Background. It is exceedingly difficult to obtain mathematically accurate analytical solutions of heat conduction problems with a variable initial condition. Known solutions of these problems are expressed by cumbersome functional series that converge poorly in the range of small values of time and space variables. Thus, to obtain simpler and more effective solutions of these problems is an urgent issue.
Materials and methods. The authors have used an additional required function and additional boundary conditions to obtain solutions of the problem. Application of the additional required function allows us to reduce the original partial differential equation to the integration of an ordinary differential equation. Additional boundary conditions are in such a form that their fulfillment using the resulting solution is equivalent to the fulfillment of the equation at the boundary points.
Results. The authors have developed a technique to obtain an analytical solution of the heat conduction problem under a linear change of the initial condition, based on an additional required function and additional boundary conditions. Solution of an ordinary differential equation with respect to the additional required function determines the eigenvalues. In classical methods these eigenvalues are found in the solution of the Sturm–Liouville boundary value problem. The authors have proposed another, simpler solution to determine eigenvalues. An accurate analytical solution of the heat conduction problem for an unbounded plate with a coordinate-variable initial condition is obtained.
Conclusions. The scientific and practical value of the proposed analytical solution is the development of an innovative approach to determine eigenvalues, as well as elimination of complex integrals when we solve the equation and initial conditions of the boundary value problem. It makes possible to simplify the use of the solution obtained in engineering applications.