X-Nico

unusual facts about Partial differential equation



Exact solutions in general relativity

With sufficiently clever assumptions of this sort, it is often possible to reduce the Einstein field equation to a much simpler system of equations, even a single partial differential equation (as happens in the case of stationary axisymmetric vacuum solutions, which are characterized by the Ernst equation) or a system of ordinary differential equations (as happens in the case of the Schwarzschild vacuum).

James W. York

In any physical theory, it is important to understand when solutions to the fundamental field equation exist, and answering this question has been the central theme of York's scientific work, culminating in the achievement, with Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat, of formulating the Einstein field equation as a well-posed system in the sense of the theory of partial differential equations.

Lewy's example

In the mathematical study of partial differential equations, Lewy's example is a celebrated example, due to Hans Lewy, of a linear partial differential equation with no solutions.

Mikio Sato

Further, it led to the theory of microfunctions, interest in microlocal aspects of linear partial differential equations and Fourier theory such as wave fronts, and ultimately to the current developments in D-module theory.

Vladimir Gilelevich Maz'ya

He also substantially contributed to the development of the theory of capacities, nonlinear potential theory, the asymptotic and qualitative theory of arbitrary order elliptic equations, the theory of ill-posed problems, the theory of boundary value problems in domains with piecewise smooth boundary.


see also

Calabi conjecture

Calabi transformed the Calabi conjecture into a non–linear partial differential equation of complex Monge–Ampere type, and showed that this equation has at most one solution, thus establishing the uniqueness of the required Kähler metric.

Eikonal

Eikonal equation, a non-linear partial differential equation encountered in problems of wave propagation.

Einstein–Brillouin–Keller method

for example, the work of Eric J. Heller and Emmanuel David Tannenbaum using a partial differential equation gradient descent approach.

Kaup

Kaup–Kupershmidt equation, the nonlinear fifth-order partial differential equation