1 Vibration of a String - One dimensional Wave Equation

∂2y 2
2∂ y
= a (1)
∂t2 ∂x2
is the equation governing the vibrations of a stretched string.

We have already noted that y(x, t) is the height of the point x at time t.

To solve (1), we assume that y(x, t) = X(x)T (t) where X is a function of only x and T
is a function of only t. Now differentiating twice with respect to time, we obtain

∂2u
= X(x)T 00 (t).
∂t2

Similarly differentiating with respect to x twice, we get

∂2u
= X 00 (x)T (t).
∂x2
Substituting in the PDE, we get

X(x)T 00 (t) = a2 X 00 (x)T (t)

X(x) a2 T (t)
=
X 00 (x) T 00 (t)

When we have two different functions of different variables equal to each other, they
must be constants. Thus, we obtain

X 00 (x) T 00 (t)
= 2 =k
X(x) a T (t)

If k = 0, then X(x) = Ax + B and T (t) = Cx + D

If k = p2 , a positive constant, then,X(x) = Aepx + Be−px px and T (t) = Ce−pat + Depat

If k = −p2 , a negative constant, then,

X(x) = A cos(px) + B sin(px)

and
T (t) = C cos pat + D sin pat

Physical considerations us that the solution is oscillaotry and hence we choose the third
solution. Hence,

1
 u(x, t) = [A cos px + B sin px][C cos pat + D sin pat]

Now, the fact that both the ends are fixed for all time t gives rise to the following
conditions:
y(0, t) = 0, y(L, t) = 0.
Our job now is to find y(x, t) for all 0 ≤ x ≤ L and t ≥ 0.

The string will start vibrating under the following conditions:

(i) The horizontal equilibrium position of the the string is disturbed by giving it an initial
displacement f (x), 0 ≤ x ≤ L
(ii) Each point x on the string is given an initial velocity of v(x), 0 ≤ x ≤ L

These conditions get translated respectively as

y(x, 0) = f (x)
∂y
(x, 0) = v(x)
∂t

If either f (x) ≡ 0 or v(x) ≡ 0, then the problem can easily be solved by following the
procedure given earlier.

If both of them are non-zero, then we split the problem into two sub-problems as follows:
∂ 2 y1 2
2 ∂ y1
= a
∂t2 ∂x2
y1 (0, t) = y1 (L, t) = 0
y1 (x, 0) = f (x)
∂y1
(x, 0) = 0
∂t
and

∂ 2 y2 ∂ 2 y2
2
= a2 2
∂t ∂x
y2 (0, t) = y2 (L, t) = 0
y2 (x, 0) = 0
∂y2
(x, 0) = v(x)
∂t
The required solution now is y(x, t) = y1 (x, t) + y2 (x, t)