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For the unforced, constant-$c$ one-dimensional wave equation, finite propagation speed says that changing Cauchy data outside $[x_{\ast }-c{t}_{\ast },x_{\ast }+c{t}_{\ast }]$ cannot change the solution at $(x_{\ast },t_{\ast })$, where $c>0$ and $t_{\ast }\ge 0$. This interval is the initial-data domain of dependence. Its endpoints are found by following the two characteristic lines for the one-dimensional wave equation backwards from the observation. D'Alembert's formula makes the dependence sharper: initial displacement is sampled at the endpoints, while initial velocity is integrated over the entire interval.^[ref]

For the synthetic choice $c=1$, $(x_{\ast },t_{\ast })=(0.5,1.5)$ has initial-data domain of dependence $[-1,2]$. A change confined near $x=3$ is irrelevant to that observation, however large it is. If both Cauchy data vanish outside $[-a,a]$, their compact support can influence only $[-a-ct,a+ct]$ at $t\ge 0$. Thus an observer at $x>a$ sees exactly zero displacement for $0\le t<(x-a)/c$. There is no nonzero precursor beyond this causal cone for the constant-speed wave equation in the ideal model. This is an exact statement about the partial differential equation, stronger than an experimental failure to detect a small signal.

Support widening for the wave equation is a bound on possible influence, not a claim that every point inside the expanding interval moves. A bump function released with zero initial velocity splits into two separated travelling waves; the middle can become empty. An initial kick can instead leave an interior tail, as in the D'Alembert formula with initial velocity. Consequently finite propagation speed does not imply the Strong Huygens principle. A finite string needs boundary conditions, and the whole-line formula applies locally only until its backward causal cone for the constant-speed wave equation encounters an endpoint.

Take the wave speed $c>0$ and introduce characteristic coordinates $\xi =x+ct$, $\eta =x-ct$. The chain rule givesThe wave equation therefore says $y_{\xi \eta }=0$. Integrating first with respect to $\eta$ gives $y_{\xi }=F(\xi )$, and integrating with respect to $\xi$ gives $y=f(x+ct)+g(x-ct)$ with twice differentiable $f,g$. Conversely substitution shows that every such sum solves the wave equation. The two terms are travelling waves of unchanged shape, moving respectively to the left and right at speed $c$.

The zero initial displacement gives $g(x)=-f(x)$, and the initial velocity gives $2c{f}^{\prime }(x)=\psi (x)$. Hence the D'Alembert formula with initial velocity isFor a classical twice differentiable solution one may take $\psi \in C^1$. Differentiation gives $y_t(x,0)=\psi (x)$ and $y(x,0)=0$ directly. The coordinate calculation also works for any nonzero signed $c$, with physical speed $|c|$. If the printed constant is allowed to be $c=0$, the equation instead gives $y=A(x)+tB(x)$ and these initial data give $y=t\psi (x)$; the displayed travelling-wave representation requires $c\ne 0$.

In the characteristic coordinates, the chain rule gives ${\partial }_x={\partial }_{\xi }+{\partial }_{\eta }$ and ${\partial }_t=c({\partial }_{\xi }-{\partial }_{\eta })$. HenceIntegrating this mixed derivative gives $\zeta =F(\xi )+G(\eta )$, a sum of oppositely traveling profiles. The initial data require $F+G=u_0$ and $c(F^{\prime }-G^{\prime })=v_0$, soIntegrating the profiles and matching their total additive constant gives the D'Alembert formula with initial velocity:Here $u_0$ names the initial surface displacement, rather than the water velocity $u$ appearing in the original shallow water equations. The formula verifies both initial conditions directly.

With $\eta =x-t$ and $\xi =x+t$, the chain rule givesHenceso the wave equation is equivalent to $U_{\eta \xi }=0$. Integrating in each variable givesThe initial conditions implySolving and integrating yields the D'Alembert formula with initial velocity

If $|x-x_0|>r+t$, then both $x-t$ and $x+t$ lie outside the support interval $[x_0-r,x_0+r]$, and every point between them does as well. All three terms therefore vanish. Thuswhich is finite propagation speed.

For the finite string, differentiate its energy and use $y_{tt}=y_{xx}$:The fixed-end conditions hold for every $t$, so differentiation gives $y_t(0,t)=y_t(L,t)=0$. The boundary term vanishes and

Here the D'Alembert formula with initial velocity becomesWhen $t>1$ andthe integration interval contains the whole support $[-1,1]$. Since $g$ is odd,Thus the requested region containing the line $x=0$ isThis is the central zero region for odd compactly supported initial velocity. The initial disturbance splits into left-moving and right-moving waves; after they pass, their opposite signed impulses cancel and leave an expanding undisturbed region around the origin.

Let $U(s,x)={\mathcal{L}}_t\{u(t,x)\}$. The initial data turn the wave equation intoUsing the Green function from part (ii) with $m=s$ givesSincewe obtain the D'Alembert formula with initial velocity