Lecture

Laplacian: Basics and Examples

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In course

MATH-202(c): Analysis III

The course studies the fundamental concepts of vector analysis and Fourier-Laplace analysis with a view to their use in solving multidisciplinary problems in scientific engineering. ...

Description

This lecture covers the basics of the Laplacian operator applied to scalar fields, including its definition as the divergence of the gradient of a scalar field. Several examples are provided to illustrate the computation of the Laplacian in different scenarios. The Laplacian's importance in various mathematical models in physics and engineering, particularly in the context of the heat equation, is also discussed.

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Instructor

Pablo Antolin Sanchez

Teaching & PhD PhD Students Philipp Christoph Weder, Davor Dobrota Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector Ondine Chanon Courses Analysis III MATH-202(c) The course studies the fundamental concepts of vector analysis and Fourier-Laplace analysis with a view to their use in solving multidisciplinary problems in scientific engineering. Analysis III (for IC) MATH-203(d) The course studies the fundamental concepts of vector analysis and Fourier-Laplace analysis with a view to thei

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Related concepts (32)

Heat equation

In mathematics and physics, the heat equation is a certain partial differential equation. Solutions of the heat equation are sometimes known as caloric functions. The theory of the heat equation was first developed by Joseph Fourier in 1822 for the purpose of modeling how a quantity such as heat diffuses through a given region. As the prototypical parabolic partial differential equation, the heat equation is among the most widely studied topics in pure mathematics, and its analysis is regarded as fundamental to the broader field of partial differential equations.

Mathematical model

A mathematical model is an abstract description of a concrete system using mathematical concepts and language. The process of developing a mathematical model is termed mathematical modeling. Mathematical models are used in applied mathematics and in the natural sciences (such as physics, biology, earth science, chemistry) and engineering disciplines (such as computer science, electrical engineering), as well as in non-physical systems such as the social sciences (such as economics, psychology, sociology, political science).

Divergence

In vector calculus, divergence is a vector operator that operates on a vector field, producing a scalar field giving the quantity of the vector field's source at each point. More technically, the divergence represents the volume density of the outward flux of a vector field from an infinitesimal volume around a given point. As an example, consider air as it is heated or cooled. The velocity of the air at each point defines a vector field. While air is heated in a region, it expands in all directions, and thus the velocity field points outward from that region.

Differential equation

In mathematics, a differential equation is an equation that relates one or more unknown functions and their derivatives. In applications, the functions generally represent physical quantities, the derivatives represent their rates of change, and the differential equation defines a relationship between the two. Such relations are common; therefore, differential equations play a prominent role in many disciplines including engineering, physics, economics, and biology.

Heat kernel

In the mathematical study of heat conduction and diffusion, a heat kernel is the fundamental solution to the heat equation on a specified domain with appropriate boundary conditions. It is also one of the main tools in the study of the spectrum of the Laplace operator, and is thus of some auxiliary importance throughout mathematical physics. The heat kernel represents the evolution of temperature in a region whose boundary is held fixed at a particular temperature (typically zero), such that an initial unit of heat energy is placed at a point at time t = 0.

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