A2.18

Nonlinear Waves
Part II, 2001

(i) Establish two conservation laws for the MKdV\mathrm{MKdV} equation

ut+u2ux+3ux3=0\frac{\partial u}{\partial t}+u^{2} \frac{\partial u}{\partial x}+\frac{\partial^{3} u}{\partial x^{3}}=0

State sufficient boundary conditions that uu should satisfy for the conservation laws to be valid.

(ii) The equation

ρt+x(ρV)=0\frac{\partial \rho}{\partial t}+\frac{\partial}{\partial x}(\rho V)=0

models traffic flow on a single-lane road, where ρ(x,t)\rho(x, t) represents the density of cars, and VV is a given function of ρ\rho. By considering the rate of change of the integral

abρdx,\int_{a}^{b} \rho d x,

show that VV represents the velocity of the cars.

Suppose now that V=1ρV=1-\rho (in suitable units), and that 0ρ10 \leqslant \rho \leqslant 1 everywhere. Assume that a queue is building up at a traffic light at x=1x=1, so that, when the light turns green at t=0t=0,

ρ(x,0)={0 for x<0 and x>1x for 0x<1.\rho(x, 0)=\left\{\begin{array}{l} 0 \text { for } x<0 \text { and } x>1 \\ x \text { for } 0 \leqslant x<1 . \end{array}\right.

For this problem, find and sketch the characteristics in the (x,t)(x, t) plane, for t>0t>0, paying particular attention to those emerging from the point (1,0)(1,0). Show that a shock forms at t=12t=\frac{1}{2}. Find the density of cars ρ(x,t)\rho(x, t) for 0<t<120<t<\frac{1}{2}, and all xx.