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3.1. Laplace Equation w = 0

The Laplace equation is often encountered in heat and mass transfer theory, uid mechanics, elasticity, electrostatics, and other areas of mechanics and physics. The two-dimensional Laplace equation has the following form: 2w 2w + =0 x2 y 2 1 w 1 2w r + 2 =0 r r r r 2 where x = r cos , y = r sin , and r = in the Cartesian coordinate system, in the polar coordinate system,

x2 + y 2 .

3.1-1. Particular solutions and methods for their construction. 1 . Particular solutions of the Laplace equation in the Cartesian coordinate system: w(x, y) = Ax + By + C, w(x, y) = A(x2 y 2 ) + Bxy, w(x, y) = A(x3 3xy 2 ) + B(3x2 y y 3 ), Ax + By w(x, y) = 2 + C, x + y2 w(x, y) = exp(x)(A cos y + B sin y), w(x, y) = (A cos x + B sin x) exp(y), w(x, y) = (A sinh x + B cosh x)(C cos y + D sin y), w(x, y) = (A cos x + B sin x)(C sinh y + D cosh y), where A, B, C, D, and are arbitrary constants. 2 . Particular solutions of the Laplace equation in the polar coordinate system: w(r) = A ln r + B, w(r, ) = Arm + B (C cos m + D sin m), rm

where A, B, C, and D are arbitrary constants, and m = 1, 2, . . .. 3 . A fairly general method for constructing particular solutions involves the following. Let f (z) = u(x, y) + iv(x, y) be any analytic function of the complex variable z = x + iy (u and v are real functions of the real variables x and y; i2 = 1). Then the real and imaginary parts of f both satisfy the two-dimensional Laplace equation, 2 u = 0, 2 v = 0.

Thus, by specifying analytic functions f (z) and taking their real and imaginary parts, one obtains various solutions of the two-dimensional Laplace equation.

LAPLACE EQUATION

3.1-2. Domain: < x < , 0 y < . First boundary value problem. A half-plane is considered. A boundary condition is prescribed: w = f (x) at Solution: w(x, y) = 1

y = 0.
/2 /2

yf () d 1 = (x )2 + y 2

f (x + y tan ) d.

3.1-3. Domain: 0 x a, 0 y b. First boundary value problem for the Laplace equation. A rectangle is considered. Boundary conditions are prescribed: w = f1 (y) at w = f3 (x) at Solution:

x = 0, y = 0,

w = f2 (y) at w = f4 (x) at

x = a, y = b.

w(x, y) =
n=1

An sinh

n n (a x) sin y + b b

Bn sinh
n=1

n n x sin y b b n n x sinh y , a a

+
n=1

n n Cn sin x sinh (b y) + a a

Dn sin
n=1

where the coefcients An , Bn , Cn , and Dn are expressed as An = 2 n 2 Cn = n n b 0 a n f3 () sin a 0 f1 () sin

b

d, d,

2 n 2 Dn = n Bn =

n d, b 0 a n f4 () sin d, a 0 f2 () sin

na , b nb n = a sinh . a n = b sinh

3.1-4. Domain: 0 r R. First boundary value problem for the Laplace equation. A circle is considered. A boundary condition is prescribed: w = f () at Solution in the polar coordinates: w(r, ) = 1 2
2 0

r = R.

f ()

R2 r 2 d. r2 2Rr cos( ) + R2

This formula is conventionally referred to as the Poisson integral. 3.1-5. Domain: 0 r R. Second boundary value problem for the Laplace equation. A circle is considered. A boundary condition is prescribed: r w = f () at Solution in the polar coordinates: w(r, ) = R 2
2 0

r = R.

f () ln

r2 2Rr cos( ) + R2 d + C, R2
2 0

where C is an arbitrary constant; this formula is known as the Dini integral. Remark. The function f () must satisfy the solvability condition f () d = 0.

LAPLACE EQUATION

References
Babich, V. M., Kapilevich, M. B., Mikhlin, S. G., et al., Linear Equations of Mathematical Physics [in Russian], Nauka, Moscow, 1964. Carslaw, H. S. and Jaeger, J. C., Conduction of Heat in Solids, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1984. Polyanin, A. D., Handbook of Linear Partial Differential Equations for Engineers and Scientists , Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2002.

Laplace Equation Copyright c 2004 Andrei D. Polyanin http://eqworld.ipmnet.ru/en/solutions/lpde/lpde301.pdf