# Math Help - 2nd order PDE charcteristics... help please! :S

1. ## 2nd order PDE charcteristics... help please! :S

hi all, sorry again for the thousands of stupid questions! :P but heres another one...

ok i said for part (a) that the PDE is a hyperbolic type and so has two sets of real characteristics. and that the characteristics are

then for part (b) i used the coordinates:

but then i am stuck... how can i get the 'general solution' from this, i think i am heading in the right direction, but i am not sure.

any help would be greatly appreciated!

thanks

Sarah

2. Originally Posted by sarahisme
but then i am stuck... how can i get the 'general solution' from this, i think i am heading in the right direction, but i am not sure.

any help would be greatly appreciated!

thanks

Sarah
The next step is to express y in terms of \epsilon and \tau.

Covering all the bases, are we

3. Originally Posted by hpe
The next step is to express y in terms of \epsilon and \tau.

Covering all the bases, are we
lol, sure am

hmm i think i did my orginal conversion a little bit wrong, i now get that:

then putting in y gives:

is that just then solved as:

but this doesnt seem to work when i put it back into the orginal PDE.... :S