The Characteristic Initial Value Problem for the Wave Equation and Riemann's Method

1954 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
pp. 702 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Protter

A method is described by means of which the characteristic initial value problem can be reduced to the Cauchy problem and examples are given of how it can be used in practice. As an application it is shown that the characteristic initial value problem for the Einstein equations in vacuum or with perfect fluid source is well posed when data are given on two transversely intersecting null hypersurfaces. A new discussion is given of the freely specifiable data for this problem.


This is the second of a sequence of papers on the numerical solution of the characteristic initial value problem in general relativity. Although the equations to be integrated have regular coefficients, the nonlinearity leads to the occurrence of singularities after a finite evolution time. In this paper we first discuss some novel techniques for integrating the equations right up to the singularities. The second half of the paper presents as examples the numerical evolution of the Schwarzschild and certain colliding plane wave space‒times.


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