Definition
A partial differential equation is hyperbolic at a point P provided that the Cauchy problem is uniquely solvable in a neighborhood of P for any initial data given on a non-characteristic hypersurface passing through P. Here the prescribed initial data consists of all (transverse) derivatives of the function on the surface up to one less than the order of the differential equation.
Read more about this topic: Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations
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