LECTURE 10

The Wave Equation and Laplace Transforms

Before discussing the application of Laplace transforms to the solution the Wave Equation, let me rst state and prove a simple proposition about the inverse Laplace transforms of exponential functions. Proposition 10.1.   L,1 e, s = t ,   L,1 1 e, s = t ,   0 if t , 0 1 if t , 0 s The rst formula makes sense" Zsince 1 L t ,  t , e,stdt = e,s : 0 The second formula makes sense since Z 1 L  t ,   t , e,stdt
Proof.

1 = , 1 e,ts s = 1 e, s : s

e,st dt

Now consider the PDE BVP 10.1

tt , c2 xx

Setting Z 1 10.2 x; s = e,st x; tdt 0 and taking the Laplace transform of the wave equation, and applying the identity L ttx; t = s2 x; s , s x; 0 , tx; 0 ; we nd that the equations 10.1 are equivalent to 10.3 s2 x; t , shx , px , c2 L xxx; t = 0 : Assuming that the eventual solution is su ciently well-behaved to allow us to reverse the order of partial di erentiation with respect to x and the Laplace transform with respect to t, we can rewrite 10.3 as 2 xx x; s , s2 x; s = gx; s 10.4 c
38

= 0 x; 0 = hx t x; 0 = px

10. THE WAVE EQUATION AND LAPLACE TRANSFORMS

39

gx; s = , cs2 hx , c12 px : Fixing s and regarding 10.4 as an ODE with respect to the variable x, we obtain s y1 x = e, c x c y2 x = e s x as solutions of the corresponding homogeneous problem. The Wronskian of y1 and y2 is 0 0 W y1; y2 x = y1 xy2 x , y1 xy2 x = 2cs : According to the Method of Variation of Parameters, the general solution of

 R y R y g g  x; s =
As , 0x W y
;y
;s d
y1 x + B s + 0x W y
;y
;s
 d
y2 x 
 
10.5 R x s
Rx s
sx c = As , 2cs 0 e c g
; sd
e, c + B s + 2cs 0 e, c gx;
d
e sx : In order to ensure good bounded behavior of x; s as x ! 1, we must take R As = 2cs 0,1 e s
sc,xx,
g
; sd
10.6 R B s = , 2cs 0+1 e c g
; sd
so 10.5 becomes Z x  Z 1 s
,x s x,
x; s = , 2cs e c g
; sd
, e c g
; sd
,1 x Z +1 c = , 2cs e, s jx,
jg
; sd

2 1 1 2 1 2        

where

c Z +1 e, s jx,
j , s h
 , 1 p
 d
c = , 2s c2 c2 ,1   Z +1 s = 21c e, c jx,
j h
 + 1 p
 d
: s ,1
h R   i

,1

Thus, 10.7

+1 s x; t = L,1 21c ,1 e, c jx,

j h
 + 1 p
 d
s R +1  s  R +1 1  c = 21c ,1 h
L,1 e, c jx,
j d
+ 21c ,1 p
L,1 s e, s jx,
j d

  L,1 e, s = t ,    L,1 1 e, s = t ,   s

Now as we have shown above

0 if t , 0 1 if t , 0 : So taking the inverse Laplace transform of 10.7 and assuming this operation commutes with integration over
, we get   Z 1 Z +1 x; t = 21c h
 t , 1 jx ,
j d
+ 21c p
 t , 1 jx ,
j c c ,1 ,1  Z 1  0
Z +1  1
1 jx ,
j d
x ,
0 d
0 + 1 = 2 h c t, c 2c ,1 p 
  t , c ,1 where in the last step, we have simply made a change of variable
!
0 = c
. Only the points
0 where t , x ,
0 = 0 
0 = x  ct c c

10. THE WAVE EQUATION AND LAPLACE TRANSFORMS

40

contribute to the rst integral. And only the points

where t , 1 jx ,
j 0  x , ct
x + ct c contribute to the second interval. Thus,      1 h x + ct + h x , t + 1 Z x+ct p 
 d
c c x; t = 2 c c 2c x,ct Z x+ct = 1 h x + ct + h x , ct + 21c p 
 d
: 2 x,ct