Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/ib/paper-2/16d/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ib Paper 2 16D b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The Duhamel principle superposes the response to source impulses:This expression uses the source at the origin, is causal, and has zero initial data in the distributional sense. Its integral over the plane is , consistent with the injected total amount.
For the finite-duration source and , set . The causal diffusion from a finite-duration planar point source becomesWith , or by differentiating the supplied exponential integral, this isIf , both arguments are small. Their logarithmic constants and cancel, leavingAt the origin this logarithmic expression is exact for , obtained as the limit . The leading spatial correction is . If also , the leading value is .
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