Green fuktion on the wave operator in 1 dimension

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around solving a homework problem involving the Green function for the wave operator in one dimension. The Green function is provided, and the user is attempting to compute an integral that leads to the evaluation of a specific function at the origin, phi(0,0). There is confusion regarding the integration limits and the application of the d'Alembertian operator, with users discussing the need to verify that the Green function satisfies the differential equation. The conversation highlights the importance of correctly setting up the problem and understanding the properties of the Green function in relation to the operator. Ultimately, the user seeks clarification on the steps needed to demonstrate that the given Green function is indeed a solution to the specified operator equation.
nobody2100
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I have a Homework here I'm trying to solve like the last 3-4 hours but somehow I'm stuck so I ask you guys for help:

They gave me the Green Function like this:
http://idefix.physik.uni-freiburg.de/~aufgabe/THEO204/theo9/img50.png
with http://idefix.physik.uni-freiburg.de/~aufgabe/THEO204/theo9/img53.png for y >= 0 and http://idefix.physik.uni-freiburg.de/~aufgabe/THEO204/theo9/img55.png for y<0
Now I'm supposed to solve this:
http://idefix.physik.uni-freiburg.de/~aufgabe/THEO204/theo9/img61.png
with
http://idefix.physik.uni-freiburg.de/~aufgabe/THEO204/theo9/img36.png and http://idefix.physik.uni-freiburg.de/~aufgabe/THEO204/theo5/img39.png and http://idefix.physik.uni-freiburg.de/~aufgabe/THEO204/theo9/img62.png

Would be so nice if someone could help me! thanks in advance!
 
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So you're basically saying to solve
box_{1}[I_{G_{1}}(\phi)]

That means box_{1} \int G_{1}(x,t)\phi (x) dx
with he "box"/d'alembertian taken wrt to "y" and "t'"("t" prime)
Then u can insert the d'alembertian under the integral and use the differential eq.verified by the propagator.

It think the integration will be immediate...

Daniel.
 
thx for your quick reply! But I don't quite following that one, could you explain it to me with more details? and phi is also a function of t ;)
I Expect to get phi(0,0) at the end. I tried some more and got something similar except a minus in front of it but i really don't think that it was mathematically correct what I did there over those 2 pages x_X have to get this one done by tomorrow morning so i would appreciate any kind of help! thx!
What i basically did until now is that I made my integration invervals smaller:
for all t < 0 Teta is 0 anyway so my integral over dt goes from 0 to infinite, now with my t >0 I started to change the interval for dx by only integrating over the support of Teta that means my Interval changed to [-ct , ct]
Now my first problem was that my Integration Interval is a function of t. I did get one differentation to t inside the Integral over dx and got 3 terms and well ... here I'm not sure anymore if that was right x_X
This is the last thing i have where I'm quite sure that it could be right:

((1/c^2) \partial_{t}^2 - \partial_{x}^2) \int_{0}^{\infty} dt \int_{-ct}^{ct} dx ( (c/2)\phi (x,t) )
 
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anyone? still can't solve it x_X
 
Okay,first question:I find kind of awkward the shape of the Green's function.
It should always look like this:
G_{1}(x,x&#039;,t,t&#039;) and should verify identically the differential equation
\hat{O}_{x,t} G(x,x&#039;,t,t&#039;)=\delta(x-x&#039;)\delta(t-t&#039;)(1)

U can make the substitution
x-x&#039; \rightarrow R(2)
t-t&#039; \rightarrow \tau (3)

and the new propagator would be
G_{1}(R,\tau}),which would check the LPDE

\hat{O}_{R,\tau} G_{1}(R,\tau)=\delta(R)\delta(\tau)(4)

If u say that your propagator is
G_{1}(R,\tau)=\theta(R-c\tau)(5)
and u want to compute
I_{G_{1}}=\int [O_{R,\tau}G_{1}(R,\tau)]\phi(R,\tau)=\int \delta(R)\delta(\tau)\phi(R,\tau) =\phi(0,0)

Daniel.
 
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BTW,your problem is set up wrongly.
If u were to do exactly what was indicated,u'd end up with a dalembertian applied to a number (the value of the integral) which would be identically zero.

Daniel.
 
yes, it should look like G(t,t',x,x') but t' and x' are set 0 we kinda did it in the couse that we subsitute it.
G_{1}(R,\tau)=\theta(R-c\tau)
Is practically the same
and this:
I_{G_{1}}=\int [O_{R,\tau}G_{1}(R,\tau)]\phi(R,\tau)=\int \delta(R)\delta(\tau)\phi(R,\tau) =\phi(0,0)
is exactely what I'm supposed to show
Yes the notation looks like ****, but the "box" operator is kinda a differentiation of a distribution here:
\partial I_{G_{1}}( \phi(t,x)) = I_{\partial G_{1}}( \phi(t,x)) = - I_{G_{1}}( \partial \phi(t,x))
could you just help me how you got the last line? or how to solve this one (hope it's right this time):
\int_{0}^{\infty} dt \int_{-ct}^{ct} dx ( ((1/2c) \partial_{t}^2 - (c/2)\partial_{x}^2)\phi (x,t))
 
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Well,i just I've given a proof.Remember that the Green function/propagator is a solution of this eq.
\hat{O}G(R,\tau)=\delta(R)\delta\tau
which means
\hat{O}\theta(R-c\tau)=\delta(R)\delta\tau
,which is just i used to get the integral involving the product of delta functionals and the 'phi'.

Daniel.
 
I know, that this is the solution but in this homework they say I have to show explicit, that this given G actually is a Green function to that Operator by solving that equasion. So I'm not allowed to use that equation above with the delta distribution because that is exactely what i have to proof ^^
I Just cleared up that integral and finally got a \phi(0,0) term. still there are some ugly integrals left which i hope will result to 0 somehow ...
 
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