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The heat equation is an evolution equation, in which one independent
variable, ``t'', can be physically identified as time. This is of
great interest, because it tells us that the temperature T at any
given time can depend on everything that happened at earlier times,
but not on what happens at later times. Changing, say, the boundary
condition at some time t=2 does not change the temperature profile
at an earlier time such as t=1.
Next: About numerical solutions.
Up: The heat equation.
Previous: The propagation velocity.