Abstract
The Lie group method is a powerful technique for obtaining analytical solutions for various nonlinear differential equations. This study aimed to explore the behavior of nonlinear elastic wave equations and their underlying physical properties using Lie group invariants. We derived eight-dimensional symmetry algebra for the (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear elastic wave equation, which was used to obtain the optimal system. Group-invariant solutions were obtained using this optimal system. The same analysis was conducted for the damped version of this equation. For the conservation laws, we applied Noether's theorem to the nonlinear elastic wave equations owing to the availability of a classical Lagrangian. However, for the damped version, we cannot obtain a classical Lagrangian, which makes Noether's theorem inapplicable. Instead, we used an extended approach based on the concept of a partial Lagrangian to uncover conservation laws. Both techniques account for the conservation laws of linear momentum and energy within the model. These novel approaches add an application of variational calculus to the existing literature. This offers valuable insights and potential avenues for further exploration of the elastic wave equations.