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3.

13 If f  x , y , z ,t =1/r  g t−r /c  , where c is constant and r= x 2 y 2 z 2 1/ 2 , show that f


satisfies the3−dimensional wave equation

∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f 1 ∂2 f
  =
∂ x 2 ∂ y 2 ∂ z 2 c 2 ∂ t2

Let us write our equation above as


 x 2 y 2 z 2 1 / 2 f  x , y , z , t= g t−r /c
Applying the product rule  for derivatives and the Chain Rule tothe left side of the equation , and
the chain rule tothe right side of the equation letting u=t−r /c and again applying the chain rule again to
the inner term r , we obtain
∂f ∂ g −x −1
 x 2 y 2z 21 /2 f  x , y , z , t=  r 
∂x ∂u c
∂f ∂f ∂ g −x −1
implies  x 2 y 2z 21 /2  f  x , y , z , t  x 2  y 2z 21/ 2 f  x , y , z , t =  r 
∂x ∂x ∂u c
∂ f ∂ g −x −1
implies xr −1 f  x , y , z , t r =  r 
∂ x ∂u c
r2 ∂ f 1 ∂g
implies f  x , y , z , t  = − 1
x ∂x c ∂u
Similarly we can find and write for variables y and z ,
r2 ∂ f 1 ∂g
f  x , y , z , t  = − 2
y ∂y c ∂u
r2 ∂ f 1 ∂g
f  x , y , z , t  = −  3
z ∂z c ∂u
Applying the product rule again for derivativesand the chain rule to the left side of 1and the
chain rule to right side of our equation twice for the term u=t−r / c and for the term r  x , y , z
we obtain ,
∂f r2 ∂ f ∂ 2 g −x −1
 f  x , y , z , t = 2  2 r 
∂x x ∂x ∂u c
∂ f r ∂ f 2x ∂ f r 2 ∂2 f ∂2 g x −1
2
implies − 2   2
= 2 2r  We ' d note r 2 = x 2  y 2z 21,
∂ x x ∂ x x ∂ x x ∂x ∂u c
applying the chain rule to this yields 2x taking ∂ /∂ x on r  x , y , z 

∂ f r2 ∂ f 2
2∂ f ∂ 2 g x 2 −1
implies 3x − r =  r 
∂x x ∂ x ∂ x2 ∂ u2 c2
2 2 2 2
∂ f x ∂ g ∂f r ∂f
implies r 2 2 = 2 r −1 2 −3x  4
∂x c ∂u ∂x x ∂x
Similarly we can find and write for variables y and z ,
∂2 f y2 ∂2 g ∂ f r2 ∂ f
r 2 2 = 2 r−1 2 −3y  5
∂y c ∂u ∂ y y ∂y
2
2∂ f z 2 −1 ∂ 2 g ∂ f r2 ∂ f
r = r −3z  6
∂ z2 c2 ∂u 2 ∂z z ∂ z
Adding equations 4 , 5 and 6 we obtain
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f
r2  2  2  2  7 
∂x ∂ y ∂z
x 2  y 2z 2 −1 ∂2 g ∂f ∂f ∂ f r2 ∂ f r 2 ∂ f r2 ∂ f
= r −3 x  −3 y  −3 z    
c2 ∂ u2 ∂x ∂y ∂z x ∂ x y ∂ y z ∂ z
For variable x using equation 1and for variables y and z respectively using equations  2 and  3 ,
we can write ,
r2 ∂ f 1 ∂g ∂f x2 ∂ g x2
=− −f 1a x = − 2 − f 1b
x ∂x c ∂u ∂x cr ∂u r 2
2 2 2
r ∂f 1 ∂g ∂f y ∂g y
=− −f 2a  y =− 2 − 2 f  2b
y ∂y c ∂u ∂y cr ∂ u r
r2 ∂ f 1 ∂g ∂f z2 ∂ g z2
=− −f 3a  z = − 2 − f 3b
z ∂z c ∂u ∂z cr ∂u r 2
Substituting  1a−3b into7we obtain
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f
r2  2  2  2 
∂x ∂ y ∂z
x  y 2 z 2 −1 ∂2 g
2
−x 2 ∂ g x 2 − y2 ∂ g y2 −z 2 ∂ g z 2
= r −3  − f −3  − f −3 − f
c2 ∂ u2 cr 2 ∂ u r 2 cr 2 ∂ u r 2 cr 2 ∂u r 2
−1 ∂ g
3 −f 
c ∂u
implies
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f r2 ∂2 g x 2 y 2z 2 ∂ g x 2 y 2 z 2 −1 ∂ g
r 2  2  2  2  = 2 r−1 2 3 2
 2
f 3  −f
∂x ∂ y ∂z c ∂u cr ∂u r c ∂u
implies
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f r ∂2 g r2 ∂ g r2 −1 ∂ g
r2  2  2  2  = 2 2
3 2
 2 f 3 −f 
∂x ∂ y ∂z c ∂u cr ∂u r c ∂u
implies
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f r ∂2 g 1 ∂g −1 ∂ g
r2  2  2  2  = 2 2
3  f 3 −f
∂x ∂ y ∂z c ∂u c ∂u c ∂u
implies
∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f 1 ∂2 g
 2  2 2  = 2
∂x ∂y ∂z c r ∂ u2
Applying the chain rule twice tothe function f as in thebeggining we have ,
∂2 f ∂ 2 g 1 ∂2 f 1 ∂ 2 g ∂2 f ∂2 f ∂2 f 1 ∂2 f
r  2 = 2 where 2 2 = 2 and     = as desired
∂t ∂u c ∂t r c ∂ u2 ∂ x2 ∂ y2 ∂ z 2 c 2 ∂t 2
D

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