Unveiling the physics of partial differential equations with heuristics

Abstract

Heuristic arguments and order of magnitude estimates for partial differential equations highlight essential features of the physics they describe. We present order of magnitude estimates, and their limitations, for the three classic second order PDEs of mathematical physics (wave, heat, and Laplace equations), for first order transport equations, and for two non-linear wave equations. It is beneficial to expose the beginning student to these considerations before jumping into more rigorous mathematics. Yet these simple arguments are missing from physics textbooks.