Wave Equation

Second-order linear partial differential equation for waves, governing strings, sound, seismic waves, water, and light.

Specifications & Metrics

symbol

∂²u/∂t² = c²∇²u

Core Principles & Analysis

• French scientist Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert discovered the wave equation in one space dimension.
• Swiss mathematician and physicist Leonhard Euler discovered the wave equation in three space dimensions.
• It describes water waves, sound waves, and seismic waves, and d'Alembert's solution u = F(x − ct) + G(x + ct) sums two travelling waves.

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Sources

• Wikipedia: Wave equation