Paper 4, Section II, C
Part II, 2013
(i) Show that an arbitrary solution of the one-dimensional wave equation can be written in the form .
Hence, deduce the formula for the solution at arbitrary of the Cauchy problem
where are arbitrary Schwartz functions.
Deduce from this formula a theorem on finite propagation speed for the onedimensional wave equation.
(ii) Define the Fourier transform of a tempered distribution. Compute the Fourier transform of the tempered distribution defined for all by the function
that is, for all . By considering the Fourier transform in , deduce from this the formula for the solution of that you obtained in part (i) in the case .