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Second-Order Elliptic Partial Differential Equations > Laplace Equation

3.1. Laplace Equation ∆w = 0

The Laplace equation is often encountered in heat and mass transfer theory, fluid mechanics,
elasticity, electrostatics, and other areas of mechanics and physics.
The two-dimensional Laplace equation has the following form:

∂2w ∂2w
+ = 0 in the Cartesian coordinate system,
∂x2 ∂y 2
µ ¶
1 ∂ ∂w 1 ∂2w
r + 2 = 0 in the polar coordinate system,
r ∂r ∂r r ∂ϕ2
p
where x = r cos ϕ, y = r sin ϕ, and r = x2 + y 2 .

3.1-1. Particular solutions and methods for their construction.

1◦ . Particular solutions of the Laplace equation in the Cartesian coordinate system:

w(x, y) = Ax + By + C,
w(x, y) = A(x2 − y 2 ) + Bxy,
w(x, y) = A(x3 − 3xy 2 ) + B(3x2 y − y 3 ),
Ax + By
w(x, y) = 2 + C,
x + y2
w(x, y) = exp(±µx)(A cos µy + B sin µy),
w(x, y) = (A cos µx + B sin µx) exp(±µy),
w(x, y) = (A sinh µx + B cosh µx)(C cos µy + D sin µy),
w(x, y) = (A cos µx + B sin µx)(C sinh µy + D cosh µy),

where A, B, C, D, and µ are arbitrary constants.

2◦ . Particular solutions of the Laplace equation in the polar coordinate system:

w(r) = A ln r + B,
µ ¶
B
w(r, ϕ) = Ar + m (C cos mϕ + D sin mϕ),
m
r

where A, B, C, and D are arbitrary constants, and m = 1, 2, . . ..

3◦ . A fairly general method for constructing particular solutions involves the following. Let f (z) =
u(x, y) + iv(x, y) be any analytic function of the complex variable z = x + iy (u and v are real
functions of the real variables x and y; i2 = −1). Then the real and imaginary parts of f both satisfy
the two-dimensional Laplace equation,

∆2 u = 0, ∆2 v = 0.

Thus, by specifying analytic functions f (z) and taking their real and imaginary parts, one obtains
various solutions of the two-dimensional Laplace equation.

1
2 LAPLACE EQUATION

3.1-2. Domain: –∞ < x < ∞, 0 ≤ y < ∞. First boundary value problem.

A half-plane is considered. A boundary condition is prescribed:
w = f (x) at y = 0.
Solution: Z Z
∞ π/2
1 yf (ξ) dξ 1
w(x, y) = = f (x + y tan θ) dθ.
π −∞ (x − ξ)2 + y 2 π −π/2

3.1-3. Domain: 0 ≤ x ≤ a, 0 ≤ y ≤ b. First boundary value problem for the Laplace equation.
A rectangle is considered. Boundary conditions are prescribed:
w = f1 (y) at x = 0, w = f2 (y) at x = a,
w = f3 (x) at y = 0, w = f4 (x) at y = b.
Solution:
∞
X · ¸ µ ¶ X∞ µ ¶ µ ¶
nπ nπ nπ nπ
w(x, y) = An sinh (a − x) sin y + Bn sinh x sin y
b b b b
n=1 n=1
X∞ µ ¶ · ¸ X∞ µ ¶ µ ¶
nπ nπ nπ nπ
+ Cn sin x sinh (b − y) + Dn sin x sinh y ,
a a a a
n=1 n=1

where the coefficients An , Bn , Cn , and Dn are expressed as

Z b µ ¶ Z b µ ¶ µ ¶
2 nπξ 2 nπξ nπa
An = f1 (ξ) sin dξ, Bn = f2 (ξ) sin dξ, λn = b sinh ,
λn 0 b λn 0 b b
Z a µ ¶ Z a µ ¶ µ ¶
2 nπξ 2 nπξ nπb
Cn = f3 (ξ) sin dξ, Dn = f4 (ξ) sin dξ, µn = a sinh .
µn 0 a µn 0 a a

3.1-4. Domain: 0 ≤ r ≤ R. First boundary value problem for the Laplace equation.
A circle is considered. A boundary condition is prescribed:
w = f (ϕ) at r = R.
Solution in the polar coordinates:
Z 2π
1 R2 − r 2
w(r, ϕ) = f (ψ) 2 dψ.
2π 0 r − 2Rr cos(ϕ − ψ) + R2
This formula is conventionally referred to as the Poisson integral.

3.1-5. Domain: 0 ≤ r ≤ R. Second boundary value problem for the Laplace equation.
A circle is considered. A boundary condition is prescribed:
∂r w = f (ϕ) at r = R.
Solution in the polar coordinates:
Z 2π
R r2 − 2Rr cos(ϕ − ψ) + R2
w(r, ϕ) = f (ψ) ln dψ + C,
2π 0 R2
where C is an arbitrary constant; this formula is known as the Dini integral.
Z 2π
Remark. The function f (ϕ) must satisfy the solvability condition f (ϕ) dϕ = 0.
0
 LAPLACE EQUATION 3

References
Babich, V. M., Kapilevich, M. B., Mikhlin, S. G., et al., Linear Equations of Mathematical Physics [in Russian], Nauka,
Moscow, 1964.
Carslaw, H. S. and Jaeger, J. C., Conduction of Heat in Solids, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1984.
Polyanin, A. D., Handbook of Linear Partial Differential Equations for Engineers and Scientists , Chapman & Hall/CRC,
2002.

Laplace Equation

Copyright °
c 2004 Andrei D. Polyanin http://eqworld.ipmnet.ru/en/solutions/lpde/lpde301.pdf