Diffusion equation

Assuming that the flux is proportional to the gradient \( \mathbf{\nabla} u \) but pointing in the opposite direction since the flow is from regions of high concetration to lower concentrations, we obtain $$ \begin{equation*} \mathbf{\rho} = -D\mathbf{\nabla} u, \end{equation*} $$ resulting in $$ \begin{equation*} \mathrm{div} \mathbf{\nabla} u = D\Delta u = 0, \end{equation*} $$ which is Laplace's equation. The constant \( D \) can be coupled with various physical constants, such as the diffusion constant or the specific heat and thermal conductivity discussed below.