent variable
change with time. For an isolated, frictionless / inviscid system the first four equations are the
familiar conservation equations in classical mechanics.

Darcy's law of groundwater flow has the form of a volumetric flux caused by a pressure gradient.
A flux in classical mechanics is normally not a governing equation, but usually a defining
equation for transport properties. Darcy's law was originally established as an empirical
equation, but is later shown to be derivable as an approximation of Navier-Stokes equation
combined with an empirical composite friction force term. This explains the duality in Darcy's
law as a governing equation and a defining equation for absolute permeability.

The non-linearity of the material derivative in balance equations in general, and the complexities
of Cauchy's momentum equation and Navier-Stokes equation makes the basic equations in
classical mechanics exposed to establishing of simpler approximations.

Some examples of governing differential equations in classical continuum mechanics are

Hele-Shaw flow

Plate theory
Kirchhoff–Love plate theory

Mindlin–Reissner plate theory

Vortex shedding

Annular fin

Astronautics

Finite volume method for unsteady flow

Acoustic theory
 Precipitation hardening

Kelvin's circulation theorem

Kernel function for solving integral equation of surface radiation exchanges

Nonlinear acoustics

Large eddy simulation

Föppl–von Kármán equations

Timoshenko beam theory

Biology
…
A famous example of governing differential equations within biology is

Lotka-Volterra equations are prey-predator equations

Sequence of states

A governing equation may also be a state equation, an equation describing the state of the
system, and thus actually be a constitutive equation that has "stepped up the ranks" because the
model in question was not meant to include a time-dependent term in the equation. This is the
case for a model of an oil production plant which on the average operates in a steady state
mode. Results from one thermodynamic equilibrium calculation are input data to the next
equilibrium calculation together with some new state parameters, and so on. In this case the
algorithm and sequence of input data form a chain of actions, or calculations, that describes
change of states from the first state (based solely on input data) to the last state that finally
comes out of the calculation sequence.

See also

Mass balance

Master equation

Mathematical model

Primitive equations

References
 1. Fletcher, Clive A.J. (1991). Computational Techniques for Fluid Dynamics 2; Chapter 1; Fluid Dynamics:
The Governing Equations. Vol. 2. Berlin / Heidelberg, Germany: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 1–46.
ISBN 978-3-642-58239-4.

2. Kline, S.J. (2012). Similitude and Approximation Theory (2012 ed.). Berlin / Heidelberg, Germany:
Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9783642616389.

3. Nakariakov, Prof. Valery (2015). Lecture PX392 Plasma Electrodynamics (Lecture PX392 2015-2016 ed.).
Coventry, England, UK: Department of Physics, University of Warwick.[1] (https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fa
c/sci/physics/research/cfsa/people/valery/teaching/px420/addres/mhd_int1.pdf)

4. Tryggvason, Viola D. Hank Professor Gretar (2011). Lecture 28 Computational Fluid Dynamics - CFD
Course from B. Daly (1969) Numerical methods (Lecture 28 CFD Course 2011 ed.). Notre Dame, Indiana,
US: Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame.[2] (http://www3.nd.
edu/~gtryggva/CFD-Course/2011-Lecture-28.pdf)

5. Münchow, Physical Oceanographer Ph.D. Andreas (2012). Lecture MAST-806 Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
(Lecture MAST-806 2012 ed.). Newark, Delaware, US: University of Delaware.[3] (http://muenchow.cms.ud
el.edu/html/classes/gfd/book/IntroGFDChapt3.pdf)

. Brenner, Glover Prof. Michael P. (2000). The dynamics of thin sheets of fluid Part 1 Water bells by G.I.
Taylor (MIT course number 18.325 Spring 2000 ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts, US: Harvard University.
[4] (http://www.seas.harvard.edu/brenner/taylor/handouts/waterbell/node2.html)

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