MAT351Y1

Partial Differential Equations

This is a first course in Partial Differential Equations, intended for Mathematics students with interests in analysis, mathematical physics, geometry, and optimization. The examples to be discussed include first-order equations, harmonic functions, the diffusion equation, the wave equation, Schrodinger's equation, and eigenvalue problems. In addition to the classical representation formulas for the solutions of these equations, there are techniques that apply more broadly: the notion of well-posedness, the method of characteristics, energy methods, maximum and comparison principles, fundamental solutions, Green's functions, Duhamel's principle, Fourier series, the min-max characterization of eigenvalues, Bessel functions, spherical harmonics, and distributions. Nonlinear phenomena such as shock waves and solitary waves are also introduced.