Numerical Partial Differential Equations Notes: Advection Equation

The formulation for the advection equation rests on the idea of conservation
(in a physical context. This means that a substance is neither created or destroyed in our model. It has to be somewhere.
Let u(x, t) be the concentration of a substance that is diluted in a liquid.
We assume that the variable x represents the spatial dimensions in the objects
(for instance, a pipe containing water.
We assume that that represents the length of time that has elapsed since the
initial condition.
The concentration of the substance is assumed to be constant across the cross
section so that its concentration only varies with x.
Integrating u(x, t) between any two points gives the total mass of the substance
in the particular section of the model at time t.
Flux - a function which models the flow of particles through the endpoints
going between x1 and x2 .
Advection Equation:
If the flux is f (u) = au then we will end up with the advection equation. It is
called this because we are assuming that the substance is advecting (carrying
along) the particle at velocity a.
The local density u(x, t) multiplied by the velocity (a) gives the flux of the
material past point x. Since the total mass only changes when the substance
gets swept in or out by the flux at the endpoints, we can describe the total
amount of the substance in the system as:
d
dt

x2

x2

u(x, t)dx = f (u(x1 , t)) f (u(x2 , t))

x1

x1

d
f (u(x, t))dx
dx

Furthermore, we can say that:

Z x2
d
d
[ u(x, t)dx
f (u(x, t)) = 0
dt
dx
x1

Assuming that the integral must be zero for all values of x1 , x2 , we get the
differential equation:
d
d
u(x, t) +
f (u(x, t)) = 0
dt
dx
1

Which is the conservation law for of the advection equation.