4.II.30C

Partial Differential Equations
Part II, 2008

(i) Define the Fourier transform f^=F(f)\hat{f}=\mathcal{F}(f) of a Schwartz function fS(Rn)f \in \mathcal{S}\left(\mathbb{R}^{n}\right), and also of a tempered distribution uS(Rn)u \in \mathcal{S}^{\prime}\left(\mathbb{R}^{n}\right).

(ii) From your definition, compute the Fourier transform of the distribution WtS(R3)W_{t} \in \mathcal{S}^{\prime}\left(\mathbb{R}^{3}\right) given by

Wt(ψ)=<Wt,ψ>=14πty=tψ(y)dΣ(y)W_{t}(\psi)=<W_{t}, \psi>=\frac{1}{4 \pi t} \int_{\|y\|=t} \psi(y) d \Sigma(y)

for every Schwartz function ψS(R3)\psi \in \mathcal{S}\left(\mathbb{R}^{3}\right). Here dΣ(y)=t2dΩ(y)d \Sigma(y)=t^{2} d \Omega(y) is the integration element on the sphere of radius tt.

Hence deduce the formula of Kirchoff for the solution of the initial value problem for the wave equation in three space dimensions,

2ut2Δu=0\frac{\partial^{2} u}{\partial t^{2}}-\Delta u=0

with initial data u(0,x)=0u(0, x)=0 and ut(0,x)=g(x),xR3\frac{\partial u}{\partial t}(0, x)=g(x), x \in \mathbb{R}^{3}, where gS(R3)g \in \mathcal{S}\left(\mathbb{R}^{3}\right). Explain briefly why the formula is also valid for arbitrary smooth gC(R3)g \in C^{\infty}\left(\mathbb{R}^{3}\right).

(iii) Show that any C2C^{2} solution of the initial value problem in (ii) is given by the formula derived in (ii) (uniqueness).

(iv) Show that any two C2C^{2} solutions of the initial value problem for

2ut2+utΔu=0\frac{\partial^{2} u}{\partial t^{2}}+\frac{\partial u}{\partial t}-\Delta u=0

with the same initial data as in (ii), also agree for any t>0t>0.