Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026

Microparticle Manipulation by Standing Surface Acoustic Waves with Dual-frequency Excitations
Published on: August 21, 2018
Splash singularity for water waves
Angel Castro1, Diego Córdoba, Charles L Fefferman
1Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/ Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
We exhibit smooth initial data for the two-dimensional (2D) water-wave equation for which we prove that smoothness of the interface breaks down in finite time. Moreover, we show a stability result together with numerical evidence that there exist solutions of the 2D water-wave equation that start from a graph, turn over, and collapse in a splash singularity (self-intersecting curve in one point) in finite time.
Related Concept Videos
Singularity Functions for Shear
Deflection of a Beam
Singularity functions, described in an earlier lesson, are powerful mathematical tools that represent discontinuities within a function commonly encountered in structural loading...
Standing Waves
Wave Parameters
Propagation of Waves
Consider a scenario where a wave propagates from a string of low linear mass density to a string of high linear mass density. In such a case, the reflected wave is out of phase with respect to the incident wave, however the...
Singularity Functions for Bending Moment

