Power series solution to a second order o.d.e.

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the terms up to x^5 in the power series solution of a given equation. The method used is to differentiate each term separately and then equate coefficients, leading to a relation involving the coefficients. This relation is then used to solve for the higher-index coefficients in terms of those with lower indexes. The end result is a series involving a_0 through a_5.
  • #1
Vuldoraq
272
1

Homework Statement



Find the terms up to x^5 in the power series solution of the following equation

[tex]y''=(1+x^{2})y[/tex]


Homework Equations



Power series, sum from 0 to infinity

[tex]y=\sum a_{n}x^{n}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



At first I just differentiated each term separately and then equated coefficients,

[tex]y=a_{0}+a_{1}x+a_{2}x^{2}+a_{3}x^{3}+a_{4}x^{4}+a_{5}x^{5}+...[/tex]
[tex]y'=a_{1}+2a_{2}x+3a_{3}x^{2}+4a_{4}x^{3}+5a_{5}x^{4}+...[/tex]
[tex]y''=2a_{2}+6a_{3}x+12a_{4}x^{2}+20a_{5}x^{3}+...[/tex]

After equating and rearranging i ended up with,

[tex]y=a_{0}(1+\frac{x^{2}}{2}+\frac{x^{3}}{6}+\frac{x^{4}}{12}+\frac{x^{5}}{40}+...)+a_{1}(x+\frac{x^{2}}{2}+\frac{x^{3}}{3}+\frac{x^{4}}{8}+\frac{x^{5}}{24}+...)[/tex]

Is this correct?

Also I was wondering how I would go about doing this for the general case, using complete sums and then equating coefficients,

[tex]y=\sum a_{n}x^{n}[/tex]

[tex]y'=\sum na_{n}x^{n-1}[/tex]

[tex]y''=\sum n(n-1)a_{n}x^{n-2}[/tex]

[tex]x^{2}y=\sum a_{n}x^{n+2}[/tex]

Subbing back into the original,

[tex]\sum n(n-1)a_{n}x^{n-2}=\sum a_{n}x^{n}+\sum a_{n}x^{n+2}[/tex]

Equating coefficients,

[tex]n(n-1)a_{n}=a_{n-2}+a_{n-4}[/tex]

But no matter what I do with this relation I can't get it into a helpful form that agrees with my above result?

Please can someone help?
 
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  • #2
Vuldoraq said:

Homework Statement



Find the terms up to x^5 in the power series solution of the following equation

[tex]y''=(1+x^{2})y[/tex]


Homework Equations



Power series, sum from 0 to infinity

[tex]y=\sum a_{n}x^{n}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



At first I just differentiated each term separately and then equated coefficients,

[tex]y=a_{0}+a_{1}x+a_{2}x^{2}+a_{3}x^{3}+a_{4}x^{4}+a_{5}x^{5}+...[/tex]
[tex]y'=a_{1}+2a_{2}x+3a_{3}x^{2}+4a_{4}x^{3}+5a_{5}x^{4}+...[/tex]
[tex]y''=2a_{2}+6a_{3}x+12a_{4}x^{2}+20a_{5}x^{3}+...[/tex]

After equating and rearranging i ended up with,

[tex]y=a_{0}(1+\frac{x^{2}}{2}+\frac{x^{3}}{6}+\frac{x^{4}}{12}+\frac{x^{5}}{40}+...)+a_{1}(x+\frac{x^{2}}{2}+\frac{x^{3}}{3}+\frac{x^{4}}{8}+\frac{x^{5}}{24}+...)[/tex]

Is this correct?
I don't see that you multiplied your series for y by (1 + x^2). After you do that, equate your series for y'' with the series for (1 + x^2)y, and compare like powers of x to get a relationship involving your series coefficients a_0, a_1, etc.
Vuldoraq said:
Also I was wondering how I would go about doing this for the general case, using complete sums and then equating coefficients,

[tex]y=\sum a_{n}x^{n}[/tex]

[tex]y'=\sum na_{n}x^{n-1}[/tex]

[tex]y''=\sum n(n-1)a_{n}x^{n-2}[/tex]

[tex]x^{2}y=\sum a_{n}x^{n+2}[/tex]

Subbing back into the original,

[tex]\sum n(n-1)a_{n}x^{n-2}=\sum a_{n}x^{n}+\sum a_{n}x^{n+2}[/tex]

Equating coefficients,

[tex]n(n-1)a_{n}=a_{n-2}+a_{n-4}[/tex]

But no matter what I do with this relation I can't get it into a helpful form that agrees with my above result?

Please can someone help?
 
  • #3
That was a silly mistake to make :blushing:, thankyou for pointing it out :smile:

[tex]2a_{2}+6a_{3}x+12a_{4}x^{2}+20a_{5}x^{3}+...=(a_{0}+a_{1}x+a_{2}x^{2}+a_{3}x^{3}+a_{4}x^{4}+a_ {5}x^{5}+...)+(a_{0}x^{2}+a_{1}x^{3}+a_{2}x^{4}+a_{3}x^{5}+a_{4}x^{6}+a_ {5}x^{7}+...)[/tex]

Equating,

[tex]12a_{4}=a_{2}+a_{0}[/tex]
[tex]20a_{5}=a_{3}+a_{1}[/tex]
[tex]30a_{6}=a_{4}+a_{2}[/tex]

and so on which leads to the relation,

[tex]a_{n+1}=(n+2)(n+3)a_{n+3}-a_{n-1}[/tex]

which agrees with my other relation (with some rearranging).

Now I'm confused as to how this is helpful. What am I supposed to with this relation now that I have found it?
 
  • #4
Use the relation you found plus the others you showed to get the coefficients a_0 through a_5. You're not given any initial conditions, so that means that a_0 and a_1 will be arbitrary and the other coefficients will be in terms of those two.
 
  • #5
I'm completley at a loss as to how to get the coefficients in terms of a_0 and a_1. Sorry if I'm being dumb, but I all I've got so far is,

Using these relations

[tex]a_{n+1}=(n+2)(n+3)a_{n+3}-a_{n-1}[/tex]

[tex]a_{2}=12a_{3}-a_{0}[/tex] 1
[tex]a_{3}=20a_{4}-a_{1}[/tex] 2
[tex]a_{4}=30a_{5}-a_{2}[/tex] 3
[tex]a_{5}=42a_{6}-a_{3}[/tex] 4

And,

[tex]a_{n}=\frac{a_{n-2}+a_{n-4}}{n(n-1)}[/tex]

[tex]a_{4}=\frac{a_{2}+a_{0}}{12}[/tex] 5
[tex]a_{5}=\frac{a_{3}+a_{1}}{20}[/tex] 6

By substituting 2 into 1 and then the result of that into 5 I got,

[tex]a_{4}=a_{1}/19[/tex]

But this seems to be a circular way of doing it and sure enough I get, upon subs,

[tex]a_{3}=a_{1}/19[/tex]

I think I'm going the wrong way about this...please could you guide me as to how I can find the coefficients in terms of a_0 and a_1?
 
  • #6
Equating the series for y'' with x^2 * y + y, I got:
2a_2 = a_0
6a_3 = a_1
12a_4 = a_0 + a_2
20a_5 = a_1 + a_3
and so on.
You always want to solve for the higher-index coefficients in terms of those with lower indexes. In this problem, you'll eventually get back to a_0 and a_1. For example, a_4 is in terms of a_0 and a_2, but a previous equation relates a_2 and a_0.

All you need are a_0 through a_5.
 
  • #7
With your assistance I now get,

[tex]y=a_{0}(1+\frac{x^{2}}{2}+\frac{x^{4}}{8}+...)+a_{1}(x+\frac{x^{3} }{6}+\frac{7x^{5}}{120}+...)[/tex]

Which seems more reasonable and my realtions all agree. Does this look okay to you?

Thanks a million for your help, I would still be stuck without it! :smile:
 

1. What is a power series solution to a second order o.d.e.?

A power series solution to a second order o.d.e. is a method for solving a second order ordinary differential equation (o.d.e.) by expressing the solution as a series of terms raised to different powers.

2. How is a power series solution different from other methods of solving o.d.e.s?

A power series solution is different from other methods because it involves finding an infinite series of terms that approximate the solution, rather than a single closed-form solution. This method is useful for solving o.d.e.s that do not have a closed-form solution.

3. What is the process for finding a power series solution to a second order o.d.e.?

The process for finding a power series solution involves substituting the series into the o.d.e. and solving for the coefficients of the series. This is typically done by equating coefficients of like powers and solving the resulting equations.

4. What types of o.d.e.s can be solved using a power series solution?

A power series solution can be used to solve a wide range of o.d.e.s, including linear and non-linear equations, with constant or variable coefficients. However, it may not always be the most efficient or practical method for certain types of o.d.e.s.

5. What are the benefits of using a power series solution to solve o.d.e.s?

One of the main benefits of using a power series solution is that it can provide an approximate solution for o.d.e.s that do not have a closed-form solution. It can also be used to find a solution to an o.d.e. in cases where other methods may not be applicable or feasible.

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