Second order differential equations

Showing 26-29 of 29 problems
1995 Paper 3 Q5
D: 1700.0 B: 1500.0

Show that \(y=\sin^{2}(m\sin^{-1}x)\) satisfies the differential equation \[ (1-x^{2})y^{(2)}=xy^{(1)}+2m^{2}(1-2y), \] and deduce that, for all \(n\geqslant1,\) \[ (1-x^{2})y^{(n+2)}=(2n+1)xy^{(n+1)}+(n^{2}-4m^{2})y^{(n)}, \] where \(y^{(n)}\) denotes the \(n\)th derivative of \(y\). Derive the Maclaurin series for \(y\), making it clear what the general term is.

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\begin{align*} && y &= \sin^2 (m \sin^{-1} x) \\ \Rightarrow && y' &= 2 \sin (m \sin^{-1} x) \cdot \cos (m \sin^{-1} x) \cdot m \cdot \frac1{\sqrt{1-x^2}} \\ \Rightarrow && y'' &= 2 \cos^2(m \sin^{-1} x) \cdot m^2 \cdot \frac{1}{1-x^2} + \\ &&&\quad\quad-2\sin^2(m \sin^{-1} x) m^2 \frac{1}{1-x^2} + \\ &&&\quad\quad\quad-\sin(m \sin^{-1} x) \cdot \cos(m \sin^{-1} x) \cdot m \cdot (1-x^2)^{-\frac32} \cdot (-2x) \\ \Rightarrow && (1-x^2)y^{(2)} &= 2m^2-4m^2y+xy' \\ &&&= xy^{(1)} + 2m^2(1-2y) \\ \\ \Rightarrow && (1-x^2)y^{(n+2)}-2nxy^{(n+1)}-2\binom{n}{2}y^{(n)} &= xy^{(n+1)}+ny^{(n)} -4m^2y^{(n)} \\ \Rightarrow && (1-x^2)y^{(n+2)} &= (2n+1)xy^{(n+1)}+(n(n-1)+n-4m^2)y^{(n)} \\ &&&= (2n+1)xy^{(n+1)}+(n^2-4m^2)y^{(n)} \\ \end{align*} \begin{align*} && y(0) &= \sin^2(m \sin^{-1} 0) \\ &&&= \sin^2 0 = 0 \\ \\ && y'(0) &= 0 \\ && (1-0^2)y^{(2)}(0) &= 2m^2(1-2y(0)) \\ \Rightarrow && y^{(2)}(0) &= 2m^2 \\ \\ && y^{(n+2)} (0) &= (2n+1) \cdot 0 \cdot y^{(n+1)} +(n^2-4m^2)y^{(n)}(0) \\ &&&= (n^2-4m^2)y^{(n)}(0) \\ \\ && y^{(2)}(0) &= 2m^2 \\ && y^{(4)}(0) &= (4-4m^2) \cdot 2m^2 \\ &&&= -8m(m+1)m(m-1) \\ && y^{(6)}(0) &= 32m(m+2)(m+1)m(m-1)(m-2) \\ && y^{(2k)}(0) &= (-1)^{k+1}2^{2k-1}m (m+k)\cdots(m-k) \text{ if }k < m \\ \\ && y &= m^2x^2 -2m\binom{m+1}{3} x^4 + \frac{16}{3}m\binom{m+2}{5}x^6 - \cdots \\ &&&+ (-1)^{k}\frac{2^{2k}}{k+1} m \binom{m+k}{2k+1}x^{2k+2}+\cdots \\ &&&= mx^2\sum_{k=0}^{m-1} \frac{(-1)^k2^{2k}}{k+1}\binom{m+k}{2k+1}x^{2k} \end{align*}
1989 Paper 2 Q7
D: 1600.0 B: 1484.0

By means of the substitution \(x^{\alpha},\) where \(\alpha\) is a suitably chosen constant, find the general solution for \(x>0\) of the differential equation \[ x\frac{\mathrm{d}^{2}y}{\mathrm{d}x^{2}}-b\frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x}+x^{2b+1}y=0, \] where \(b\) is a constant and \(b>-1\). Show that, if \(b>0\), there exist solutions which satisfy \(y\rightarrow1\) and \(\mathrm{d}y/\mathrm{d}x\rightarrow0\) as \(x\rightarrow0\), but that these conditions do not determine a unique solution. For what values of \(b\) do these conditions determine a unique solution?

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Let \(z = x^\alpha, \frac{\d z}{\d x}=\alpha x^{\alpha-1} \), then \begin{align*} \frac{\d y}{\d x} &= \frac{\d y}{\d z} \frac{\d z}{\d x} \\ &= \alpha x^{\alpha-1}\frac{\d y}{\d z} \\ \\ \frac{\d^2 y}{\d x^2} &= \frac{\d }{\d x} \left ( \alpha x^{\alpha-1}\frac{\d y}{\d z} \right) \\ &= \alpha (\alpha-1)x^{\alpha-2} \frac{\d y}{\d z} + \alpha x^{\alpha-1} \frac{\d ^2 y}{\d z^2} \frac{\d z}{\d x} \\ &= \alpha(\alpha-1)x^{\alpha-2} \frac{\d y}{\d z} + \alpha^2 x^{2\alpha-2} \frac{\d ^2y}{\d z^2} \end{align*} \begin{align*} && 0 &=x\frac{\mathrm{d}^{2}y}{\mathrm{d}x^{2}}-b\frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x}+x^{2b+1}y \\ &&&= x \left ( \alpha(\alpha-1)x^{\alpha-2} \frac{\d y}{\d z} + \alpha^2 x^{2\alpha-2} \frac{\d ^2y}{\d z^2}\right) - b \left ( \alpha x^{\alpha-1}\frac{\d y}{\d z} \right) + x^{2b+1}y \\ &&&= \alpha^2 x^{2\alpha-1} \frac{\d^2 y}{\d z^2} +\left (\alpha(\alpha-1)x^{\alpha-1}-b\alpha x^{\alpha-1} \right) \frac{\d y}{\d z} + x^{2b+1} y \\ \end{align*} If we set \(\alpha = b +1\) the middle term disappears, so we get \begin{align*} && 0 &= (b+1)^2 x^{2b+1} \frac{\d^2 y}{\d z^2} + x^{2b+1} y \\ \Rightarrow && 0 &= (b+1)^2 \frac{\d^2 y}{\d z^2} + y \\ \Rightarrow && y &= A \sin \left (\frac{z}{b+1} \right) + B \cos \left (\frac{z}{b+1} \right) \\ &&&= \boxed{A \sin \left (\frac{x^{b+1}}{b+1} \right) + B \cos \left (\frac{x^{b+1}}{b+1} \right)} \\ \\ \lim_{x \to 0}: && y &\to B \\ && \frac{\d y}{\d x} &= A x^b \cos\left (\frac{x^{b+1}}{b+1} \right) - B x^b \sin\left (\frac{x^{b+1}}{b+1} \right) \\ b>0: && \frac{\d y}{\d x} &\to 0 \\ \end{align*} So there are infinitely many different solutions with \(B = 1\) and \(A\) is anything it wants to be. If \(b = 0\) \(y' \to A\) so \(A =0 \) and unique. If \(b < 0\) \(x^b \to \infty\) so we need \(A = 0\), unique. However, we also need \(y' \to 0\), so we need to check \(y' = -x^b \sin \left ( \frac{x^{b+1}}{b+1}\right) \to 0\), \begin{align*} y' &= -x^b \sin \left ( \frac{x^{b+1}}{b+1}\right) \\ &\approx -x^b \left ( \frac{x^{b+1}}{b+1}\right) \\ &= - \frac{x^{2b+1}}{b+1} \end{align*} so we need \(2b+1>0 \Rightarrow b > -\frac12\). Therefore the solution is unique on \((-\frac12,0]\)
1988 Paper 3 Q7
D: 1700.0 B: 1554.3

For \(n=0,1,2,\ldots,\) the functions \(y_{n}\) satisfy the differential equation \[ \frac{\mathrm{d}^{2}y_{n}}{\mathrm{d}x^{2}}-\omega^{2}x^{2}y_{n}=-(2n+1)\omega y_{n}, \] where \(\omega\) is a positive constant, and \(y_{n}\rightarrow0\) and \(\mathrm{d}y_{n}/\mathrm{d}x\rightarrow0\) as \(x\rightarrow+\infty\) and as \(x\rightarrow-\infty.\) Verify that these conditions are satisfied, for \(n=0\) and \(n=1,\) by \[ y_{0}(x)=\mathrm{e}^{-\lambda x^{2}}\qquad\mbox{ and }\qquad y_{1}(x)=x\mathrm{e}^{-\lambda x^{2}} \] for some constant \(\lambda,\) to be determined. Show that \[ \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}x}\left(y_{m}\frac{\mathrm{d}y_{n}}{\mathrm{d}x}-y_{n}\frac{\mathrm{d}y_{m}}{\mathrm{d}x}\right)=2(m-n)\omega y_{m}y_{n}, \] and deduce that, if \(m\neq n,\) \[ \int_{-\infty}^{\infty}y_{m}(x)y_{n}(x)\,\mathrm{d}x=0. \]

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\begin{align*} && y_0(x) &= e^{-\lambda x^2} \\ && \lim_{x \to \pm \infty} y_0(x) &= 0 \Leftrightarrow \lambda > 0 \\ && \lim_{x \to \pm \infty} y'_0(x) &= \lim_{x \to \pm \infty} 2x\lambda e^{-\lambda x^2} \\ &&&= 0\Leftrightarrow \lambda > 0 \\ && y''_0(x) &= 4x^2 \lambda^2 e^{-\lambda x^2} + 2\lambda e^{-\lambda x^2} \\ \\ && y''_0 - \omega^2 x^2 y_0+(2\cdot 0 + 1) \omega y_0 &= e^{-\lambda x^2} \l 4x^2 \lambda^2 + 2 \lambda - \omega^2 x^2 + \omega\r \\ &&&=0 \Leftrightarrow \lambda = \pm \frac{\omega}{2} \end{align*} Therefore \(y_0\) satisfies if \(\lambda = \frac{\omega}{2}\) Similarly for \(y_1\), \begin{align*} && y_1(x) &= xe^{-\lambda x^2} \\ && \lim_{x \to \pm \infty} y_1(x) &= 0 \Leftrightarrow \lambda > 0 \\ && \lim_{x \to \pm \infty} y'_1(x) &= \lim_{x \to \pm \infty} \l -2x^2 \lambda e^{-\lambda x^2} + e^{-\lambda x^2} \r \\ &&&= 0\Leftrightarrow \lambda > 0 \\ && y''_0(x) &= e^{-\lambda x^2} \l 4x^3 \lambda^2-4x\lambda - 2x\lambda \r \\ &&&= e^{-\lambda x^2} \l 4x^3 \lambda^2-6x\lambda \r \\ && y''_1 - \omega^2 x^2 y_1+(2\cdot 1 + 1) \omega y_1 &= e^{-\lambda x^2} \l 4x^3\lambda^2-6x\lambda-\omega^2x^3+3\omega x\r \\ &&&=0 \Leftrightarrow \lambda = \pm \frac{\omega}{2} \end{align*} Therefore \(y_1\) satisfies if \(\lambda = \frac{\omega}{2}\) \begin{align*} \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}x}\left(y_{m}\frac{\mathrm{d}y_{n}}{\mathrm{d}x}-y_{n}\frac{\mathrm{d}y_{m}}{\mathrm{d}x}\right) &= y'_my'_n+y_my''_n - y'_ny'_m-y_ny''_m \\ &= y_my''_n - y_ny''_m \\ &= y_m(\omega^2 x^2 y_n - (2n+1)\omega y_n) - y_n(\omega^2 x^2 y_m - (2m+1)\omega y_m) \\ &= y_my_n (2m-2n)\omega \\ &= 2(m-n) \omega y_my_n \end{align*} Therefore: \begin{align*} \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} y_m(x)y_n(x) \d x &= \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \frac{1}{2(m-n)} \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}x}\left(y_{m}\frac{\mathrm{d}y_{n}}{\mathrm{d}x}-y_{n}\frac{\mathrm{d}y_{m}}{\mathrm{d}x}\right) \d x \\ &= \frac{1}{2(m-n)} \left [ y_{m}\frac{\mathrm{d}y_{n}}{\mathrm{d}x}-y_{n}\frac{\mathrm{d}y_{m}}{\mathrm{d}x}\right]_{-\infty}^{\infty} \\ &\to 0 \end{align*} This condition is known as Orthogonality. In fact this question is talking about a Sturm-Liouville orthogonality condition, in particular for the quantum harmonic oscillator, and the eigenfunctions are related to Hermite polynomials.
1987 Paper 3 Q6
D: 1500.0 B: 1500.0

The functions \(x(t)\) and \(y(t)\) satisfy the simultaneous differential equations \begin{alignat*}{1} \dfrac{\mathrm{d}x}{\mathrm{d}t}+2x-5y & =0\\ \frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}t}+ax-2y & =2\cos t, \end{alignat*} subject to \(x=0,\) \(\dfrac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}t}=0\) at \(t=0.\) Solve these equations for \(x\) and \(y\) in the case when \(a=1\). Without solving the equations explicitly, state briefly how the form of the solutions for \(x\) and \(y\) if \(a>1\) would differ from the form when \(a=1.\)

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Letting \(\mathbf{x} =\begin{pmatrix} x(t) \\ y(t) \end{pmatrix}\) and \(\mathbf{A} = \begin{pmatrix} -2 & 5 \\ -a & 2 \end{pmatrix}\) then our differential equation is \(\mathbf{x}' = \mathbf{Ax} + \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\2 \cos t \end{pmatrix}\). Looking at the eigenvalues of \(\mathbf{A}\), we find: \begin{align*} && \det \begin{pmatrix} -2-\lambda & 5 \\ -a & 2 -\lambda \end{pmatrix} &= (\lambda^2-4)+5a\\ &&&= \lambda^2 +5a-4 \end{align*} Therefore if \(a = 1\), \(\lambda = \pm i\). In which case we should expect the complementary solutions to be of the form \(\mathbf{x} = \begin{pmatrix} A \sin t + B \cos t \\ C \sin t + D \cos t \end{pmatrix}\). The first equation tells us that \((A-5D+B)\cos t + (-B+5C)\sin t=0\) so the complementary solution is:\(\mathbf{x} = \begin{pmatrix} 5(D-C) \sin t + 5C \cos t \\ C \sin t + D \cos t \end{pmatrix}\). Looking for a particular integral, we should expect to try something like \(\mathbf{x} = \begin{pmatrix} Et\cos t+Ft\sin t\\ Gt\cos t+Ht \sin t\end{pmatrix}\) and we find