MA 201

Partial Differential Equations

Tutorial Problems - 1

Formulation and classification of PDEs, Method of characteristics, Cauchy problems

1. Find the partial differential equation arising from each of the following surfaces and
classify them as linear, semi-linear, quasi-linear or non-linear PDEs:
2 2 2
(a) u = ax+by+a2 +b2 , (b) xa2 + yb2 + uc2 = 1, (c) log u = a log x+ 1 a2 log y+b,
(d) f (u2 xy, ux ) = 0.

2. Find the differential equation of all spheres of the same radius r having their center on
the yz-plane.

3. Find the integral surfaces for the following initial value problems and determine the
values of the independent variables for which it exists.

(i) xux + uy = y, u(x, 0) = x2 .

(ii) ux 2uy = u, u(0, y) = y.
(iii) y 1 ux + uy = u2 , u(x, 1) = x2 .
(iv) ux + u2 uy = 1, u(x, 0) = 1.

(v) ux + uuy = 0, u(x, 0) = x2 + 1.
(vi) xux + yuy + uz = u, u(x, y, 0) = h(x, y).
(vii) ux + uy + zuz = u3 , u(x, y, 1) = h(x, y).
(viii) 2y(u 3)ux + (2x u)uy = y(2x 3), u(x, y) = 0 for x2 + y 2 = 2x.

4. Show that the Cauchy problem ux + uy = 1, u(x, x) = x has infinitely many solution.

5. Find the general integral of the following partial differential equations:

(a) p + q = u, (b) (p q)u = u2 + (x + y),
(c) x(x2 + 3y 2 )p y(3x2 + y 2 )q = 2u(y 2 x2 ).

6. Show that the integral surface of the PDE

x(y 2 + u)p y(x2 + u) = (x2 y 2 )

which contains the straight line x + y = 0, u = 1 is x2 + y 2 + 2xyu 2u + 2 = 0.

1
 Practice Problems:

1. Find the partial differential equation arising from each of the following surfaces:

(a) u = f (x y), (b) 2u = (ax + y)2 + b, (c) log u = a log x + 1 a2 log y + b,
(c) f (x2 + y 2 , x2 u2 ) = 0.

2. Find the general integral of the following partial differential equations:

(a) x2 p + y 2 q + u2 = 0, (c) x2 (y u)p + y 2 (u x)q = u2 (x y).

3. Find the solution of the following Cauchy problems:

(a) ux + uy = 2, u(x, 0) = x2 ; (b) 5ux + 2uy = 0, u(x, 0) = sin x.

4. Consider the PDE xux + yuy = 4u, where x, y R. Find the characteristics curves
for the equation and determine an explicit solution that satisfies u = 1 on the circle
x2 + y 2 = 1.

5. Find a function u(x, y) that solves the Cauchy problem

x2 ux + y 2 uy = u2 , u(x, 2x) = x2 , x R.

Is the solution defined for all x and y?