Question

What is the difference between initial value problem and boundary value problem?

Answer 1

Initial Value Problems:

Initial value problem does not require to specify the value at boundaries, instead it needs the value during initial condition. This usually apply for dynamic system that is changing over time as in Physics. An example, to solve a particle position under differential equation, we need the initial position and also initial velocity. Without these initial values, we cannot determine the final position from the equation.

Boundary Value Problems: In contrast, boundary value problems not necessarily used for dynamic system. Instead, it is very useful for a system that has space boundary. An example would be shape from shading problem in computer vision. To determine surface gradient from the PDE, one should impose boundary values on the region of interest.