Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/ib/paper-4/17b/a/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 4 17B a ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
For each injection time , let solve the homogeneous Cauchy problem for a partial differential equation with initial profile . Its representation by the fundamental solution of a linear differential operator isThe causal Green function and Duhamel principle giveFor smooth forcing with sufficient decay, differentiating this formula givesThe boundary term uses the Dirac delta function limit of , not a finite pointwise value of . The same formula extends to weaker forcing in an appropriate integrable or distribution sense. Physically, each short time interval adds to the temperature profile; that addition subsequently undergoes homogeneous diffusion equation. The total solution is the superposition of all such diffusing injections.
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