Solving the PDE u_(xy) = ku with some initial conditions

quasar987
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Homework Statement


Does anyone know how to solve this PDE for u:R-->R and some initial conditions?

u_{xy}=ku

where k is a positive constant.

Or this one, also for u:R-->R and some initial conditions:

u_{tt}=u_{xx}-Ku

where K is a positive constant.

The Attempt at a Solution



I can solve the second one for u:[0,L]-->R and the boundary conditions of the fixed string u(0,t)=u(L,t)=0 by separation of variable. The solution, a superposition of normal modes, differs only from the solution of the usual wave equation u_tt=u_xx in that the frequencies are \sqrt{\lambda_n^2+K}, where lambda_n=npi/L is the usual nth eigenfrequency for the usual wave equation.

In the usual wave equation solution, the normal modes are superpositions of traveling waves. And traveling waves are the general solution to the "free" wave equation u_tt=u_xx for u:R-->R, obtained by d'Alembert's method. Can I conclude that the solution for u:R-->R of u_{tt}=u_{xx}-Ku are also traveling waves?
 
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The first one reduces to the second one by the change of variables
x=\frac{1}{2}\,(v+u),\,y=\frac{1}{2}\,(v-u)
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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