Confused on why i'm missing this 2nd Order Diff EQ with complex roots

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around solving a second-order differential equation with complex roots, specifically the equation 6y'' + 33y = 0, along with initial conditions y(0) = 8 and y'(0) = 5. Participants are exploring the general solution and the implications of complex roots in the context of this problem.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster shares their work and seeks feedback on potential mistakes. Some participants suggest rewriting the general solution using sine and cosine functions derived from Euler's formula. Others discuss the implications of renaming constants and the validity of the new solution form.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, providing insights into the transformation of the general solution and questioning the correctness of the constants used in the solution. There is no explicit consensus, but constructive feedback is being exchanged.

Contextual Notes

There are indications of confusion regarding the application of initial conditions and the handling of complex roots. The original poster expresses uncertainty about their calculations and the correctness of their submitted work.

mr_coffee
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Hello everyone. I"m not getting this problem right. <insert sad face here>
Find y as a function of t if
6y'' + 33y = 0,
y(0) = 8, y'(0) = 5 .
y(t) =

hokay, here is my work, it is sloppy sorry. Can you see any obvious mistakes I made? Note: the sqraure root should be encompassing both the 11 and the 2 in 11/2.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/681/lastscan8wk.jpg I submitted this and it was wrong:>
http://cwcsrv11.cwc.psu.edu/webwork2_files/tmp/equations/90/5f593c3fcc529485c44d6db5c6c1ea1.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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For your general solution, that is

y=Ae^{i\sqrt{\frac{11}{2}}t}+Be^{-i\sqrt{\frac{11}{2}}t}

put now instead

y=c_1\sin {\sqrt{\frac{11}{2}}t}+c_2\cos {\sqrt{\frac{11}{2}}t}
 
that comes from Euler's formula e^{i\alpha}=\cos\alpha+i\sin\alpha, substituted into the general solution with the e's, some constant renaming and some trickery to show that if the new solution (with the cos + isin stuff) is a complex solution to the DE, then the same thing without the i is also a solution. But that was mostly hand-waving.
 
Thanks for the help again benorin, but I submitted:
http://cwcsrv11.cwc.psu.edu/webwork2_files/tmp/equations/32/eb2319e057d3fc3b2523e3d817a55a1.png
Did i mess up finding my constants?
 
Last edited by a moderator:

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