Dirichlet problem for a third-order equation of mixed type in a rectangular domain (Q642017)

The differential equation \[ {\partial\over\partial t} (Lu)= 0,\quad Lu= \begin{cases} u_t- u_{xx}\quad &\text{if }t> 0,\\ u_{tt}- u_{xx}\quad &\text{if }t< 0,\end{cases} \] is under consideration in the rectangular domain \(D=\{(x,t)\mid 0<x< 1,-\alpha< t<\beta\}\), where \(\alpha> 0\) and \(\beta> 0\) are given real numbers. It is formulated the following Dirichlet Problem 1. In the domain \(D\) , find a function \(u(x,t)\) satisfying the conditions \[ u(x,t)\in C^1(\overline D),\quad u(x,t)\in C^3(D_-)\cap C^2(D_+),\quad u_{xt}\in C^1_x(D_+), \] \[ {\partial\over\partial t}(Lu)\equiv 0,\quad (x,t)\in D_-\cup D_+, \] \[ u(0,t)= u(1,t)= 0,\quad -\alpha\leq t\leq\beta, \] \[ u(x,-\alpha)= \psi(x),\quad 0\leq x\leq 1, \] \[ u(x,\beta)= \varphi(x),\quad 0\leq x\leq 1, \] where \(\psi(x)\) and \(\varphi(x)\) are given sufficiently smooth functions, \[ \varphi(0)= \varphi(1)= 0,\;\psi(0)= \psi(1)= 0,\;D_-= D\cap\{t< 0\},\text{ and }D_+= D\cap \{t> 0\}. \] The considered equation in the domain \(D\) is equivalent to the following equation of mixed parabolic-hyperbolic type with unknown right-hand side: \[ Lu= f(x,t)= \begin{cases} f_1(x)\quad &\text{if }t> 0,\\ f_2(x)\quad &\text{if }t< 0.\end{cases} \] There are two possible cases, \(f_1(x)\equiv f_2(x)\) and \(f_1(x)\neq f_2(x)\) for \(x\in (0,1)\). In the second case, the considered boundary value problem is underdetermined. In the present paper, the case in which \(f_1(x)\equiv f_2(x)\equiv f(x)\) is under consideration. Then Problem 1 can be reduced to the following inverse Problem 2. In the domain \(D\), find functions \(u(x,t)\) and \(f(x)\) satisfying above conditions and \[ Lu\equiv f(x), \qquad (x,t)\in D_-\cup D_+,\quad f\in C(0,1)\cap L[0,1]. \] A uniqueness criterion for the solution of Problem 2 by the spectral analysis method is established. The solution of both problems is constructed in the form of the sum of a Fourier series.