The transport equation $\sum_\mu X^\mu \partial_\mu u = 0$ associated to a vector field $X$ on $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$. A function $u$ solves the transport equation at every point $p$ iff the directional derivative of $u$ along $X(p)$ vanishes.
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Proposition 1.0.1 (Connection between transport equations and ODEs). If $u$ solves the transport equation $\sum_\mu X^\mu \partial_\mu u = 0$ and $\gamma$ is an integral curve of $X$, then $u$ is constant along $\gamma$, i.e. $\frac{d}{ds} u(\gamma(s)) = 0$.
Helper: if the uncurried form of $u : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ is $C^1$, then for fixed $x$ the slice $t' \mapsto u(t', x)$ is differentiable at $t$.
Helper: if the uncurried form of $u$ is $C^1$, then for fixed $t$ the spatial slice $x' \mapsto u(t, x')$ is differentiable at $x$.
Helper: if $u$ is jointly $C^1$, then for fixed $t$ the spatial slice $x \mapsto u(t, x)$ is continuous.
The partial time-derivative of $u$ equals the joint Fréchet derivative of the uncurried $u$ paired against the unit tangent vector $(1, 0)$.
For $u$ jointly $C^1$ and fixed $t$, the map $x \mapsto u_t(t, x)$ is continuous in the spatial variable.
A continuous function $f : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ that decays to $0$ at both $\pm\infty$ is globally bounded: $\exists M \ge 0$ with $|f(x)| \le M$ for all $x$.
A continuous, integrable function on $\mathbb{R}$ that decays to $0$ at $\pm\infty$ has an integrable square: $f^2 \in L^1(\mathbb{R})$.
Packages the hypotheses needed to apply a Leibniz / differentiation-under-the-integral rule to $\int_{\mathbb{R}} u(t, x)^2 \, dx$: from $C^1$ regularity, spatial decay, spatial integrability, and a uniform local bound on $\partial_t (u^2)$, derive the exact ensemble of measurability, integrability, and pointwise differentiability hypotheses required.
Differentiation under the integral sign (specialised wrapper): under the standard dominated-convergence hypotheses, the parameter integral $t \mapsto \int_{\mathbb{R}} f(t, x) \, dx$ has derivative $\int_{\mathbb{R}} \partial_t f(t, x) \, dx$ at $t$.
Proposition 2.0.1 (Burger's equation is a conservation law). Let $u(t, x)$ be a $C^1$ solution of Burger's equation on $[0, T] \times \mathbb{R}$ that decays to $0$ as $x \to \pm \infty$ uniformly for $t \in [0, T]$ (with suitable integrability of $u(t, \cdot)$ and a Leibniz-rule bound). Then the spatial $L^2$ norm is conserved: $$\int_{\mathbb{R}} u(t, x)^2 \, dx = \int_{\mathbb{R}} u(0, x)^2 \, dx \quad \text{for all } t \in [0, T].$$
Definition 2.0.1 (Characteristic curves). A characteristic curve for Burger's equation with solution $u$ is a pair $(\gamma_t, \gamma_x) : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}^2$ satisfying the ODE system $$\frac{d}{ds} \gamma_t(s) = 1, \qquad \frac{d}{ds} \gamma_x(s) = u(\gamma_t(s), \gamma_x(s)).$$
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Proposition 2.0.3 (Burger characteristics are straight lines). Given a characteristic $(\gamma_t, \gamma_x)$ for Burger's equation along which $u$ is constant, the spatial component is a straight line: $\gamma_x(s) = \gamma_x(0) + u(\gamma_t(0), \gamma_x(0)) \cdot s$.
The time component of a Burger's characteristic has zero acceleration: $\gamma_t''(s) = 0$ for all $s$ (a direct consequence of $\gamma_t'(s) = 1$).
The spatial component of a Burger's characteristic has zero acceleration: if $u$ is constant along the characteristic, then $\gamma_x''(s) = 0$.