Strings attached: New light on an old problem

arXiv1302.6672MaRDI QIDQ6239931FDOQ6239931

Authors: Jeanne N. Clelland, Peter J. Vassiliou 

Publication date: 27 February 2013

Abstract: The wave equation $u_{tt}=c^2{u}_{xx}$ is generally regarded as a linear approximation to the equation describing the amplitude of a transversely vibrating elastic string in the plane. But, as is shown in cite{BC96}, the assumption of transverse vibration in fact implies that the wave equation describes the vibration precisely, with no need for approximation. We give a simplified proof of this result, and we generalize to the case of an elastic string vibrating (transversely or not) in a Riemannian surface $M$. In the more general setting, the assumption of transverse vibration is replaced by the assumption of "perfect elasticity," and we show that the wave map equation $$ gives a precise description of the vibration of a perfectly elastic string in $M$, with no need for approximation. Finally, we give examples describing the motion of various vibrating strings in $R^2$, $S^2$, and $mathbb{H}^2$.

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