Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 March 2006
A stream with constant velocity U is impulsively started at time t = 0 past the trailing edge of a semi-infinite flat plate. According to boundary-layer theory, it is found that the flow at a distance x downstream from the trailing edge is unaware of the presence of the plate when x > Ut; at time t = x/U there is then a discontinuity in the velocity normal to the plate. It is the neglect of diffusion parallel to the axis of the plate that introduces the discontinuity, and when the complete Navier–Stokes equations are considered for t ≃ x/U, a solution is found that can be matched with that gained from boundary-layer arguments.