Heat flow from a triangular initial temperature ($T(x,t)={\sum }_{n\ge 1}8H\sin (n\pi /2)\sin (n\pi x/L)e^{-D(n\pi /L{)}^{2}t}/({\pi }^2{n}^2)$)

On $0<x<L$ with zero-temperature endpoints, let the initial temperature rise linearly from zero to height $H$ at $L/2$ and then fall linearly to zero. Integration by parts on the two halves gives Fourier sine series coefficients $8H\sin (n\pi /2)/({\pi }^2{n}^2)$. Under the heat equation $T_t=D{T}_{xx}$ with $D>0$, each coefficient decays by $e^{-D(n\pi /L{)}^{2}t}$, giving the displayed solution. Only odd spatial modes occur; absolute coefficient summability proves uniform convergence for $t\ge 0$ via the Weierstrass M-test. This spatial profile also occurs in a midpoint-plucked fixed-end string, where the time factors oscillate instead of decaying.

On a bar of length $L$, let the initial temperature increase linearly from zero at either endpoint to height $H$ at the midpoint. With thermal diffusivity $D>0$ and insulated Neumann boundary conditions, a Fourier cosine series gives the displayed solution. Its constant term is the initial integral average $H/2$. Integration by parts on the two straight segments gives zero coefficients for odd modes and modes divisible by four; the remaining coefficients are $-4H/[{\pi }^2(2j+1{)}^2]$. Nonconstant modes decay, leaving the uniform temperature $H/2$, consistent with conservation of the total heat. This contrasts with the zero-temperature boundary solution in heat flow from a triangular initial temperature, where heat can leave the bar and the limit is zero. The initial endpoint slopes do not satisfy the insulated condition, so derivatives need not converge to their initial endpoint values as $t\downarrow 0$; the series satisfies the Neumann condition for every $t>0$ and recovers the continuous initial profile.