MA 102, PART II (DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS), TUTORIALS

SEMESTER II, AY 2017–2018

Tutorial 3
Problem 1 Consider the ode
x2 y 00 − 3xy 0 − 5y = 0.
Look for solutions of the form xn for suitable n (Why does this seem like a good
choice?) Find the general solution of the ode.

Problem 2 Find the solution of the initial value problem

y 00 − 4y 0 + 4y = 0, y(0) = 1, y 0 (0) = −2.
Problem 3 Show that
(1) If α, β ∈ R with α 6= β, the functions eαx , eβx are linearly independent on
R.
(2) If α ∈ R, the functions eαx , xeαx are linearly independent on R.
(3) If α, β ∈ R with β 6= 0, the functions eαx cos(βx) and eαx sin(βx) are
linearly independent on R.
Problem 4 Find the general solution of the following ode:
(1) y 00 − 6y 0 + 25y = 0
(2) 16y 00 − 8y 0 + y = 0
Problem 5 Use the method of undetermined coefficients to find a particular solu-
tion of the following ode. Also write down the general solution of the ode.
(1) y 00 + 2y 0 + 2y = xe2x
(2) y 00 + 4y = cos(2x)
(3) y 00 + 5y 0 + 4y = e−4x
(4) y 00 + 4y = x3 + 2x2
(5) y 00 − 3y 0 − 4y = −8ex cos(2x)
Problem 6 Determine the form of a particular solution of the following ode. No
need to evaluate the coefficients.
(1) y 00 + 4y = x2 e−4x cos(3x)
(2) y 00 + 4y = x2 cos(2x)
Problem 7 Find a particular solution of the following ode. Also write down the
general solution of the ode.
(1) y 00 + 2y 0 + y = e−x log(x)
(2) y 00 + 2y 0 + 5y = e−x sec(2x)
(3) y 00 + y = sec(x) tan(x)
MA 102, PART II (DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS), TUTORIALS SEMESTER II, AY 2017–2018

Tutorial 2
Problem 8 Determine whether or not each of the following ode is exact. If it is
exact, find the solution.
i. 2x + 4y + (2x − 2y)y 0 = 0.
ii. 2xy 2 + 2y + (2x2 y + 2x)y 0 = 0.
iii. (yexy cos(2x) − 2exy sin(2x) + 2x)dx + (xexy cos(2x) − 3)dy = 0.
2 Rx 2 2
Problem 9 Verify that y = ex 0
e−t dt+ex is a solution of the ode y 0 −2xy = 1.

Problem 10 Differential equations of the type y 0 + p(x)y = q(x)y n are called

Bernoulli equations. Such equations can be transformed into linear equations by
making a change of dependent variable.
i. Convince yourself that you know how to solve such equations for the cases
n = 0, 1.
ii. Show that if n 6= 0, 1, then the change of dependent variable v = y 1−n trans-
forms a Bernoulli equation into a linear equation.
iii. Solve the ode x2 y 0 + 2xy − y 3 = 0 for x > 0.
MA 102, PART II (DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS), TUTORIALS SEMESTER II, AY 2017–2018

Tutorial 1
Problem 11 Find the general solution of the following ode:
(1) y 0 = x2 (1 + y 2 )
(2) y 0 = x2 /(y + x3 y)
(3) y 0 = (4x2 + y 2 )/(xy)
(4) 1 + y 2 + y 2 y 0 = 0
(5) y 0 + (1/x)y = 3 cos(2x) for x > 0
(6) (1 + x2 )y 0 + 4xy = (1 + x2 )−2
(7) y 0 + (tan x)y = x sin(2x) for −π/2 < x < π/2
(8) y 0 = (x + 3y)/(x − y)
Problem 12 Verify that y = ae−x + be−2x + ce−3x − xe−2x is a solution of the
third-order ode y 000 + 6y 00 + 11y 0 + 6y = e−2x . Here, a, b, c are arbitrary real
constants.
Problem 13 Let α ∈ R be a constant and consider the ode
(1) y 0 = αy
i. Show that if ϕ is any solution to (1) and we set ψ(x) = ϕ(x)e−αx , then ψ(x)
is a constant.
ii. If α < 0, show that for any initial condition y(0) = y0 , the solution of (1) tends
to zero as x → ∞.
iii. If α > 0, show that for any initial condition y(0) = y0 6= 0, the magnitude of
the solution to (1) tends to ∞ as x → ∞.
iv. When α = 0, what can be said about the magnitude of the solution?
Problem 14 Let α be a positive constant and fix a continuous and bounded func-
tion f : R × [0, ∞) → R. Consider the ivp
y 0 + αy = f (y, x) for 0 < x < ∞,
(2)
y(0) = y0 ∈ R
i. Show that if y is a solution of the ivp (2), then y satisfies the so-called Volterra
integral equation
Z x
(3) y(x) = e−αx y0 + e−α(x−s) f (y(s), s)ds,
0
and further, y(x) is bounded for all x ∈ [0, ∞).
ii. Show that if y is a solution of the integral equation (3), then y solves the ivp
(2).
Problem 15 Find the particular solution of the ode y 0 +2y = xe−2x which satisfies
y(1) = 0.
Problem 16 Solve the initial value problem (ivp) and state the (maximal) interval
in which the solution is valid: xy 0 + y = ex , y(1) = 1.