Put for separation of variables. Multiplication by givesSingle-valuedness requires a -periodic angular function. The nonzero possibilities are for integers . For , is a combination of and , while the radial Euler-Cauchy equation has solutions . At , periodicity excludes an angular term proportional to , and gives .
Superposing the separated harmonic functions yieldsTo obtain the general solution, expand any sufficiently regular harmonic function in a Fourier series on circles; each Fourier coefficient satisfies the corresponding radial equation. The coefficients must give the required convergence on compact annuli. Because no condition at zero or infinity is imposed in this part, neither radial branch is discarded.
Set in the wave equation. A nonzero product obtained by separation of variables obeysThe fixed-end Dirichlet boundary conditions require . The zero and negative spatial eigenvalue cases produce only the trivial solution; the nontrivial eigenfunctions areFor each normal mode, . By superposition and completeness of the Fourier sine basis, the general finite-energy solution has the expansionIf and , orthogonality gives and . Individual products are separable; their sum is the general solution.
For separation of variables, let . The Laplace equation givesA nonzero -periodic angular solution requires , . For , is a linear combination of and , while gives hyperbolic sine and cosine. For , periodicity makes constant, and . Negative separation constants would give nonperiodic real exponentials in .
Superposition yieldsCompleteness follows by expanding a harmonic function in a Fourier series in the periodic coordinate: its Fourier coefficients must satisfy exactly these radial equations. As usual, the coefficients are restricted by the convergence required of the series on compact subregions. The bipolar coordinates domain imposes no boundary condition at or , so both hyperbolic branches remain available.
The transformed endpoint values are and . Apply boundary lifting with . The lifted profile is linear, so with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions andFor separation of variables, put . Then . The endpoint conditions give nonzero spatial modes only for , , with and . Henceby orthogonality of the sine modes. Only the mode is present. Undoing both substitutions givesAt this has the prescribed initial profile, and at it is . Differentiating also verifies the original evolution equation directly.
Use separation of variables with . A nonzero product givesThe angular factor must be a periodic function of period . If , its exponential solutions cannot be periodic unless they vanish. If , forces , while . If , periodicity requires , giving angular factors and radial factors .
Superposing these separated harmonic functions yieldsTo see completeness, expand an arbitrary smooth harmonic function in a Fourier series in on each ellipse. Substitution into the equation forces every Fourier coefficient to obey the corresponding radial equation above. The series is interpreted with the convergence needed for a harmonic function, for example locally on compact subannuli. No boundedness condition at infinity or extension across has been imposed, so there is no reason to discard either radial branch in these elliptic coordinates.
Let . Transform the three terms of the order-zero Bessel differential equation using part (a):Adding and dividing by givesOn , separation of variables gives , hence . To obtain the usual solution regular at , choose the compactly supported extensionThis is a genuine distributional weak solution: the differential equation can be written , and vanishes continuously at both endpoints. Thus differentiation produces no endpoint Dirac delta terms.
Fourier inversion now givesThis integral is smooth at the origin and solves the original equation. Its value there is . Normalizing fixes , and identifies the Bessel function of the first kind of order zero:The last equality uses . Without normalization, the regular solution is an arbitrary constant times this integral; this is the Fourier transform of the Bessel function J0 pair.
Regularity qualification. The source specifies the differential equation but no condition at its singular point . The transformed equation separately has solutions on the two exterior intervals. Thus it does not, by itself, determine the support or a single global multiplicative constant. The compactly supported choice above constructs the regular Bessel branch. The other independent branch, the Bessel function of the second kind, is singular at the origin. Also is not absolutely integrable on the real line, so its transform is properly taken as a tempered distribution, rather than relying on the stronger classical integrability assumptions of part (a).
For the linearly damped string, substitute and divide by :Thus separation of variables givesThe fixed-end Dirichlet boundary conditions require . Nonzero solutions are , with , . Neither nor a negative spatial eigenvalue produces a nonzero function obeying both endpoint conditions.
Put in the Laplace equation in polar coordinates. After multiplication by , separation of variables givesThe angular function is -periodic and single-valued, so its nonconstant modes are with integer . Their radial Euler differential equation has solutions ; finiteness at the origin excludes .
The zero angular mode has constant angular part and radial solutions . The logarithmic term is again excluded at the origin. Superposition therefore yieldsThis is the regular harmonic expansion inside the disk.
For , separation of variables gives . With the standard separation constants and , the zero-endpoint solutions are sines. Thus, provided ,is nonzero, has zero value on all four sides, and satisfies .
There is a missing qualification in the printed request for arbitrary integer . The Dirichlet and Neumann spectra of a square show that a nonzero Dirichlet solution exists precisely whenWhen one of is zero, the displayed sine product vanishes identically, and a nonzero solution need not exist: for example or admits none. On the other hand does admit . Thus the natural intended case is two nonzero integer indices, with the stated spectral criterion covering the exceptional cases.
For separation of variables matching the boundary Fourier mode, take with . Because , the reduced ordinary differential equation isThereforeThe decay of a Fourier mode in a third-order spatial evolution equation requires a sign check: this satisfies the requested limit at positive infinity precisely when . For it remains identically one, while for its amplitude grows exponentially. Hence for those nonpositive values there is no separated solution meeting both prescribed boundary conditions; the printed assumption that is merely real needs this additional restriction for decay.
Use separation of variables in the form , with . Then and the spatial Sturm-Liouville problem isThese real separated Robin boundary conditions give a self-adjoint differential operator, so the eigenvalues are real. All three sign cases must be considered.
If , write . The first condition gives , while the second reduces toThus , and scaling the eigenfunction gives .
If , write . The first condition gives , and the second becomesHence , giving the single negative eigenvalue and spatial eigenfunction . Completeness of this regular Sturm-Liouville problem now givesThis is Robin diffusion with a growing mode. The growth is compatible with the stated conditions: they prescribe the same coordinate derivative at both ends, not identical dissipative outward-normal conditions.
Use separation of variables, , and divide by where nonzero. A real separation constant givesso and . Normalizing the second factor to one at zero givesThe spatial ordinary differential equation has three types of real solution:Products are the separated eigenfunctions. The negative, zero and positive separation constants give trigonometric, linear and hyperbolic function forms respectively. There is no discrete quantization until boundary conditions on are supplied. Since is bounded, the envelope of decays for , grows for , and is bounded and periodic for . The scalar prefactor can also be derived by removing a variable scalar reaction rate by an integrating factor.
Apply separation of variables with and temporal factor . The spatial eigenvalue equation isThe nontrivial solutions of these Dirichlet boundary conditions are sine eigenfunctions. Normalizing in the usual inner product on giveswith . The superposition principle and the Fourier sine series then giveThe constants are the initial-data coefficients . Here physical diffusion means .
For separation of variables, take and divide the reaction-diffusion equation by this product wherever it is nonzero:Each spatial term depends on a different variable and must be constant. Write and similarly for the other two factors. The Dirichlet boundary conditions give . A zero separation constant permits only a linear function and hence the zero solution; a positive value of likewise permits no nonzero function vanishing at both endpoints. The nontrivial choices are thereforeThe temporal ordinary differential equation isso, absorbing its constant multiplier into ,The superposition principle and completeness of the Fourier sine series give the stated threefold expansion with these factors. For an initial density , orthogonality also determines the constants:
The separation of variables solution with Dirichlet boundary conditions on the cuboid isThe constants are fixed by the initial density through Fourier sine series. The fastest term again has . When , its growth rate becomesThus the precise condition for no exponentially growing term isFor example, gives , while gives : either a sufficiently flat or a sufficiently elongated cuboid suppresses growth despite its unchanged volume. The function decreases to its minimum at , then increases without bound. Hence there are two positive threshold values, with growth only between them; equality leaves one stationary term and all other terms decaying.
For an axisymmetric harmonic function, put in the Laplacian in spherical coordinates and multiply by . Separation of variables givesWith , the angular equation becomes the Legendre differential equation. Regularity at both poles selects the Legendre polynomials with integer ; the singular second solutions are excluded. The radial Euler-Cauchy equation has solutions and . Superposition therefore giveswith coefficients chosen to ensure convergence and the required boundary regularity. The axisymmetric harmonic extension from a sphere gives these coefficients directly from boundary data.
The fundamental nonnegative mode is . Put the origin at the centre of the cylinder, so . Neglecting extrapolation imposes zero neutron flux at and . WriteFor an axisymmetric field, separation of variables in cylindrical coordinates givesChoose the axial separation constant so . Midplane symmetry and the lowest positive axial mode give , withThe radial equation isThe solution regular on the axis is the zero-order Bessel function of the first kind, ; the independent second-kind solution is singular there. The first radial zero gives . Higher zeros would introduce sign changes and do not describe the fundamental nonnegative neutron flux. Normalize by the central value, using :The printed is a rounded Bessel function zero, rather than an exact root.
Position A disconnects the battery and closes the resistor-inductor loop. Taking clockwise electric current as positive, Kirchhoff's voltage law for this RL circuit givesThe electric current through an ideal inductor remains continuous across a switch with no impulsive voltage. Thus , and separation of variables givesIf the switch remains at A, the same result holds for every . The time constant is ; the stored magnetic energy is dissipated by Joule heating.
Past exam of the physics A course of the University of Cambridge 2014 Paper 2 Section B B7 Solution 2026-10-20
Reflection at the fixed edges combines waves with opposite into a transverse standing wave while retaining their common longitudinal propagation factor. The membrane waveguide scalar transverse displacement satisfies the wave equation and vanishes at both edges:The sine gives no displacement. separation of variables givesFor a propagating branch with ,Their product is . The phase velocity can exceed the material wave speed; energy transport follows the group velocity.
orbital angular momentum generates spatial rotations and is . With , its components satisfyThus and one component, conventionally , have simultaneous eigenstates, while all three components cannot generally have sharp values. On ordinary single-valued spatial wavefunctions,The spherical harmonics form an orthonormal angular basis. The integer restriction is specific to orbital wavefunctions; half-integer spin is an intrinsic degree of freedom, not the angular dependence of a scalar spatial wavefunction.
The angular momentum ladder operators obeyThe ladder ends at , producing states. A state with specified has a sharp projection , but the angular momentum magnitude is , not . No classical picture of a vector with simultaneously fixed Cartesian components reproduces all these measurement properties.
In a central potential, rotational symmetry gives . separation of variables yields . The radial Schrödinger equation includes a centrifugal potential , which suppresses small-radius amplitude for nonzero . The energy is independent of when rotational symmetry is intact, but need not be independent of . A magnetic field can break that degeneracy. Spatial inversion gives , connecting orbital angular momentum to parity and to the even/odd rotational restriction for the hydrogen spin isomers.