Re: [Phys-L] definition of "wave"

[Carl Mungan <mungan@usna.edu>]

> That's an interesting example.  I consider it a legitimate
> wave.  It's the superposition of two traveling waves:
>
> 	g = (1/2)*a*(x - v*t)^2
> 	h = (1/2)*a*(x + v*t)^2
>
> 	f = g + h

Brilliant! That implicitly answers my question about separation of variables. In general the wave equation can be shown to always have solutions of the form f(x+/-vt). Thanks, Carl

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Carl E. Mungan, Professor of Physics  410-293-6680 (O) -3729 (F)
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