Conservation laws of a nonlinear (n+1) wave equation

Ashfaque H. Bokhari, Ahmad Y. Al-Dweik, F. M. Mahomed, F. D. Zaman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Conservation laws of the nonlinear (n+1) wave equation utt=div(f(u)gradu) involving an arbitrary function of the dependent variable, are obtained. This equation is not derivable from a variational principle. By writing the equation, which admits a partial Lagrangian, in the partial EulerLagrange form, partial Noether operators associated with the partial Lagrangian are obtained for all possible cases of the arbitrary function. Partial Noether operators are used via a formula in the construction of the conservation laws of the wave equation. If f(u) is an arbitrary function, we show that there is a finite number of conservation laws for n=1 and an infinite number of conservation laws for n<2. None of the partial Noether operators is a Lie point symmetry of the equation. If f is constant, where all of the partial Noether operators are point symmetries of the equation, there is also an infinite number of conservation laws.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2862-2870
Number of pages9
JournalNonlinear Analysis: Real World Applications
Volume11
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2010

Keywords

  • Conservation laws
  • Nonlinear (1+1) wave equation
  • Partial EulerLagrange equations
  • Partial Lagrangians
  • Partial Noether operators

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Analysis
  • General Engineering
  • General Economics, Econometrics and Finance
  • Computational Mathematics
  • Applied Mathematics

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