Past exam of the differential equations 2 course of the University of Oxford 2017 1 b i Solution 2026-10-31
Interpret the Dirac delta coefficient as a point interaction in a second-order differential equation. The solution is continuous at and is twice differentiable on either side, where . Its transmission conditions for a delta coefficient areIndeed, the distributional second derivative across a jump contributes , which must cancel the delta coefficient because has no point source.
Put and . Integrating the ordinary equation and inserting the required derivative jump giveswhere . This formula is continuous, has the stated jump, satisfies the equation, and parametrizes every solution with the left endpoint value. Imposing the right endpoint value gives the scalar equationConsequently a unique , and hence a unique solution for every , exists precisely whenAt the exceptional value, the nonzero homogeneous solution with zero endpoint values isIt has derivative jump . Thus uniqueness fails. More precisely, there are infinitely many solutions ifand none otherwise. This follows either from the scalar equation or by integration by parts against . It is the compatibility obstruction at Dirichlet resonance for a point interaction.
For a point interaction in a second-order differential equation, the equation , with nonsingular continuous , requiresThe distributional second derivative across a jump explains both conditions: there is no derivative-of-delta source to balance a value jump, and the coefficients of the delta source must agree. In particular, without a point source, . With a unit point source at the same location, the condition is ; one must combine the two contributions rather than impose two incompatible jump conditions.