If there wasn't that minus sign, the answer would be a wave equation. http://uniquation.com/ was a bust. I asked wolframalpha, and it came back with an answer which looked just like the wave equation with an extra factor of $i$. Does the equation have a more general name?
Name for this wave-like differential equation, $u_{tt} = -u_{xx}$
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1I'd like to add that the conic representation of this is an ellipse and the function is elliptic. – 2011-10-06
2 Answers
The equation is of the Laplace type.
If $u_{tt}=-u_{xx}$ are given the conditions of the type $u(x,t_1)$ , $u_t(x,t_1)$ , $u(x_1,t)$ and $u(x_2,t)$ , you will feel that it is unlike to solving the "laplace equation" and it is like to solving the "wave equation".
If $u_{tt}=u_{xx}$ are given the conditions of the type $u(x,t_1)$ , $u(x,t_2)$ , $u(x_1,t)$ and $u(x_2,t)$ , you will feel that it is unlike to solving the "wave equation" and it is like to solving the "laplace equation".
So whether $u_{tt}=-u_{xx}$ is belongs to the "wave-type equation" or "laplace-type equation" should be controversial, especially when the $t$ in here is not represent as time or $x$ in here is not represent as position, or either or both of them haven't any physical meaning.