Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2011 / Paper 1 / 2

The substitution separates the uniform equilibrium from the decaying perturbation. Direct differentiation givesConsequently the reaction-diffusion equation reduces to the heat equation $v_t=v_{xx}$. Its data become

When the three constants coincide, the Dirichlet boundary conditions for $v$ are homogeneous. Separation of variables gives $X^{\prime \prime }+n^{2}X=0$ and $T^{\prime }=-n^{2}T$, selecting the normal modes $\sin (nx)e^{-n^{2}t}$ for $n\ge 1$. ThusTwo integrations by parts give ${\int }_0^{\pi }x(\pi -x)\sin (nx)dx=2[1-(-1{)}^n]/n^3$, while the constant term uses ${\int }_0^{\pi }\sin (nx)dx=[1-(-1{)}^n]/n$. Therefore the Fourier sine series isFor $u_0\ne 2$, its first coefficient is nonzero. Multiplying by $e^{-\beta t}$ and retaining the slowest-decaying mode givesThe remainder estimate holds uniformly in $x$ for sufficiently large positive time. If $u_0=2$, the fundamental vanishes and the next possible mode has decay rate $\beta +9$, explaining the exclusion.

There is an initial endpoint compatibility issue unless $u_0=0$: the given polynomial profile vanishes at the endpoints, whereas the boundary values equal $u_0$. The series realizes the initial data in L2 space and pointwise in the open interval, imposing the prescribed boundary values for $t>0$. For nonzero $u_0$ it cannot also be continuous at both initial endpoint corners.