12 2.
Tutorial Sheets
2.4. Tutorial Sheet 4:
Q.1. Using the Method of Variation of Parameters, determine a particular solution for each of
π
the following. (i) y ′′ − 5y ′ + 6y = 2ex (ii) y ′′ + y = tan x, 0 < x <
2
′′ ′ −2 −2x ′′ π
(iii) y + 4y + 4y = x e , x > 0 (iv) y + 4y = 3 cosec 2x, 0 < x <
2
(v) x2 y ′′ − 2xy ′ + 2y = 5x3 cos x (vi) xy ′′ − y ′ = (3 + x)x3 ex
Q.2. Let y1 (x) and y2 (x) be two solutions of the homogeneous equation y ′′ + p(x)y ′ + q(x)y = 0,
a < x < b, and let W (x) be the Wronskian of these two solutions. Prove that W ′ (x) =
−p(x)W (x). If W (x0 ) = 0 for some x0 with a < x0 < b, then prove that W (x) = 0 for
each x with a < x < b.
Q.3. Let y = y1 (x) be a solution of y ′′ + p(x)y ′ + q(x)y = 0. Let I be an interval where y1 (x)
does not vanish, and a ∈ I be any element. Prove that the general solution is given by
Z x Rt
exp[− a p(u)du]
y = y1 (x)[c2 + c1 ψ(x)] where ψ(x) = dt.
a y12 (t)
Q.4. For each of the following ODEs, you are given one solution. Find a second solution.
√
(i) 4x2 y ′′ + 4xy ′ + (4x2 − 1)y = 0; y1 (x) = sin x/ x
2
(ii) y ′′ − 4xy ′ + 4(x2 − 2)y = 0; y1 = ex
(iii) x(x − 1)y ′′ + 3xy ′ + y = 0; y1 = x/(x − 1)2 ;
(iv) xy ′′ − y ′ + 4x3 y = 0, y1 = cos x2 r
3 − x2 1 − x2
(v) x2 (1 − x2 )y ′′ − x3 y ′ − y = 0, y1 = .
4 x
2 ′′ ′
(vi) x(1 + 3x )y + 2y − 6xy = 0, y1 = 1 + x 2
(vii) (sin x − x cos x)y ′′ − (x sin x)y ′ + (sin x)y = 0, y1 = x.
Q.5. Computing the Wronskian or otherwise, prove that the the functions er1 x , er2 x , . . . , ern x ,
where
r1 , r2 , . . . , rn are distinct real numbers, are linearly independent.
Q.6. Let y1 (x), y2 (x) . . . , yn (x) be n linearly independent solutions of the nth order homoge-
neous linear differential equation y (n) + p1 (x)y (n−1) + . . . + pn−1 (x)y + pn (x)y = 0. Prove
that y(x) = c1 (x)y1 (x) + c2 (x)y2 (x) + . . . + cn (x)yn (x) is a solution of the nonhomogeneous
equation
y (n) + p1 (x)y (n−1) + . . . + pn−1 (x)y = r(x),
Z
Di (x)
where c1 (x), c2 (x), . . . , cn (x) are given by ci (x) = dx, where Di (x) is the determi-
W (x)
nant of the matrix obtained from the matrix defining the Wronskian W (x) by replacing
its i th column by [0 0 0 . . . r(x) ]T
Q.7. Three solutions of a certain second order non-homogeneous linear differential equation are
2 2 2
y1 (x) = 1 + ex y2 (x) = 1 + xex , y3 (x) = (1 + x)ex − 1.
Find the general solution of the equation.
Q.8. For the following nonhomogeneous equations, a solution y1 of the corresponding homo-
geneous equation is given. Find a second solution y2 of the corresponding homogeneous
equation and the general solution of the nonhomogeneous equation using the Method of
Variation of Parameters.
(i) (1 + x2 )y ′′ − 2xy ′ + 2y = x3 + x, y1 = x (ii) xy ′′ − y ′ + (1 − x)y = x2 , y1 = ex
(iii) (2x + 1)y ′′ − 4(x + 1)y ′ + 4y = e2x , y1 = e2x
2.4. Tutorial Sheet 4: 13
(iv) (x3 − x2 )y ′′ − (x3 + 2x2 − 2x)y ′ + (2x2 + 2x − 2)y = (x3 − 2x2 + x)ex , y1 = x2
Q.9. Reduce the order of the following equations given that y1 = x is a solution.
′′′ ′′′
(i) x3 y − 3x2 y ′′ + (6 − x2 )xy ′ − (6 − x2 )y = 0 (ii) y + (x2 + 1)y ′′ − 2x2 y ′ + 2xy = 0
Q.10. Find the complementary function and particular integral for the following differential
equations
(i) y (4) + 2y (2) + y = sin x (ii) y (4) − y (3) − 3y (2) + 5y ′ − 2y = xex + 3e−2x
Q.11. Solve the following Cauchy-Euler equations
(i) x2 y ′′ + 2xy ′ + y = x3 (ii) x4 y (4) + 8x3 y (3) + 16x2 y (2) + 8xy ′ + y = x3
(iii) x2 y ′′ + 2xy ′ + y4 = √1x
Q.12. Find a particular solution of the following inhomogeneous Cauchy-Euler equations.
(i) x2 y ′′ − 6y = ln x (ii) x2 y ′′ + 2xy ′ − 6y = 10x2 .‘
Q. 13. Find a second solution of
(i) (x2 − x)y ′′ + (x + 1)y ′ − y = 0 given that (1 + x) is a solution.
(ii) (2x + 1)y ′′ − 4(x + 1)y ′ + 4y = 0 given that e2x is a solution.
Q. 14. Find a homogeneous linear differential equation on (0, ∞) whose general solution is c1 x2 ex +
c2 x3 ex . Does there exist a homogeneous differential equation with constant coefficients
with general solution c1 x2 ex + c2 x3 ex ?