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Practice Questions Set: Green's Functions

1. Prove properties of the Dirac delta function, including δ(-x)=δ(x), δ(ax)=δ(x)/|a|, and δ(a2-x2)=δ(x-a)+δ(x+a)/2|a|. 2. Show that the fundamental solution of the 1D Laplace equation u(x)=|x|/2 satisfies u''(x)=0 for x≠0 and the integral of u''(x) from -ε to ε is 1. 3. Find the Green's function solution to the Laplace equation in the half-plane using the Dirichlet boundary condition.

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325 views2 pages

Practice Questions Set: Green's Functions

1. Prove properties of the Dirac delta function, including δ(-x)=δ(x), δ(ax)=δ(x)/|a|, and δ(a2-x2)=δ(x-a)+δ(x+a)/2|a|. 2. Show that the fundamental solution of the 1D Laplace equation u(x)=|x|/2 satisfies u''(x)=0 for x≠0 and the integral of u''(x) from -ε to ε is 1. 3. Find the Green's function solution to the Laplace equation in the half-plane using the Dirichlet boundary condition.

Uploaded by

Bishnu Lamichhane
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MATH3700 Practice Questions Sem 2, 2020

Practice Questions Set: Green’s Functions


1. Prove the following properties of the Dirac delta function. You can use the shift theorem
Z
δ(x − c)f (x) dx = f (c),
R

where f : R → R is continuous at x = c. In the following questions a 6= 0.


R R
(a) δ(−x) = δ(x). Hint: show that R f (x)δ(−x) dx = R f (x)δ(x) dx.
(b) δ(ax) = δ(x) δ(x)
R R
|a| . Hint: show that R f (x)δ(ax) dx = R f (x) |a| dx.

(c) δ(a2 −x2 ) = δ(x−a)+δ(x+a) 2 −x2 ) dx = δ(x−a)+δ(x+a)


R R
2|a| . Hint: show that R f (x)δ(a R f (x) 2|a| dx.

|x|
2. The fundamental solution of the Laplace equation in one dimension is u(x) = 2 . Formally
show that

(a) u00 (x) = 0, x 6= 0.


R
(b) − u00 (x) dx = 1 for  > 0. Note that u00 (x) cannot be integrated in a classical sense.
You can get the result by using the following equation formally (not rigorously)
Z 
u00 (x) dx = [u0 (x)]− .
−

3. Let D = {x = (x, y)| x > 0} with the boundary ∂D = {x = (0, y)| y ∈ R}. Find the
solution of the Laplace equation ∆u = 0 in D with the Dirichlet boundary condition
u(0, y) = f (y) using the method of Green’s function.

4. Determine the Green’s function G(x, x0 ) inside the sphere of radius a:

∆G(x, x0 ) = δ(x − x0 ) in D and G(x, x0 ) = 0 on ∂D,

where

D = {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 | x2 + y 2 + z 2 < a2 } and ∂D is the boundary of D.

5. By using the method of Green’s function find the solution of the Dirichlet problem for the
Laplace equation ∆u = 0 in the disk Ω of radius r = a, i.e.,

Ω = {(r, θ)| r < a, 0 ≤ θ < 2π}

with the Dirichlet boundary condition u(a, θ) = f (θ) for 0 ≤ θ < 2π. The solution is
2π
(a2 − r2 )f (ϕ)
Z
1
u(r, θ) = dϕ.
2π 0 a2 − 2ar cos(θ − ϕ) + r2

6. Find the solution of the following exterior Dirichlet problem using the method of Green’s
function:
−∆u = f in Ω, and u = 0 on ∂Ω,
where for R > 0
Ω = {(r, θ)| r > R, 0 ≤ θ < 2π},
and ∂Ω is the boundary of Ω.
MATH3700 Practice Questions Sem 2, 2020

7. A stream function solves ∆ψ = ω, where ω measures the fluid rotation and the fluid
velocity field is perpendicular to the gradient of ψ. Here ψ : R2 → R. A hurricane is
modelled by using (
1, kxk < a
ω= .
0, kxk ≥ a
Using the method of Green’s function find the solution as an integral. Find the solution
at the origin.

8. Use the method of images to find the Green’s function for the Dirichlet problem on the
first quadrant D, where
D = {(x, y)| x > 0, y > 0}.

9. Find Green’s function for the Dirichlet problem on the interior of the semi-circle D, i.e.,

D = {(r cos(θ), r sin(θ))| 0 < r < 1, 0 < θ ≤ π}.

10. Let f : R → R be a continuous function. Using a change of variables to show that

(a)
2 2
e−x /2s
Z
1
f (0) = √ lim f (x) dx.
2π s→0 R s
(b) Z
1 s
f (0) = lim f (x) dx.
π s→0 R s2 + x2
Hint: you can use the fact that
√
Z
2
e−x dx = π.
R

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