The sununarizecl approxin:1atio11 rnethocl 601
where t* > 0 is an arbitrary nun1ber. By resolving these equations we
obtain
yielding v 2 (t*) = u(t*).
Example 2 Recall now the statement of the Cauchy problem for the
transfer equation
(t=l,2,
-oo<x",<oo, t>O, u(x,O)=ft(x),
whose solution u(x, t) = p(x 1 - t, x 2 - t) is a "travelling wave" if p(x) is a
twice differentiable function. Since the operators L 1 and L2 are commuting,
it is plain to show that
u(x, t) = v( 2 )(x, t),
where v( 2 )(x, t*) is a solution of the system of equations
8v(l) 8v(l)
r +
0
=0, O<t<t*, v(l)(x,O)=p(x),
cN J: 1
8v( 2 ) 8v(2)
~~ + = 0 0 < t < t*, v( 2 )(x, 0) = v(l)(x, t*).
at ax2
Indeed, a solution to the first equation acquires the form
On the other hand, we find from the second equation that
i1nplying that v( 2 )(x, t) = ll(x, t).