The Method of Characteristics - Trinity University
ramanujan.math.trinity.edu › rdaileda › teachThe Method of Characteristics Step1. Parametrize the initial curve Γ, i.e. write Γ : x = x 0(a), y = y 0(a), z = z 0(a). Step2. For each a, find the stream line of Fthat passes through Γ(a). That is, solve the system of ODE initial value problems dx ds = A(x,y,z), dy ds = B(x,y,z), dz ds = C(x,y,z), x(0) = x 0(a), y(0) = y 0(a), z(0) = z 0(a).
2. Method of Characteristics
www.math.ualberta.ca › ~xinweiyu › 436The solutions to this equation are called “characteristics” or “characteristic curves”. Proof. We need to show the implicitly defined u(x,y) satisfies the equation (2.39). To do this we differentiate F(Φ,Ψ)=0: FΦ [Φ x +Φ z u x]+ FΨ [Ψ x +Ψ z u x] = 0 (2.42) FΦ [Φ y +Φ z u y]+ FΨ [Ψ y +Ψ z u y] = 0 (2.43) Since (FΦ,FΨ) (0,0), we must have det Φ x +Φ z u x Ψ
Method of characteristics - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Method_of_characteristicsIn mathematics, the method of characteristics is a technique for solving partial differential equations. Typically, it applies to first-order equations, although more generally the method of characteristics is valid for any hyperbolic partial differential equation. The method is to reduce a partial differential equation to a family of ordinary differential equations along which the solution can be integrated from some initial data given on a suitable hypersurface.