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Preferred term

partial differential equation  

Definition

  • In mathematics, a partial differential equation (PDE) is an equation which imposes relations between the various partial derivatives of a multivariable function. The function is often thought of as an "unknown" to be solved for, similarly to how x is thought of as an unknown number to be solved for in an algebraic equation like x²− 3x + 2 = 0. However, it is usually impossible to write down explicit formulas for solutions of partial differential equations. There is, correspondingly, a vast amount of modern mathematical and scientific research on methods to numerically approximate solutions of certain partial differential equations using computers. Partial differential equations also occupy a large sector of pure mathematical research, in which the usual questions are, broadly speaking, on the identification of general qualitative features of solutions of various partial differential equations, such as existence, uniqueness, regularity, and stability. Among the many open questions are the existence and smoothness of solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations, named as one of the Millennium Prize Problems in 2000. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_differential_equation)

Broader concept

Entry terms

  • PDE

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http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-QP2X3V31-Q

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