Infinitely many solutions for a first order Cauchy problem.

analysiscauchy problemlinear-pdeordinary differential equationspartial differential equations

Is this correct that the following Cauchy problem has infinitely many solutions?

\begin{cases}‎
‎xu_t+u_x=0 \\‎
‎u(x,0)=\cos x‎
‎\end{cases}

Using the method of characteristics it is obvious that it has a local solution around the curve $t=0$. But I am puzzled why it should have infinitely many solutions.

It seems that we can construct many solutions by Laplace transform method but I am not confident.

Best Answer

Using the method of characteristics we obtain that $u$ is constant along the parametrised by $s$ curves: $$ (t,x)=\left(\frac{s^2}{2}+c,s\right), $$ and $u$ is of the form $u=f(x^2-2t)$.

This means that the initial data cover only the region: $$ \{(t,x): 0\le t\le x^2/2\}. $$ In other words, the characteristics which start from the $x-$axis never arrive in the region. $$ \{(t,x): t> x^2/2\}. $$ In particular, if $$ f(x)=\left\{ \begin{array}{lll} \cos(x^{1/2}) & \text{if} & x\ge 0, \\ 1+xg(x) & \text{if} & x< 0, \end{array} \right. $$ where $g$ is an arbitrary continuously differentiable function, then $u(t,x)=f(x^2-2t)$ satisfies the given initial value problem.

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