Airy ordinary differential equation Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
This second-order ordinary differential equation has the independent entire Airy functions and as a standard basis. It is distinct from the dispersive PDE in Airy equation. Its general solution is .
Airy resolvent kernel Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
For , put using the principal cube root and . The decaying Green function for on the real line isThe identities among the three characteristic roots show that and are continuous, while has jump one. Its distributional derivative therefore satisfies . This is the kernel of the resolvent operator , obtained by the time Laplace transform of the Airy equation.
Linear dispersive Stokes equation 2026-10-06
The scalar linear partial differential equation is an Airy equation with a first-order transport term. It is a linearization of the Korteweg-De Vries equation with an advective term retained. It is distinct from the viscous incompressible-flow Stokes equation. On the whole line its spatial Fourier transform evolves by .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 2 31C c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 331 3 d iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Put and . The constant-shear Orr-Sommerfeld equation givesLet and . Since and , the equation becomesThis is the Airy ordinary differential equation, yielding the Airy reduction of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation in constant shear. It is distinct from the evolution PDE represented by the existing Airy equation article.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 328 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Apply the time Laplace transform to the Airy equation. Extend past in any suitable way and writeFor example, setting after makes ; the final solution for is independent of this extension. The Laplace transform of a derivative givesTake the principal cube root for . The three characteristic roots of the spatial ordinary differential equation areSince , only has negative real part. Thus spatial decay leaves just one homogeneous exponential, which the single prescribed Neumann boundary condition determines.
The Airy resolvent kernel on the whole real line isIt decays at both ends, is continuous together with its first derivative, and satisfies . Consequently as a distribution. A particular solution is the Green-function representationAdding the decaying homogeneous mode to impose the boundary derivative givesEvery term is known. If denotes the spatial Laplace transform, thenThe Bromwich inversion formula now gives the required integral representation:Here is to the right of any singularities required by the growth of the data. The usual decay or growth hypotheses are understood for this Laplace transform construction; when absolute inversion is unavailable, the vertical integral is interpreted as the limit of truncated Bromwich contours. The transformed ordinary differential equation verifies the partial differential equation and initial condition, while differentiating at gives exactly and hence . The derivative compatibility makes the two data agree at the corner.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 319 1 g Solution 2026-09-28
Under the Fourier transform, the operator is the Fourier multiplier operatorIts symbol is purely imaginary because is real. Consequently is skew-adjoint on with common domain and generates the strongly continuous unitary groupThe Plancherel theorem gives , so every . Products of the frozen groups are also unitary; hence this is a stable family of semigroup generators with constants .
For ,Since , the map is continuously differentiable from to . All hypotheses from part f are satisfied, so an evolution family exists on every finite interval .
In this commuting Fourier multiplier operator example the solution operator can also be written explicitly:Its multiplier has absolute value one, directly confirming strong continuity, the evolution family law, preservation of , and the required derivatives. The equation combines the dispersive Airy equation with a time-dependent linear transport equation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 ii Paper 1 33E b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Differentiating the first auxiliary equation in , the second in , and equating and leaves preciselyso the Airy equation is their compatibility condition.
Multiplication of by givesHenceFor , the kernel is bounded when ; dominated differentiation makes analytic for . Rapid decrease gives
Scorer function 2026-10-05
The Scorer functions are particular solutions of inhomogeneous Airy equations: and . They occur when an endpoint participates in an Airy-type transition. The NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions gives their standard normalizations.