1

Partial Differential Equations (MA20103)

Assignment - 3
Second order PDEs
∂z 0 ∂z ∂2z 0 ∂2z 02 ∂2z
Let D = p = ∂x , D =q= ∂y , r = D2 = ∂x2
, s = DD = ∂x∂y , t=D = ∂y 2
and a be a
constant.

1. Solve the following homogeneous 2nd order linear PDEs:

(a) r = a2 t
Ans: z = φ1 (y + ax)+φ2 (y − ax)
0 02
(b) D2 − 3aDD + 2a2 D = 0.
Ans: z = φ1 (y + ax)+φ2 (y + 2ax)
(c) 2r + 5s + 2t = 0.
Ans: z = φ1 (2y − x)+φ2 (y − 2x)
(d) 2r − 3s − 2t = 0.
Ans: z = φ1 (2y − x)+φ2 (y + 2x)
(e) r + t + 2s = 0.
Ans: z = φ1 (y − x)+xφ2 (y − x)
(f) 25r − 40s + 16t = 0.
Ans: z = φ1 (5y + 4x)+xφ2 (5y + 4x)
0 02
(g) 4D2 + 12DD + 9D = 0.
Ans: z = φ1 (2y − 3x)+xφ2 (2y − 3x)

2. Solve the following non-homogeneous 2nd order linear PDEs:

0 02
(a) 2D2 − 5DD + 2D = 24(y − x).
3
Ans: z = φ1 (2y + x)+φ2 (y + 2x)+ (y−x)
5
02
(b) D2 + D = 12(x + y).
Ans: z = φ1 (y + ix)+φ2 (y − ix)+(x + y)3
(c) r + 2s + t = 2x + 3y.
3
Ans: z = φ1 (y − x)+xφ2 (y − x)+ (2x+3y)
150
(d) r + 3s + 2t = 2x + 3y.
3
Ans: z = φ1 (y − x)+xφ2 (y − x)+ (2x+3y)
240
1
(e) r + s − 2t = (2x + y) 2 .
5/2
Ans: z = φ1 (y + x)+φ2 (y − 2x)+ (2x+3y)
15
(f) 4r − 4s + t = 16 loge (x + 2y).
Ans: z = φ1 (2y + x)+xφ2 (2y + x)+2x2 loge (x + 2y)
(g) r + s − 2t = e(x+y) .
Ans: z = φ1 (y + x)+φ2 (y − 2x)+ x3 ex+y
(h) r − 6s + 9t = tan(3x + y).
2
Ans: z = φ1 (y + 3x)+xφ2 (y + 3x)+ x2 tan(y + 3x)
0 02
(i) D2 − 3DD + 2D = e2x−y + ex+y + cos(x + 2y).
2x−y
Ans: z = φ1 (y + x)+φ2 (y + 2x)+ e 12 − cos(x+2y)
3
(j) r + (a + b)s + abt = xy.
3 4
Ans: z = φ1 (y − ax) + φ2 (y − bx) + x6y − x24 (a + b)
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(k) r − t = x − y.
3 2
Ans: z = φ1 (y + x)+φ2 (y − x)+ x6 − x2y
(l) r + t = −4π(x2 + y 2 ).
Ans: z = φ1 (y + ix)+φ2 (y − ix)−2π 2 x2 y 2
(m) r − a2 t = x2 .
4
Ans: z = φ1 (y + ax)+φ2 (y − ax)+ x12
(n) r − s − 2t = (y − 1)ex .
Ans: z = φ1 (y − x)+φ2 (y + 2x)+yex
(o) r + s − 6t = y cos x.
Ans: z = φ1 (y + 2x)+φ2 (y − 3x)+sin x−ycos x
(p) r − s − 2t = (2x2 + xy − y 2 ) sin(xy) − cos(xy).
Ans: z = φ1 (y + 2x)+φ2 (y − x)+sin xy
(q) r − s − 2p = sin(3x + 4y) − e2x+y .
2x+y
Ans:z=φ1 (y)+e2x φ2 (y + x)+ 151 2
sin (3x + 4y)+ 15 cos (3x + 4y)+ e 2
(r) r − t − 3p + 3q = xy + ex+2y .
2 2 3
Ans: z=φ1 (y + x)+e3x φ2 (y − x)− x y+xy
6 − 2x 18+x − 2x
27 −xe
x+2y

(s) r − s − 2t + 2p + 2q = e2x+3y + xy + sin(2x + y).

2 2 3 −4 cos (2x+y)
Ans: z=φ1 (y − x)+e−2x φ2 (y + 2x)− e 10 + 6x y−9x −6xy−12x−2x
2x+3y
24

3. Classify following PDEs:

(a) 2r + 4s + 3t = 2.
Ans: Elliptic
(b) r + 4s + 4t = 0.
Ans: Parabolic
(c) xyr − (x2 − y 2 )s − xyt + py − qx = 2(x2 − y 2 ).
Ans: Hyperbolic
(d) x2 (y − 1)r − x(y 2 − 1)s + y(y − 1)t + xyp − q = 0.
Ans: Hyperbolic
y2 p 2
(e) 2y 2 r − 2xys + x2 t = x + xy q .
Ans: Parabolic
(f) x(xy − 1)r − (x2 y 2 − 1)s + y(xy − 1)t + xp + yq = 0.
Ans: Hyperbolic
(g) (x − y)(xr − xs − ys + yt) = (x + y)(p − q).
Ans: Hyperbolic

4. Find the characteristics of the following PDEs:

(a) y 2 r − x2 t = 0.
Ans: x2 + y 2 =c1 and x2 − y 2 =c2
(b) x2 r + 2xys + y 2 t = 0.
Ans: y = c1 x.
(c) 4r + 5s + t + p + q − 2 = 0
Ans: y − x=c1 and y − xy =c2

5. Reduce the following PDEs in to their respective canonical forms:

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(a) 3r + 10s + 3t = 0.
∂2z
Ans: ∂ξ∂η =0
(b) r = (1 + y 2 )t.
∂2z ∂z ∂z
Ans: 4 ∂ξ∂η = ∂ξ + ∂η

(c) r = x2 t.  
∂2z 1 ∂z ∂z
Ans: ∂ξ∂η = 4(ξ−η) ∂ξ − ∂η
(d) t − s + p − q(1 + x1 ) + xz = 0.
∂2z ∂z 1 ∂z z
Ans: ∂ξ∂η − ∂η + η ∂ξ − η = 0
(e) r − (2 sin x)s − (cos2 x)t − (cos x)q = 0.
∂2z
Ans: ∂ξ∂η =0
(f) x2 r − y 2 t = 0.
∂2z ∂z
Ans: 2ξ ∂ξ∂η − ∂η =0
(g) r + 2s + t = 0.
∂2z
Ans: ∂η 2 = 0

(h) r + 2xs + x2 t = 0.
∂2z ∂z
Ans: ∂η 2 = ∂ξ

6. Reduce the following PDE in to canonical form and then solve it:
2 2
(a) y 2 uxx − 2xyuxy + x2 uyy = yx ux + xy uy .
Ans: the canonical form is uηη = 0 and the solution is u(x, y) = y 2 f (x2 + y 2 ) +
g(x2 + y 2 ).
(b) uxx − 2 sin xuxy − cos2 xuyy − cos xuy = 0.
∂2u
Ans: the canonical form is ∂ξ∂η = 0 and the solution is u(x, y)=f (y − cos x −
x)+g(y − cos x + x)

7. Show that if the two-dimensional Laplace’s equation ∇2 u = 0 is transformed by intro-

ducing polar co-ridinates (r, θ), defined by the relations x = r cos θ, y = r sin θ, takes
the form
∂ 2 u 1 ∂u 1 ∂ 2 u
+ + = 0.
∂r2 r ∂r r2 ∂θ2
8. A thin rectangular homogeneous thermally conducting plate lies in the xy − plane de-
fined by 0 ≤ x ≤ a an 0 ≤ y ≤ b. The edge y = 0 is held at the temperature T x(x − a),
where T is constant, while the remaining edges are held at 0◦ . The other faces are
insulated and no internal sources and sinks are present. Find the steady state tem-
perature inside the plate.

∞ h
4T a2 i
cosech − nπ nπ
 nπ
{(−1)n − 1} sin


(y − b)
P
Ans: u(x, y) = a b n3 π 3 x a sinh a
n=1

9. The ends A and B of a rod, 10 cm in length are kept at temperatures 0◦ and 100◦
until the steady state condition reached. Suddenly the temperature at the end A is
increased to 20◦ and end B is decreased to 60◦ . Find the temperature distribution in
the rod at time t.   2 2
" #
∞ n o −α n100
π t
Ans: T(x, t) = 4x + 20 − 51 (−1)n 800 200
nπ − nπ e sin nπx
P
10 , where α is the
n=1
diffusion co-efficient.
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10. Obtain the solution of the wave equation

utt = c2 uxx , (1)

u(0, t) = u(2, t) = 0, (2)
πx
u(x, 0) = sin3 , (3)
2
ut (x, 0) = 0. (4)

Ans: u(x, t)= 43 sin πx πct 1 3πx 3πct

2 cos 2 − 4 sin 2 cos 2

11. A stretched string of finite length L is held fixed at its ends and is subjected to an
initial displacement u(x, 0) = u0 sin πx
L . The string is released from this position with
zero initial velocity. Find the resultant time dependent motion of the string.
Ans: u(x, t) = u0 sin πx cπt
L cos L