[Math] Find the solution of the Cauchy problem for the pde

partial differential equations

Find the solution of the Cauchy problem for the pde

$x\dfrac{\partial z }{\partial x}+y\dfrac{\partial z}{\partial y}=z$

on $D=\{(x,y,z):x^2+y^2\neq 0,z>0\}$ with the initial condition $x^2+y^2=1,z=1$.

By Lagrange's Equations

$\dfrac{dx}{x}=\dfrac{dy}{y}=\dfrac{dz}{z}$

If I solve the above I get ;$\dfrac{x}{y}=c_1,\dfrac{y}{z}=c_2,\dfrac{x}{z}=c_3$

But I am unable to use the boundary conditions.How to do this?

Best Answer

The set of characteristic equations is : $$\frac{dx}{x}=\frac{dy}{y}=\frac{dz}{z}$$ With the condition $z=1$ on the curve $x^2+y^2=1$

So, it should be easy to satisfy this condition if this curve would be a characteristic curve. So, it is of interest to make appear the terme $x^2+y^2$ in a combination of the characteristic equations : $$\frac{dx}{x}=\frac{dy}{y}=\frac{xdx}{x^2}=\frac{ydy}{y^2}=\frac{xdx+ydy}{x^2+y^2}$$ This uses the well known identity : $\frac{A}{B}=\frac{C}{D}=\frac{A+C}{B+D}$

$$\frac{xdx+ydy}{x^2+y^2}=\frac{dz}{z}$$ $$\frac{1}{2}\frac{d(x^2+y^2)}{x^2+y^2}=\frac{dz}{z}$$ $$z=C\:\sqrt{x^2+y^2}$$ with the condition $1=C\sqrt{1}\quad\to\quad C=1\quad$. So the solution is : $$z=\sqrt{x^2+y^2}$$

NOTE:

A more extended application of the method of characteristics should be to express the general solution of the PDE.

As seen above, a first characteristic equation is : $$\frac{z}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}}=C_1$$ As already found by learnmore, another characteristic curve is $\frac{x}{y}=C_2$

Thus, an implicit form of the general solution is the equation : $$\Phi\left(\frac{z}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}} \:,\: \frac{x}{y}\right)=0$$ where $\Phi$ is any differentiable function of two variables.

Solving it for the the first variable gives the explicit form of the general solution : $$\frac{z}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}} =F\left( \frac{x}{y}\right)$$ where $F$ is any differentiable function.

The condition $z=1 \:,\: x^2+y^2=1 \quad\to\quad \frac{1}{\sqrt{1}} =F\left( \frac{x}{y}\right)$

This implies that $F$ is a constant function $F=1 \quad\to\quad \frac{z}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}} =1$ $$z=\sqrt{x^2+y^2}$$

Alternatively, one could easily solve the PDE with the change to polar coordinates.

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