The characteristic flow map solves the ordinary differential equation
and hence
Along this characteristic curve, the chain rule gives
The value is therefore constant, and tracing back to time zero gives the classical solution
Direct differentiation verifies both the linear transport equation and its initial value.
Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.
For every compactly supported test function on , define a weak solution by the identity
The extra appears because . This identity is obtained from the linear transport equation by integration by parts in time and space.
Conversely, if and have the stated regularity, choosing test functions supported away from shows in the distributional sense that . Continuity makes the equation pointwise. Integrating that pointwise equation by parts in the displayed identity leaves
for all boundary test functions. The fundamental lemma of the calculus of variations gives , so is a classical solution.
Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.