MATH 263: ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR
ENGINEERS, WINTER 2015
Problem Set 4
Here are some practice problems related to the lectures. All problems are either from from
the textbook “Elementary differential equations and boundary problems,” by W.B. Boyce
and R.C. DiPrima, 10th Edition, or are similar to ones that can be found there.
Problems not in the textbook
(1) Solve the following systems of linear equations:
(a) (
3x + 5y = 8
4x − 2y = 1
(b)
2z + 3 = y + 3x
x − 3z = 2y + 1
3y + z = 2 − 2x
(2) Determine the Wronskian of each of the following collections of functions:
(a) t, tet
(b) t, 3t
(c) sin t, cos t
(d) sin t, sin 2t
Complex Numbers.
(1) Write each of the complex numbers below in the form a + ib, compute their real and
imaginary parts, and find their inverses.
(a) (1 − 2i)3i
(b) (2 + i)(4 − 2i)
(c) (3 + 2i)/(1 − 4i)
(2) Find the real and imaginary parts of the functions below and compute their derivative
with respect to t.
(a) e2+iπ
(b) e(2+iπ)t
(c) 3e(1+iπ)t/2
1
2 MATH 263: ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR ENGINEERS, WINTER 2015
13 2it
(d) 2−3i e
(3) Plot the following numbers in the complex plane and express them in exponential
form.
(a) 3 − 4i
(b) 4 + 4i
(4) Find all real and complex solutions of the following equations.
(a) x5 − x = 0
(b) x3 − x2 + x − 1 = 0
(c) x6 = 1
Problems from section 3.1
Find the general solution to each of the problems below.
3.1.1 y 00 + 2y 0 − 3y = 0.
3.1.2 y 00 + 5y 0 = 0.
3.1.8 y 00 − 2y 0 − 2y = 0.
For each of the problems below find the solution of the given initial value problem. Sketch
the graph of the solution and describe its behaviour as t increases.
3.1.9 y 00 + y 0 − 2y = 0 where y(0) = 1, y 0 (0) = 1.
3.1.12 y 00 + 3y 0 = 0 where y(0) = −2, y 0 (0) = 3.
3.1.14 2y 00 + y 0 − 4y = 0 where y(0) = 0, y 0 (0) = 1.
3.1.17 Find a differential equation whose general solution is y = c1 e2t + c2 e−3t .
3.1.28 Consider the equation ay 00 + by 0 + cy = 0, where a, b, and c are constants with a > 0.
Find conditions on a, b, and c so that the roots of the characteristic equation are:
• real, different, and negative.
• real with opposite signs.
• real, different, and positive.
Problems from section 3.2
In each of the problems below verify that the functions y1 and y2 are solutions of the given
differential equation. Do they constitute a fundamental set of solutions?
3.2.24 y 00 + 4y = 0, where y1 (t) = cos(2t), and y2 (t) = sin(2t).
3.2.25 y 00 − 2y 0 + y = 0,where y1 (t) = et , and y2 (t) = tet .
3.2.27 (1 − x cot x)y 00 − xy 0 + y = 0, where 0 < x < π, and y1 (x) = x and y2 (x) = sin x.
MATH 263: ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR ENGINEERS, WINTER 2015 3
Problems from section 3.3
In each of the problems below find the general solution of the given differential equation.
3.3.7 y 00 − 2y 0 + 2y = 0.
3.3.10 y 00 + 2y 0 + 2y = 0.
3.3.12 4y 00 + 9y = 0.
In each of the problems below solve the given initial value problem and describe its behaviour
for increasing t.
3.3.19 y 00 − 2y 0 + 5y = 0, where y(π/2) = 0 and y 0 (π/2) = 2.
3.3.22 y 00 + 2y 0 + 2y = 0, where y(π/4) = 2 and y 0 (π/4) = −2..
Problems from section 3.4
In each of the problems below find the general solution of the given differential equation.
3.4.2 4y 00 + 12y 0 + 9y = 0.
3.4.5 y 00 − 2y 0 + 10y = 0.
3.4.6 y 00 − 6y 0 + 9y = 0.
In each of the problems below find the general solution of the given inital value problem.
3.4.11 9y 00 − 12y 0 + 4y = 0, where y(0) = 2, and y 0 (0) = −1.
3.4.12 y 00 − 6y 0 + 9y = 0, where y(0) = 0, and y 0 (0) = 2.