DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

FACULTY OF SCIENCE
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

SSCM 1793 DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS TUTORIAL 5

1. Find the d’Alembert’s solution to the following problem

(a) utt = 4uxx , −∞ < x < ∞, t > 0,

u(x, 0) = x2 , ut (x, 0) = sin x.
(b) utt − uxx = 0, −∞ < x < ∞, t > 0,
u(x, 0) = sin πx, ut (x, 0) = 0.5.
∂2u ∂2u
(c) 2
= 9 2, −∞ < x < ∞, t > 0,
∂t ∂x
u(x, 0) = x sin x, ut (x, 0) = 3.
∂2u ∂2u
(d) 2
= 36 2 , −∞ < x < ∞, t > 0,
∂t ∂x
∂u
u(x, 0) = cos x, (x, 0) = x2 .
∂t
∂2u ∂2u
(e) = 16 , −∞ < x < ∞, t > 0,
∂t2 ∂x2
∂u
u(x, 0) = sin2 (πx), (x, 0) = x.
∂t
2. Solve the following problem using the method of separation of variables.

(a) ut = α2 uxx , 0 < x < L, t > 0,

ux (0, t) = 0, t > 0,
u(L, t) = 0, t > 0,
u(x, 0) = x, 0 < x < L.
∂u ∂2u
(b) = , 0 < x < 1, t > 0,
∂t ∂x2
u(0, t) = 0, u(1, t) = 0,
u(x, 0) = sin(πx) + 5 sin(3πx).
∂2u ∂2u
(c) = , 0 < x < 1, t > 0,
∂t2 ∂x2
u(0, t) = 0, u(1, t) = 0, t > 0.
u(x, 0) = 10, ut (x, 0) = 1, 0 < x < 1.
∂u ∂2u
(d) = , 0 < x < π, t > 0,
∂t ∂x2
u(0, t) = 0, u(π, t) = 0, t > 0.
u(x, 0) = sin 2x, 0 < x < π.

3. A uniform rod of length 10 meters is held at both ends. The temperature u(x, t) at
 2

any time t of a point P which is x distance away from any of the two endpoints is
∂u ∂2u
= , 0 < x < 10, t > 0,
∂t ∂x2
subject to
u(0, t) = 0
u(10, t) = 0
u(x, 0) = 2 − x.

Use the method of separation variables to show that the general solution is given by
∞  nπx 
X n2 π 2 t
u(x, t) = bn sin e− 25
10
n=1

where
4
bn = (1 + 4(−1)n ), n = 1, 2, 3, · · ·
nπ
4. The equation representing the temperature of a rod 2m long at point x and at time
t is
ut = uxx
The temperature at both ends are both 0, i.e u(0, t) = u(2, t) = 0. In addition, the
initial temperature at x is u(x, 0) = x(2 − x). Determine the solution of the heat
equation.

Answer:
1
1.a x2 + 4t2 + sin x sin 2t
2
1
b sin πx cos πt + t
2
c (x sin x + 3t cos x) sin 3t + cosh x sinh 3t
4
d (cos x cos 6t + x2 t + 12xt2 + 12t3
3
1
e − cos 2πx cos 8πt + xt
2
∞
X 2L[1 − cos(2n − 1)π] (2n − 1)πx π2 (2n−1) 2 α2 t
2.a u(x, t) = cos e 4L2
(2n − 1)2 π 2 2L
n=1
2 2t
b (sin πx)e−π t + (5 sin 3πx)e−9π
∞
X 20 2
c u(x, t) = {1 − (−1)n } cos nπt + 2 2 {1 − (−1)n } sin(2n − 1)πt
(nπ n π
n=0
2t
d u(x, t) = sin 2xe−n
∞  nπx 
X n2 π 2 t 4
3 u(x, t) = , bn sin e− 25 , bn = (1 + 4(−1)n ), n = 1, 2, · · ·
10 nπ
n=1
 2
∞
X 16 nπx − nπ t
4 u(x, t) = 3
[1 − (−1)n ] sin e
(nπ) 2
n=1