MAT 303 Spring 2013 Calculus IV with Applications

Homework #8 Solutions

Problems
• Section 3.5: 2, 6, 10, 20, 22, 26, 32, 34, 54, 58

3.5.2. Find a particular solution to the DE y00 − y0 − 2y = 3x + 4.

Solution: We first prepare our guess for the particular function y p . The 1 and x terms in
f ( x ) = 3x + 4 correspond to a double root r = 0; examining the characteristic equation
r2 − r − 2 = 0, we immediately see that r = 0 is not a root, so there is no overlap with the
complementary solution. Hence, we try

y p = Ax + B.

Then y0p = A and y00p = 0, so plugging these into the DE we obtain − A − 2( Ax + B) =

3x + 4. From the x terms, −2A = 3, so A = −3/2. From the constant terms, − A − 2B = 4,
so B = 21 (−4 − A) = − 54 . Thus, a particular solution is y = − 32 x − 54 . 

3.5.6. Find a particular solution to the DE 2y00 + 4y0 + 7y = x2 .

Solution: In setting up the Method of Undetermined Coefficients, we observe that f ( x ) =

x2 corresponds to a triple root r = 0. Since the characteristic equation for the DE is
2r2 + 4r + 7 = 0, r = 0 is not one of its roots, so there is no overlap with xc . Then we may
take
y p = Ax2 + Bx + C
as a guess to plug into the DE. Doing so, and separating out the coefficients on the con-
stant, x, and x2 terms, we obtain the linear system

7A = 1
8A + 7B = 0
4A + 4B + 7C = 0

Solving for A, B, and C successively,

 
1 8 8 1 4 32 4
A= , B=− 2 =− , C= − + =
7 7 49 7 7 49 343

so therefore
1 2 8 4
yp = x − x+
7 49 343
is one particular solution. 

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MAT 303 Spring 2013 Calculus IV with Applications

3.5.10. Find a particular solution to the DE y00 + 9y = 2 cos 3x + 3 sin 3x.

Solution: The roots corresponding to the cos 3x and sin 3x in f ( x ) are ±3i, which are pre-
cisely the roots of the characteristic equation r2 + 9 = 0 of the DE. Hence, to avoid overlap,
we must guess a particular solution of the form

y p = Ax cos 3x + Bx sin 3x.

Then y0p = A(cos 3x − 3x sin 3x ) + B(sin 3x + 3x cos 3x ), so

y00p = A(−6 sin 3x − 9x cos 3x ) + B(6 cos 3x − 9x sin 3x ),

and y00p + 9y p = −6A sin 3x + 6B cos 3x. Since this is to equal 2 cos 3x + 3 sin 3x, we see
that A = −3/6 = −1/2, and B = 2/6 = 1/3, so a particular solution is
1 1
y= x sin 3x − x cos 3x.
3 2 

3.5.20. Find a particular solution to the DE y(3) − y = e x + 7.

Solution: The roots corresponding to f ( x ) = e x + 7 are r = 0 and r = 1. The characteristic

equation is r3 − 1 = 0, which has a root r = 1 as well. Factoring the polynomial as
(r − 1)(r2 + r + 1), we observe that the quadratic factor r2 + r + 1 has no real roots, as its
discriminant b2 − 4ac = 1 − 4 = −3 is negative. Hence, the only overlap comes on the
root r = 1, so our guess for a particular solution is

y p = Axe x + B.
(3) (3)
We compute that y p = A( x + 3)e x , so y p − y p = 3Ae x − B. Since this is e x + 7, A = 1/3
and B = −7, so a particular solution is
1 x
y= xe − 7.
3 

3.5.22. Set up the appropriate form for a particular solution to the DE y(5) − y(3) =
e x + 2x2 − 5, but do not determine the values of the coefficients.

Solution: We note the roots coming from the chararcteristic equation and from the forcing
term f ( x ). The characteristic equation is r5 − r3 = r3 (r − 1)(r + 1) = 0, so its roots are
r = 1, r = −1, and a triple root r = 0. On the forcing side, the e x corresponds to r = 1,
and the constant and x2 terms correspond to another triple root r = 0. Thus, since r = 1
appears here for the second time total, and r = 0 appear for the fourth through sixth
times, our guess is
y = Axe x + Bx3 + Cx4 + Dx5 . 

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MAT 303 Spring 2013 Calculus IV with Applications

3.5.26. Set up the appropriate form for a particular solution to the DE y00 − 6y0 + 13y =
xe3x sin 2x, but do not determine the values of the coefficients.

Solution: The characteristic equation is r2 − 6r + 13 = 0, which has roots

p
6 ± 36 − 4(13)
r= = 3 ± 2i.
2
The xe3x sin 2x term correponds to a double pair of roots r = 3 ± 2i, which collide with
the roots of the characteristic equation. Hence, our guess for a particular solution is of the
form
y = Axe3x cos 2x + Bxe3x sin 2x + Cx2 e3x cos 2x + Dx2 e3x sin 2x. 

3.5.32. Solve the initial value problem y00 + 3y0 + 2y = e x , y(0) = 0, y0 (0) = 3.

Solution: We first determine the general complementary solution yc and a particular so-
lution y p . Since the characteristic equation is r2 + 3r + 2 = 0, r = −1 and r = −2 are its
roots, and yc = c1 e− x + c2 e−2x . Fortunately, neither root is r = 1, which corresponds to
f ( x ) = e x , so our guess for y p is Ae x . Plugging this into the DE,
A (1 + 3 + 2) e x = e x ,
so A = 1/6. Hence, the general solution is
1 x 1 x
y= e + c1 e− x + c2 e−2x , y0 = e − c1 e− x − 2c2 e−2x .
6 6
Applying the initial condition, y(0) = 16 + c1 + c2 = 0, and y0 (0) = 16 − c1 − 2c2 = 3. Then
c1 = − 17 16 8 17 16 15
6 − 2c2 , so − 6 − c2 = 0, and c2 = − 3 . Backsolving, c1 = − 6 + 3 = 6 = 2 , so
5

1 x 5 − x 8 −2x
y= e + e − e .
6 2 3 

3.5.34. Solve the initial value problem y00 + y = cos x, y(0) = 1, y0 (0) = −1.

Solution: We determine the complementary solution yc and a particular solution y p . Since

the characteristic equation of the DE is r2 + 1 = 0, the roots are r = ±i, so yc = c1 cos x +
c2 sin x. Since this overlaps with f ( x ) = cos x, we take our guess for y p to be Ax cos x +
Bx sin x. Then
y00p = A(−2 sin x − x cos x ) + B(2 cos x − x sin x ),
so y00p + y p = −2A sin x + 2B cos x = cos x. Then A = 0 and B = 21 , so the general solution
is
1
y = x sin x + c1 cos x + c2 sin x.
2
Applying the initial conditions with y0 = 12 (sin x + x cos x ) − c1 sin x + c2 cos x, y(0) =
c1 = 1, and y0 (0) = c2 = −1. Thus, the solution to the IVP is
1
y= x sin x + cos x − sin x.
2 

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MAT 303 Spring 2013 Calculus IV with Applications

3.5.54. Use the method of variation of parameters to find a particular solution of the DE
y00 + y = csc2 x.

Solution: From above, we see that y1 = cos x and y2 = sin x are two linearly independent
solutions to the homogeneous DE y00 + y = 0. Furthermore, their Wronskian is
 
 cos x sin x 
W (x) = 
  = cos2 x + sin2 x = 1.
− sin x cos x 

Thus, with f ( x ) = csc2 x, the formula for variation of parameters gives a particular solu-
tion
y2 ( x ) f ( x ) y1 ( x ) f ( x )
Z Z
y = − y1 dx + y2
W (x) W (x)
Z Z
= − cos x sin x csc2 x dx + sin x cos x csc2 x dx
Z Z
= − cos x csc x dx + sin x cot x csc x dx
= − cos x ln | csc x − cot x | − sin x csc x = − cos x ln | csc x − cot x | − 1. 

3.5.58. Use the method of variation of parameters to find a particular solution to the DE
x2 y00 − 4xy0 + 6y = x3 , using that the complementary solution is yc = c1 x2 + c2 x3 .

Solution: We first normalize the DE to y00 − 4x y0 + x62 y = x. Taking y1 = x2 and y2 = x3 ,

their Wronskian is  2 3 

x x
W ( x ) =   = 3x4 − 2x4 = x4 .
2x 3x2 
Then with f ( x ) = x from the normalized equation, the formula for variation of parame-
ters gives a particular solution

y2 ( x ) f ( x ) y1 ( x ) f ( x )
Z Z
y= − y1 dx + y2
W (x) W (x)
Z 3 Z 2
2 x x 3 x x
= −x 4
dx + x
x x4
1
Z Z
= − x2 dx + x3 dx
x
= − x3 + x3 ln x.

Since the − x3 is already a part of the complementary solution, we may eliminate it and
instead take only y = x3 ln x as a particular solution to the DE.