Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/prelims/mathematics-v/5/a/i/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2015 Prelims Mathematics V 5 a i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Let be the difference of two sufficiently regular solutions of the wave equation with the prescribed data. By linearity, has zero initial displacement, zero initial velocity, and homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. Define its wave energy byFor , differentiation under the integral sign and integration by parts yieldThe boundary term vanishes because at both fixed endpoints implies there. The zero initial data give , so for all times. Thus is spatially constant, and its zero boundary values give . This proves uniqueness for the undamped wave equation.
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