Let be a constant-coefficient differential operator, , with distinct characteristic roots having nonzero real parts. The solution of decaying at both temporal infinities is
where is the Heaviside step function. This follows by partial fraction decomposition of and the first-order kernels for , or for . Both first-order kernels jump by one and solve as distributions.
For example, gives
It is continuous together with its first derivative; its second derivative jumps by one, as required by the jump conditions for a third-order Green function. A solution of is the convolution when it exists. If positive-real-part roots occur, decay at both ends generally requires a nonzero negative-time branch: this is the distinction captured by causality versus stability of a Green function. A causal kernel would retain growing positive-time terms and need not have a real-axis Fourier transform.
Interpret the three conditions at zero as an initial-value problem on , with interior source . A causal Green function satisfies and vanishes for . Since the leading coefficient of the third derivative is one, the jump conditions for a third-order Green function require and continuous and to jump by one. For , the homogeneous roots are . Solving , yields
For it vanishes near zero, so all three initial boundary conditions hold. The matching conditions ensure that supplies precisely a Dirac delta, without unwanted delta derivatives.
The homogeneous solution carrying the nonzero initial data is . The Green-function representation therefore gives
For the integral vanishes. For , set and integrate to obtain . Thus
The bracket and its first two derivatives vanish at , so match continuously there; its third derivative jumps by the stated forcing. The value assigned to is immaterial. The source at the initial endpoint would need a separate endpoint-delta convention, which is not used in this integral.
Use a time Laplace transform and a spatial Green function. The first-order transport term must be retained: the Airy resolvent kernel for alone would solve a different equation. The governing linear partial differential equation is the linear dispersive Stokes equation, distinct from the viscous-fluid Stokes equation.
For the time interval of interest, extend the given boundary signal by zero after and put
The possible discontinuity at does not affect a solution at . Equivalently, use any sufficiently regular continuation beyond : the resulting causal Green function produces the same earlier solution. We seek the usual solution with spatial decay and a time transform, rather than an unrestricted spatially growing solution on the half-line.
Writing for the time Laplace transform, the Laplace transform of a derivative gives
The corresponding characteristic roots are the three roots of a polynomial
For , label the unique root of negative real part by , and the two roots of positive real part by . This spatial root splitting for the dispersive Stokes resolvent is easily checked: if , then is imaginary, so no root crosses the imaginary axis as varies in the right half-plane. For real the cubic is strictly increasing on the real line and has one negative real root, while its conjugate pair has positive real parts. The root count remains the same throughout that connected half-plane. A repeated root would satisfy and again put on the imaginary axis. All roots are therefore simple there, and is a nonzero holomorphic function.
Set , including . Define the Stokes resolvent kernel with advection
The sign on the negative half-line is essential. To verify the Green function, use the partial fraction decomposition
Its expansion at infinity yields the reciprocal-polynomial root identities
Consequently and are continuous at zero, and has jump one. Each piece solves the homogeneous ordinary differential equation, so the jump conditions for a third-order Green function imply, in the sense of distributional derivatives,
Both pieces decay in their respective spatial directions.
Now define
It satisfies the transformed inhomogeneous equation. The difference solves the homogeneous linear ordinary differential equation; spatial decay leaves only . Imposing the Neumann boundary condition fixes its coefficient, giving the half-line Stokes solution with a boundary derivative
No division by a vanishing root is involved, since would require . Moreover the remaining boundary trace is explicitly known from :
Thus introduce the completely explicit initial-data kernel
For any upward Bromwich contour to the right of any transform singularities, the requested integral representation is
The contour integral is understood in the standard Bromwich inversion formula sense, with truncation limits if it is not absolutely convergent. Every term is expressed in the supplied data and algebraic characteristic roots; there are no unknown Dirichlet or second-derivative boundary traces.
The transformed equation verifies the linear partial differential equation and the initial term, while taking the spatial derivative gives . Bromwich inversion formula therefore supplies the prescribed derivative for and the initial value for . For zero initial and boundary data, the transformed solution is a decaying homogeneous mode with zero boundary derivative, hence vanishes; this proves uniqueness in the stated transform/decay class. A change of the boundary continuation after has transform times another causal transform and contributes only after , by the Laplace transform time-shift rule. The printed dot on is interpreted as its derivative in its sole variable , so the stated corner compatibility is . Additional differentiability at the corner requires the corresponding higher-order compatibility, but is not needed for the representation at positive .
Factor the cubic denominator as . Substitution gives
There is a double pole at and simple poles at . For , close the inverse-transform contour counterclockwise in the upper half-plane. The residue at the double pole is
and the residue at is . Multiplication by from the residue theorem therefore gives .
For , the clockwise lower closure encloses only , with residue . The orientation supplies , giving . Hence the continuous solution is
The large inverse-transform arcs vanish: the rational factor is , while the exponential is bounded on the appropriate closure.
Figure 1.
The two-sided decaying Fourier solution; it and its first derivative are continuous at zero
. Details.
The graph tends to zero from below as , passes through with slope , reaches a small negative minimum after zero, then crosses the axis, reaches a positive maximum and tends to zero from above. The positive-time stationary points solve , and the crossing solves ; these equations determine the sketch without guessing signs.
For a distributional check, and are continuous, while . The jump conditions for a third-order Green function therefore produce the delta in , and each smooth branch satisfies the remaining equation. The nonzero solution for is consistent with the stipulated decay at both temporal infinities. Those are two-sided conditions, not a causality assumption: this is the setting of a decaying two-sided Green function of a constant-coefficient ordinary differential equation and causality versus stability of a Green function.