MA 201: One Dimensional Wave Equation

Lecture - 13

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite Vibrating String with no External Force

• Recall the finite string problem in a computational domain

(x, t) ∈ [0, L] × [0, ∞)
The governing equation

utt = c 2 uxx , (x, t) ∈ (0, L) × (0, ∞). (1)

The boundary conditions for all t > 0

u(0, t) = 0, u(L, t) = 0. (2)

The initial conditions for 0 ≤ x ≤ L are

u(x, 0) = φ(x), ut (x, 0) = ψ(x). (3)

MA201(2018):PDE
Formal Solution of the Finite Vibrating String Problem
The solution is given by
∞
X nπx h nπct nπct i
u(x, t) = sin An cos + Bn sin (4)
n=1
L L L

with

L
2
Z
nπx
An = φ(x) sin dx, n = 1, 2, 3, . . .
L 0 L
L
2
Z
nπx
Bn = ψ(x) sin dx, n = 1, 2, 3, . . . .
nπc 0 L

Example:
For a string of length L stretched between the points x = 0 and x = L, find the
vibration in the string subject to the following initial conditions:

u(x, 0) = sin(πx/L) + 1/2 sin(3πx/L), ut (x, 0) = 0.

MA201(2018):PDE
Solution:
Here, initial conditions are

φ(x) = sin(πx/L) + 1/2 sin(3πx/L), ψ(x) = 0.

Therefore, Bn = 0

and
L
2 πx 1 3πx
Z
nπx
An = (sin + sin ) sin dx.
L 0 L 2 L L

Due to the orthogonality of the set {sin nπx

L
: n = 1, 2, . . .},
only A1 and A3 are non-zero, and

A1 = 1, A3 = 1/2.

The solution is
πx πct 1 3πx 3πct
u(x, t) = sin cos + sin cos .
L L 2 L L

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite Vibrating String with Gravity
We consider the external force is due to the gravitational acceleration g
only (consider a string oriented horizontally). Then the one-dimensional
wave equation becomes

utt = c 2 uxx − g , 0 < x < L, t > 0. (5)

We seek to find
the displacement of the string at any position and at any time subject to the
following boundary condition (for t > 0) and initial conditions (0 ≤ x ≤ L):

u(0, t) = 0, (6a)
u(L, t) = 0, (6b)
and

u(x, 0) = φ(x), (7a)

ut (x, 0) = ψ(x). (7b)

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite Vibrating String with Gravity (Contd.)
Due to the presence of the term g in equation (5), which has now
become non-homogeneous
the direct application of the method of separation of variables will not work.

We intend to convert the given problem into two known problems.

Seek a solution in the form:

u(x, t) = v (x, t) + h(x), (8)

where h(x) is an unknown function of x alone.

Now, using the equation utt − c 2 uxx = −g , we obtain

vtt = c 2 [vxx + h00 (x)] − g . (9)

We select function h to take care of the non-homogeneous term g such

that
c 2 h00 (x) = g , (10)

and v satisfies homogeneous wave equation

vtt = c 2 vxx . (11)

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite Vibrating String with Gravity (Contd.)
Both functions v and h are related by boundary conditions

v (0, t) + h(0) = 0, (12a)

v (L, t) + h(L) = 0 (12b)

and initial conditions

v (x, 0) + h(x) = φ(x), (13a)

vt (x, 0) = ψ(x). (13b)

Since, h is a user defined function, we set

h(0) = 0 & h(L) = 0. (14)

Remark: In fact, we can work with the conditions

h(0) = c1 & h(L) = c2 , c1 , c2 ∈ R. (15)

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite Vibrating String with Gravity (Contd.)
Original non-homogeneous problem can be conveniently split into two
problems:

Problem I:

c 2 h00 (x) = g ,
h(0) = 0 = h(L).

Problem II:

vtt = c 2 vxx ,
v (0, t) = 0 = v (L, t),
v (x, 0) = φ(x) − h(x), vt (x, 0) = ψ(x).

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite Vibrating String with Gravity (Contd.)
The solution for Problem I can be easily found by integrating h00 (x) twice

gx 2
h(x) = + Ax + B.
2c 2

Upon using the conditions h(0) = 0 = h(L), we get

B = 0 & A = −gL/(2c 2)

and hence
(L − x)x
h(x) = −g . (16)
2c 2

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite Vibrating String with Gravity (Contd.)
The solution of Problem II is known to us, which is
∞
X nπx h nπct nπct i
v (x, t) = sin An cos( ) + Bn sin( ) , (17)
n=1
L L L

where An and Bn are given, respectively, by

L
2
Z
nπx
An = [φ(x) − h(x)] sin( ) dx, n = 1, 2, 3, . . . (18)
L 0 L
L
2
Z
nπx
Bn = ψ(x) sin( ) dx, n = 1, 2, 3, . . . (19)
nπc 0 L

Hence the solution u(x, t) for our IBVP is given by the sum of (17) and
(16).

Remark: Clearly, the splitting method would be applicable when

non-homogeneous term is a constant or function of x.

MA201(2018):PDE
Duhamel’s Principle: Finite String Problem
If v (x, t, s) is the solution of the problem

vtt − c 2 vxx = 0, (x, t) ∈ (0, L) × (0, ∞) (20)

with BCs v (0, t, s) = 0, v (L, t, s) = 0, t > 0, s > 0 and (21)

with ICs v (x, 0, s) = 0, vt (x, 0, s) = f (x, s), s > 0, (22)

then u(x, t) defined by

Z t
u(x, t) = v (x, t − τ, τ )dτ (23)
0

is the solution to the non-homogeneous problem

utt − c 2 uxx = f (x, t), (x, t) ∈ (0, L) × (0, ∞) (24)

with BCs u(0, t) = 0, u(L, t) = 0, t > 0 and (25)

with ICs u(x, 0) = 0, ut (x, 0) = 0. (26)

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite String Problem: Application
of Duhamel’s Principle
Example: Find u(x, t) such that

πx
utt − uxx = t sin , (x, t) ∈ (0, L) × (0, ∞) (27)
L

with ICs u(x, 0) = 0, ut (x, 0) = 0, x ∈ (0, L). (28)

with BCs u(0, t) = 0, u(L, t) = 0 t > 0. (29)

Suppose v (x, t, s) is a solution to the user defined problem:

vtt − vxx = 0, (x, t) ∈ (0, L) × (0, ∞) (30)

πx
with ICs v (x, 0) = 0, vt (x, 0) = s sin , x ∈ (0, L), s > 0. (31)
L

with BCs v (0, t) = 0, v (L, t) = 0 t > 0. (32)

MA201(2018):PDE
Finite String Problem: Application
of Duhamel’s Principle
The solution is given by
∞
X nπx h nπt nπt i
v (x, t, s) = sin An cos + Bn sin (33)
n=1
L L L

with

L
2
Z
nπx
An = φ(x) sin dx = 0, n = 1, 2, 3, . . .
L 0 L
L
2
Z
nπx
Bn = ψ(x) sin dx, n = 1, 2, 3, . . .
nπ 0 L
L
2 πx
Z
nπx
= s sin sin dx.
nπ 0 L L

MA201(2018):PDE
 sL
Thus, B1 = π
and Bn = 0, n 6= 1, and hence
sL πx πt
v (x, t, s) = sin sin .
π L L

Then solution u(x, t) of the given problem is obtained as

Z t
u(x, t) = v (x, t − τ, τ )dτ
0
t
τL πx π(t − τ )
Z
= sin sin dτ
0 π L L
Z t
L πx π(t − τ )
= sin τ sin dτ.
π L 0 L

MA201(2018):PDE
Infinite String Problem: Application
of Duhamel’s Principle
Infinite String Problem: Application of Duhamel’s Principle
Find u(x, t) such that

utt − uxx = x − t, (x, t) ∈ (−∞, ∞) × (0, ∞) (34)

ICs u(x, 0) = 0, ut (x, 0) = 0, x ∈ (−∞, ∞), s > 0. (35)

MA201(2018):PDE
Solution: Suppose v (x, t, s) solves following user-defined problem

vtt − vxx = 0, (x, t) ∈ (−∞, ∞) × (0, ∞) (36)

ICs v (x, 0) = 0, vt (x, 0) = f (x, s) = x − s, x ∈ (−∞, ∞), s > 0. (37)

D’Alembert’s solution is given by

x+t x+t
1 1
Z Z
v (x, t, s) = f (τ, s)dτ = (τ − s)dτ (38)
2 x−t 2 x−t
2
1hτ ix+t
= − sτ = xt − ts = t(x − s). (39)
2 2 x−t

Solution to the non-homogeneous problem is given by

Z t
u(x, t) = v (x, t − τ, τ )dτ (40)
0
t
t3 t 2x
Z
= 2(t − τ )(x − τ )dτ = − + . (41)
0 6 2

MA201(2018):PDE