MA3264, Tutorial 2, Solutions

Lin Meixia, Department of Mathematics

1. (a) xy 0 + (1 + x)y = e−x , x > 0

Solution:
dy 1 1
+ (1 + ) = e−x .
dx x x
Rx
Integrating factor is exp{ (1 + 1s )} = ex+ln x = xex , multiply xex on both sides, we can get

d 1 e−x
(yxex ) = e−x xex = 1 ⇒ yxex = x + C ⇒ y = e−x + C .
dx x x
−x
The solution is y = e−x + C e x .

1. (b) y 0 − (1 + x3 )y = x + 2, x > 0, y(1) = e − 1

Solution: Rx
Integrating factor is exp{ −(1 + 3s )} = e−x−3 ln x = e−x x13 , multiply e−x x13 on both sides, we can
get
d 1 1 1 2
(ye−x 3 ) = (x + 2)e−x 3 = ( 2 + 3 )e−x
dx x Z x xZ x x
x
1 1 2
⇒ ye−x 3 = e−s + e−s + C
x s2 s3
Z x Z x
−x 1 1 −s h −x 1 i
−2 −s
⇒ ye = e − e + s e +C
x3 s2 x2
1 1
⇒ ye−x 3 = −e−x 2 + C
x x
⇒ y = −x + Cx3 ex .

Since y(1) = e − 1, we have

y(1) = −1 + Ce = e − 1 ⇒ C = 1.
Thus the solution is y = −x + x3 ex .

1. (c) y 0 + y + x
y =0
Solution:

yy 0 + y 2 + x = 0.
This is a Bernoulli equation. Set
z = y2,

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then we have
z0
z 0 = 2yy 0 ⇒ y 0 = .
2y
Thus
1
yy 0 + y 2 + x = 0 ⇒ z 0 + z + x ⇒ z 0 + 2z = −2x.
2
Rx
Integrating factor is exp{ 2} = e2x , multiply e2x on both sides, we can get

d
(ze2x ) = −2xe2x
dx Z x
⇒ ze2x = − 2se2s + C
1
⇒ ze2x = −xe2x + e2x + C
2
1
⇒ z = −x + + Ce−2x .
2
Thus the solution is y 2 = −x + 1
2 + Ce−2x .

1. (d) 2xyy 0 + (x − 1)y 2 = x2 ex , x > 0

Solution:
1 2
2yy 0 + (1 − )y = xex .
x
This is a Bernoulli equation. Set
z = y2,
then we have
z0
z 0 = 2yy 0 ⇒ y 0 = .
2y
Thus
1
z 0 + (1 − )z = xex .
x
ex ex
Rx
Integrating factor is exp{ (1 − 1s )} = ex−ln x = x, multiply x on both sides, we can get

d ex ex
(z ) = xex = e2x
dx x Z x
x
ex
⇒z = e2s + C
x
ex 1
⇒ z = e2x + C
x 2
x x
⇒ z = e + Cxe−x .
2
Thus the solution is y 2 = x2 ex + Cxe−x .

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2. Note that
y(0) = 0.
From the question we know that
r
Z x
dy µ dy 2
= ( ) + 1dt. (1)
dx T 0 dt

By the fundamental theorem of calculus,

r
d dy µ dy 2
= ( ) + 1.
dx dx T dx
dy
Define v = dx , then we have
µp 2
v0 =v + 1,
T
and if we take x = 0 in (1), we can see that v(0) = 0.
Separate the variables, we have
dv µ
√ = dx.
2
v +1 T
Note that we have
cosh2 x − sinh2 x = 1,
let v = sinh z, then
d sinh z µ µ µ µ
= dx ⇒ dz = dx ⇒ z = x + C ⇒ v = sinh( x + C).
cosh z T T T T
Besides,
v(0) = 0 ⇒ 0 = sinh C ⇒ C = 0.
The solution of (??) is given as
µ
v = sinh( x).
T
dy
Plugging into v = dx , we get
dy µ
= sinh( x).
dx T
Integrate it directly,
T µ
y= cosh( x) + C2 ,
µ T
use the initial data y(0) = 0, we have

T T
0= + C2 ⇒ C2 = − .
µ µ

Therefore we get the solution of (1), i.e.,

T µ T
y= cosh( x) − .
µ T µ

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If we draw this graph in Graphmatica, we will get the following figure. The shape of the
graph of this function is indeed U-shaped.

Optional note on the equation in question 2:

Consider a small element of the cable, with the left end located at a point (x, y), and the right at
(x + dx, y + dy). Let tan(θ) = dy/dx, and let U (x) denote the tension in the cable. The horizontal
forces acting are just U cos(θ) and U cos(θ) + d(U cos(θ)) at the two ends of the small element, so if
these forces are to balance we must have U cos(θ) = costant = T . The vertical forces are U sin(θ)
and U sin(θ) + d(U sin(θ)) and also µds, where ds is the length of the element. For these to balance
we must have d(U sin(θ)) = µds or d(T tan(θ)) = µds. Integrating this equation from x = 0 [where
dy/dx = 0] we obtain the stated equation.

3. First part: let M, C are two constants, 0 ≤ P (t) ≤ M , P (0) = 0, and

dP
= C[M − P ].
dt
The constant C has units of 1/time. Clearly P will approach M more rapidly if C is large; that
is, C measures how rapidly the student is able to learn. Thus the equation indeed expresses the
idea that the students performance improves more slowly as she approaches her maximum possible
performance.
Then we solve the differential equation. Separate the variables, we get
dP
= Cdt ⇒ − ln(M − P ) = Ct + C2 ⇒ P = M − e−Ct−C2 .
M −P
Use the initial data
P (0) = 0 ⇒ 0 = M − e−C2 ⇒ C2 = − ln M.
The solution is
P = M − e−Ct+ln M = M − M e−Ct .
If we draw this graph in Graphmatica, we will get the following figure.

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 Second part: Suppose C, instead of being a constant, is a slowly increasing function of
time. (As the years go by and the student becomes more familiar with the methods of mastering
mathematics, her rate of learning new things might be expected to improve; but surely there is an
upper bound to how much she can improve.) The tanh function is a simple way of representing
this since it always increases but is bounded above. If we draw this graph in Graphmatica,
we will get the following figure.

Remember that
sinh x ex − e−x
tanh x = = x ,
cosh x e + e−x
1
(tanh x)0 = 2 = 1 − tanh2 x
Z cosh x
tanh x = ln(cosh x) + C.

Suppose we have
t
C(t) = K tanh( ), t ≥ 0,
T
where K, T are two constants. Then K represents her maximum possible speed of learning [since
tanh is asymptotic to 1], and T measures the amount of time required for her to realise her
maximum potential. Thus, roughly speaking, 1/K would be measured in months, while T would
be measured in years. [Note that K has units of 1/time, while of course T has units of time, so
KT is dimensionless.]

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 The differential equation now becomes
dP t
= K tanh( )[M − P ].
dt T
For simplicity, let Q = P − M ≤ 0, and then separate the variables,
dQ t dQ t
= −K tanh( )Q ⇒ = −K tanh( )dt
dt T Q T
t
⇒ ln(−Q) = −KT ln(cosh ) + C3
T
1 C3
⇒ −Q = e
(cosh Tt )KT
eC3
⇒P =M+
(cosh Tt )KT
Use the initial data,
P (0) = 0 ⇒ 0 = M + eC3 ⇒ eC3 = −M.
The solution is
M 1
P =M− t KT = M [1 − ].
(cosh T ) (cosh Tt )KT
If we draw this graph in Graphmatica, we will get the following figure.

4. The constant K measures the rapidity with which the rumour will spread. It depends on how
interesting the rumour is, how much the students like to gossip, how gullible they are, etc.
The right hand side of the equation is designed to be small both near R = 1 and near R = 45,
when indeed the rumour can be expected to spread slowly either because not enough or too many
people have heard it. Thus the equation is reasonable.
The given differential equation is a Bernoulli equation, that is,

R0 − 45KR = −KR2 .

Set z = R−1 , then

z 0 = −R−2 R0 ⇒ R0 = −R2 z 0 .
Therefore,
−R2 z 0 − 45KR = −KR2 ⇒ z 0 + 45Kz = K.

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 Rt
Integrating factor is exp{ 45K} = e45Kt , multiply e45Kt on both sides, we can get

d 1
(ze45Kt ) = Ke45Kt ⇒ ze45Kt = e45Kt + C
dt 45
1 −45Kt
⇒z= + Ce
45
1
⇒R= 1 −45Kt
.
45 + Ce

Use the initial data

1 44
R(0) = 1 ⇒ 1 = 1 ⇒C= .
45 +C 45
The solution is
1
R= 1 44 −45Kt .
45 + 45 e
We can check that as t tends to infinity, R tends to 45. The function R(t) is not really continuous
or differentiable, since it only takes integer values. However, this integer-valued function can be
well approximated by a smooth function defined to interpolate between integral values.

5. Refer to the lecture notes, this question is based on Example 11 of Chapter 1. Thus we have
dU
= −kU U
dt
dT
= kU U − kT T,
dt
where kU , kT are constants [related to the half-lives] with kU 6= kT , and U (0) = U0 , T (0) = 0.
From the lecture notes, we have

T kU ln(2) ln(2)
= [1 − e(kU −kT )t ] kU = kT = .
U kT − kU 245000 75000
T
Since in this question, U = 0.1, the above formula becomes

U −kT
kU ln(1 + k10k )
0.1 = [1 − e(kU −kT )t ] ⇒ t = U
.
kT − kU kU − kT
Thus the answer is approximately 40 thousand years.

In the second part of the problem, the decay rate constant is assumed to be a given
function of time. Now the equation for U becomes
dU a
=− U.
dt (1 + bt )2

The units of a are clearly (1/years) and those of b must be years. [Presumably b is very large; oth-
erwise we would have noticed this effect. That is, we get back the usual equations for radioactivity
in the limit as b tends to infinity.]

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 Separate the variables we get
dU a ab ab
=− t dt ⇒ ln U = t + C ⇒ U = eC exp{ }.
U (1 + b )2 1+ b 1 + bt

Use the initial data

U0
U (0) = U0 ⇒ U0 = eC exp{ab} ⇒ eC = .
exp{ab}
The solution is
U0 ab −at
U= exp{ t } = U0 exp{ }.
exp{ab} 1+ b 1 + bt
Taking the limit as t tends to infinity, we find that U tends to U0 exp{−ab}; that is, Uranium would
never completely disappear if this theory were right. [Since b is supposedly very large, however,
the surviving amount is very small.]