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Title:
Partial differential equations in classical mathematical physics
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Publication Information:
New York : Cambridge Univ Pr., 1993
ISBN:
9780521410588
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30000003180233 QC20.7.D5 R82 1993 Open Access Book Book
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Summary

Summary

The unique feature of this book is that it considers the theory of partial differential equations in mathematical physics as the language of continuous processes, that is, as an interdisciplinary science that treats the hierarchy of mathematical phenomena as reflections of their physical counterparts. Special attention is drawn to tracing the development of these mathematical phenomena in different natural sciences, with examples drawn from continuum mechanics, electrodynamics, transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and chemical kinetics. At the same time, the authors trace the interrelation between the different types of problems - elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic - as the mathematical counterparts of stationary and evolutionary processes. This combination of mathematical comprehensiveness and natural scientific motivation represents a step forward in the presentation of the classical theory of PDEs, one that will be appreciated by both students and researchers alike.


Reviews 1

Choice Review

There are a number of books in mathematical physics, and many are undoubtedly of outstanding quality. Rubinstein and Rubinstein present a comprehensive account of the basic principles and applications of the classical theory of partial differential equations in mathematical physics. Their book is well written for graduate students in physics, engineering, and applied mathematics sequences, and scientists and engineers whose projects require knowledge of equations of mathematical physics. Although highly technical with several proofs and few examples, the book will be useful in several ways: first, it provides an introduction to some physical problems that recur in different equations; second, it gives a rigorous and systematic exposition to efficient and contemporary methods of mathematical physics, some of which have hitherto been overlooked in mathematical physics textbooks and which researchers in applied mathematics and engineering sciences may find useful. Most of the chapters are self-contained, and similarities between fundamental concepts governing processes of the same category are emphasized in the text. Extremely valuable appendixes review important mathematical concepts. Recommended. Graduate through faculty and professional. D. E. Bentil; University of Massachusetts at Amherst


Table of Contents

Preface
1 Introduction
2 Typical equations of mathematical physics
Boundary conditions
3 Cauchy problem for first-order partial differential equations
4 Classification of second-order partial differential equations with linear principal part
Elements of the theory of characteristics
5 Cauchy and mixed problems for the wave equation in R1
Method of travelling waves
6 Cauchy and Goursat problems for a second-order linear hyperbolic equation with two independent variables
RiemannâÇÖs method
7 Cauchy problem for a 2-dimensional wave equation
The Volterra-D'Adhemar solution
8 Cauchy problem for the wave equation in R3
Methods of averaging and descent
Huygens's principle
9 Basic properties of harmonic functions
10 GreenâÇÖs functions
11 Sequences of harmonic functions
Perron's theorem
Schwarz alternating method
12 Outer boundary-value problems
Elements of potential theory
13 Cauchy problem for heat-conduction equation
14 Maximum principle for parabolic equations
15 Application of GreenâÇÖs formulas
Fundamental identity
Green's functions for Fourier equation
16 Heat potentials
17 Volterra integral equations and their application to solution of boundary-value problems in heat-conduction theory
18 Sequences of parabolic functions
19 Fourier method for bounded regions
20 Integral transform method in unbounded regions
21 Asymptotic expansions
Asymptotic solution of boundary-value problems
Appendix I Elements of vector analysis
Appendix II Elements of theory of Bessel functions
Appendix III Fourier's method and Sturm-Liouville equations
Appendix IV Fourier integral
Appendix V Examples of solution of nontrivial engineering and physical problems
References
Index