Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2023/ia/paper-2/11f/d/solution

Take the spatial Fourier transform of the wave equation. The transformed initial-value problem is
and hence
Part (c) and the convolution theorem turn the first term into
For the second term, choose with . Part (b) says , so
Part (c) now makes its inverse transform
Combining the two terms gives the D'Alembert formula
Let and . Part (c) makes and independent identically distributed exponential variables of rate . The change of variables has Jacobian , and integrating over gives density one for . Therefore the uniform ratio of independent exponential variables gives

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