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Abstract

A method to solve weakly non-linear partial differential equations with Volterra series is presented in the context of single-input systems. The solution x(z,t) is represented as the output of a z-parameterized Volterra system, where z denotes the space variable, but z could also have a different meaning or be a vector. In place of deriving the kernels from purely algebraic equations as for the standard case of ordinary differential systems, the problem turns into solving linear differential equations. This paper introduces the method on an example: a dissipative Burgers'equation which models the acoustic propagation and accounts for the dominant effects involved in brass musical instruments. The kernels are computed analytically in the Laplace domain. As a new result, writing the Volterra expansion for periodic inputs leads to the analytic resolution of the harmonic balance method which is frequently used in acoustics. Furthermore, the ability of the Volterra system to treat other signals constitutes an improvement for the sound synthesis. It allows the simulation for any regime, including attacks and transients. Numerical simulations are presented and their validity are discussed.

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