Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.

2 - Exercise 11 Page 1 of 10

Exercise 11
Solve utt = c2 uxx in 0 < x < l, u(x, 0) = 0, ut (x, 0) = x, u(0, t) = u(l, t) = 0.

Solution

The method of reflection will be used to solve this problem. Consider the corresponding problem
over the whole line, using the extensions for the initial data that are odd with respect to x = 0
and x = l in order to satisfy the homogeneous boundary conditions.

vtt = c2 vxx − ∞ < x < ∞, t > 0

v(x, 0) = φext (x)
vt (x, 0) = ψext (x)

Here φext (x) and ψext (x) are defined as


x
 if 0 < x < l
φext (x) = 0 and ψext (x) = −(−x) if − l < x < 0 .

ψext (x + 2l)


The solution for v is given by d’Alembert’s formula.

ˆ x+ct
1 1
v(x, t) = [φext (x + ct) + φext (x − ct)] + ψext (s) ds
2 2c x−ct
ˆ x+ct
1
= ψext (s) ds
2c x−ct

u is obtained by restricting this solution to 0 < x < l.

ˆ
1 x+ct
u(x, t) = ψext (s) ds, 0<x<l
2c x−ct

Depending what point (x, t) is chosen, the integral will yield a different result. We will calculate
it for points within each of the diamond-shaped regions illustrated below.

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 2 of 10

Diamond h0, 0i

ˆ
1 x+ct
u(x, t) = s ds
2c x−ct
1
= (2cxt)
2c
= xt
Diamond h1, 0i

ˆ 0 ˆ x+ct 
1
u(x, t) = [−(−s)] ds + s ds
2c x−ct 0
1
= (2cxt)
2c
= xt

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 3 of 10

Diamond h0, 1i

ˆ l ˆ x+ct 
1
u(x, t) = s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds
2c x−ct l
1
= [2(l − ct)(l − x)]
2c
(l − ct)(l − x)
=
c
Diamond h1, 1i

ˆ 0 ˆ l ˆ x+ct 
1
u(x, t) = [−(−s)] ds + s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds
2c x−ct 0 l
1
= [2(l − ct)(l − x)]
2c
(l − ct)(l − x)
=
c

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 4 of 10

Diamond h2, 1i

ˆ −l ˆ 0 ˆ l ˆ x+ct 
1
u(x, t) = (s + 2l) ds + [−(−s)] ds + s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds
2c x−ct −l 0 l
1
= [−2x(2l − ct)]
2c
x(2l − ct)
=−
c
Diamond h1, 2i

ˆ 0 ˆ l ˆ 2l ˆ x+ct 
1
u(x, t) = [−(−s)] ds + s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds + (s − 2l) ds
2c x−ct 0 l 2l
1
= [2(l − ct)(l − x)]
2c
(l − ct)(l − x)
=
c

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 5 of 10

Diamond h2, 2i

ˆ −l ˆ 0 ˆ l
1
u(x, t) = (s + 2l) ds + [−(−s)] ds + s ds
2c x−ct −l 0
ˆ 2l ˆ x+ct 
+ [−(−s + 2l)] ds + (s − 2l) ds
l 2l
1
= [−2x(2l − ct)]
2c
x(2l − ct)
=−
c
Diamond h3, 2i

ˆ −2l ˆ −l ˆ 0
1
u(x, t) = [−(−s − 2l)] ds + (s + 2l) ds + [−(−s)] ds
2c x−ct −2l −l
ˆ l ˆ 2l ˆ x+ct 
+ s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds + (s − 2l) ds
0 l 2l
1
= [−2x(2l − ct)]
2c
x(2l − ct)
=−
c

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 6 of 10

Diamond h2, 3i

ˆ −l ˆ 0 ˆ l
1
u(x, t) = (s + 2l) ds + [−(−s)] ds + s ds
2c x−ct −l 0
ˆ 2l ˆ 3l ˆ x+ct 
+ [−(−s + 2l)] ds + (s − 2l) ds + [−(−s + 4l)] ds
l 2l 3l
1
= [2(3l − ct)(l − x)]
2c
(3l − ct)(l − x)
=
c
Diamond h3, 3i

ˆ −2l ˆ −l ˆ 0 ˆ l
1
u(x, t) = [−(−s − 2l)] ds + (s + 2l) ds + [−(−s)] ds + s ds
2c x−ct −2l −l 0
ˆ 2l ˆ 3l ˆ x+ct 
+ [−(−s + 2l)] ds + (s − 2l) ds + [−(−s + 4l)] ds
l 2l 3l
1
= [2(3l − ct)(l − x)]
2c
(3l − ct)(l − x)
=
c

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 7 of 10

Diamond h4, 3i

ˆ −3l ˆ −2l ˆ −l
1
u(x, t) = (s + 4l) ds + [−(−s − 2l)] ds + (s + 2l) ds
2c x−ct −3l −2l
ˆ 0 ˆ l ˆ 2l
+ [−(−s)] ds + s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds
−l 0 l
ˆ 3l ˆ x+ct 
+ (s − 2l) ds + [−(−s + 4l)] ds
2l 3l
1
= [−2x(4l − ct)]
2c
x(4l − ct)
=−
c
Diamond h3, 4i

ˆ −2l ˆ −l ˆ 0
1
u(x, t) = [−(−s − 2l)] ds + (s + 2l) ds + [−(−s)] ds
2c x−ct −2l −l
ˆ l ˆ 2l ˆ 3l
+ s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds + (s − 2l) ds
0 l 2l
ˆ 4l ˆ x+ct 
+ [−(−s + 4l)] ds + (s − 4l) ds
3l 4l
1
= [2(3l − ct)(l − x)]
2c
(3l − ct)(l − x)
=
c

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 8 of 10

Diamond h4, 4i

ˆ −3l ˆ −2l ˆ −l
1
u(x, t) = (s + 4l) ds + [−(−s − 2l)] ds + (s + 2l) ds
2c x−ct −3l −2l
ˆ 0 ˆ l ˆ 2l
+ [−(−s)] ds + s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds
−l 0 l
ˆ 3l ˆ 4l ˆ x+ct 
+ (s − 2l) ds + [−(−s + 4l)] ds + (s − 4l) ds
2l 3l 4l
1
= [−2x(4l − ct)]
2c
x(4l − ct)
=−
c
Diamond h5, 4i

ˆ −4l ˆ −3l ˆ −2l

1
u(x, t) = [−(−s − 4l)] ds + (s + 4l) ds + [−(−s − 2l)] ds
2c x−ct −4l −3l
ˆ −l ˆ 0 ˆ l ˆ 2l
+ (s + 2l) ds + [−(−s)] ds + s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds
−2l −l 0 l
ˆ 3l ˆ 4l ˆ x+ct 
+ (s − 2l) ds + [−(−s + 4l)] ds + (s − 4l) ds
2l 3l 4l
1
= [−2x(4l − ct)]
2c
x(4l − ct)
=−
c

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 9 of 10

Diamond h4, 5i

ˆ −3l ˆ −2l ˆ −l
1
u(x, t) = (s + 4l) ds + [−(−s − 2l)] ds + (s + 2l) ds
2c x−ct −3l −2l
ˆ 0 ˆ l ˆ 2l ˆ 3l
+ [−(−s)] ds + s ds + [−(−s + 2l)] ds + (s − 2l) ds
−l 0 l 2l
ˆ 4l ˆ 5l ˆ x+ct 
+ [−(−s + 4l)] ds + (s − 4l) ds + [−(−s + 6l)] ds
3l 4l 5l
1
= [2(5l − ct)(l − x)]
2c
(5l − ct)(l − x)
=
c

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 3.2 - Exercise 11 Page 10 of 10

Therefore, 


xt in h0, 0i



xt in h1, 0i








 (l − ct)(l − x)
in h0, 1i


c






 (l − ct)(l − x)

 in h1, 1i
c




x(2l − ct)




− in h2, 1i
c




(l − ct)(l − x)


in h1, 2i






 c
x(2l − ct)


− in h2, 2i






 c
x(2l − ct)


− in h3, 2i



c
u(x, t) = .
(3l − ct)(l − x)
in h2, 3i


c






 (3l − ct)(l − x)
in h3, 3i


c




−


 x(4l ct)

 − in h4, 3i
c




(3l − ct)(l − x)




 in h3, 4i



 c
x(4l − ct)


− in h4, 4i






 c
x(4l − ct)


− in h5, 4i






 c

 (5l − ct)(l − x)
in h4, 5i





 c

 .
..
 ..
.
There are a few things one should know about this solution. First, each formula satisfies the wave
equation. Secondly, the formula for the one region in contact with t = 0, diamond h0, 0i, satisfies
the initial conditions, u(x, 0) = 0 and ut (x, 0) = x. Thirdly, the formulas for all of the regions in
contact with x = 0, namely diamonds h1, 0i, h2, 1i, h3, 2i, h4, 3i, and h5, 4i, satisfy the boundary
condition u(0, t) = 0. Finally, the formulas for all of the regions in contact with x = l, namely
diamonds h0, 1i, h1, 2i, h2, 3i, h3, 4i, and h4, 5i, satisfy the boundary condition u(l, t) = 0.

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