A particular PDE of the form $u_y+a(x,y)u_x=0$

characteristicspartial differential equationstransport-equation

Exercise from Qing Han:

Exercise 2.4. Find a smooth function $a=a(x,y)$ in $\Bbb R^2$ such that, for the equation of the form $$ u_y + a(x,y) u_x = 0, $$ there does not exist any solution in the entire $\Bbb R^2$ for any nonconstant initial value prescribed on $\lbrace y=0\rbrace$.

Hey fellow students. I just started working with this "classical methods" in PDE and I'm kind stucked in some question, struggling to understand. Can anyone give me some help with this exercise? It is supposed to use characteristics method to solve.

Thanks in Advance.

Best Answer

We apply the method of characteristics, and we use the notation $u(x,0)=f(x)$ for the initial values. The characteristic curves satisfy

  • $y'(t) = 1$, letting $y(0)=0$, we know $y(t)=t$.

  • $x'(t) = a(x(t),y(t))$, letting $x(0)=x_0$, we know $x(t)=x_0+\int_0^t a(x(s),s)\, \text d s$.

  • $u'(t) = 0$, letting $u(0)=f(x_0)$, we know $u(t)=f(x_0)$.

Therefore, the expression of $u$ relies on the fact that $x$ solves $x'(y) = a(x(y),y)$ with $x(0)=x_0$. This type of differential equation may not have a solution over the entire plane $\Bbb R^2$. Consider for instance $$a(x,y)= x^2 .$$ Then we have $x(y) = x_0/(1-x_0 y)$ and $x_0 = x(y)/(1+x(y) y)$, so that finally, $$ u(x,y) = f\left(\frac{x}{1+xy}\right) . $$ If $f$ is not trivial, then the above expression is valid for $xy>{-1}$.