Thread: Differential Heat Equations Question

Can anyone help with the following maths question:



Show that the function:

u(t,x)=f(y), where y=((2x)/sqrt(t))

is a solution of the heat equation:

partialderivative(u) / partialderivative(t) = partialderivative(u)^2 / partialderivative(x)^2

(where the partialderivative(u or x)^2 is the second derivative)

provided that f(y) satisfies 8f''(y) + yf'(y)=0



Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by AlanC877

Can anyone help with the following maths question:



Show that the function:

u(t,x)=f(y), where y=((2x)/sqrt(t))

is a solution of the heat equation:

partialderivative(u) / partialderivative(t) = partialderivative(u)^2 / partialderivative(x)^2

(where the partialderivative(u or x)^2 is the second derivative)

provided that f(y) satisfies 8f''(y) + yf'(y)=0



Thanks in advance!

You just need to use the chain rule



Now see if you can do the same thing with the x dervaitves.

Originally Posted by TheEmptySet

You just need to use the chain rule



Now see if you can do the same thing with the x dervaitves.

Thanks for the help.

All my ds in the following are partials.

I got that du/dt = -f'(y)xt^(-3/2)

I then found that du/dx = 2f'(y)t^(-1/2)

From this I said that d^2u/dx^2 = 2f''(y)t^(-1/2)

I then re-arranged 8f''(y) + yf'(y) = 0 to f''(y) = (-yf'(y))/8

Substituting into d^2u/dx^2 gives (-yf'(y)t^(-1/2))/4

Letting y = 2xt^-(1/2) means d^2u/dx^2 = (-f'(y)xt^(-1))/2



Guessing I'm doing something stupid somewhere?!

Originally Posted by AlanC877

Thanks for the help.

All my ds in the following are partials.

I got that du/dt = -f'(y)xt^(-3/2)

I then found that du/dx = 2f'(y)t^(-1/2)

From this I said that d^2u/dx^2 = 2f''(y)t^(-1/2)

I then re-arranged 8f''(y) + yf'(y) = 0 to f''(y) = (-yf'(y))/8

Substituting into d^2u/dx^2 gives (-yf'(y)t^(-1/2))/4

Letting y = 2xt^-(1/2) means d^2u/dx^2 = (-f'(y)xt^(-1))/2



Guessing I'm doing something stupid somewhere?!

I agree that




but you have forgotten to use the chain rule when you take the 2nd dervaitive. You should get

Originally Posted by TheEmptySet

I agree that




but you have forgotten to use the chain rule when you take the 2nd dervaitive. You should get

Ah yes, stupid me :P Thanks a million!