An initial-value problem is nonunique in a specified solution class if two distinct members of that class satisfy the same equation, , boundary conditions, and prescribed force. Distinctness uses the class's equality convention: for measurable solutions it usually means failure of , whereas continuous are compared pointwise.

Quantifiers

Existence of a nonunique datum does not assert nonuniqueness for every datum. Two solutions with different forces do not prove nonuniqueness for a fixed forced problem. Enlarging the solution class can destroy uniqueness even when uniqueness holds in a smaller class.