In mathematics, a Dirichlet problem is the problem of finding a function which solves a specified partial differential equation (PDE) in the interior of a given region that takes prescribed values on the boundary of the region. The Dirichlet problem can be solved for many PDEs, although originally it was posed for Laplace's equation. In that case the problem can be stated as follows: This requirement is called the Dirichlet boundary condition. The main issue is to prove the existence of a solution; uniqueness can be proved using the maximum principle.