Find a particular solution of y"+2y'+y=8x^2*cosx-4xsinx

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around finding a particular solution to the differential equation y"+2y'+y=8x^2*cosx-4xsinx. Participants are exploring methods related to non-homogeneous differential equations, particularly focusing on the form of the particular solution.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Some participants discuss the initial guess for the particular solution, questioning whether it should include terms like (Ax^2+Bx+C)cosx+(Dx+E)sinx. Others suggest that the particular solution may not necessarily relate to the complementary solution and could be determined through trial and error.

Discussion Status

There is an ongoing exploration of different forms for the particular solution, with participants sharing their attempts and questioning the validity of their equations. Some have noted the need for additional terms based on the structure of the right-hand side of the equation, while others have referenced the use of Green's functions as a potential method for finding a solution.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the constraints of the problem, including the requirement to find a particular solution and the implications of the homogeneous solution on the uniqueness of the particular solution. There is also reference to the need for multiple equations to determine constants in the solution.

Math10
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Homework Statement


Find a particular solution of y"+2y'+y=8x^2*cosx-4xsinx. The answer is yp=-(14-10x)cosx-(2+8x-4x^2)sinx.

Homework Equations


None.

The Attempt at a Solution


r^2+2r+1=0
(r+1)^2=0
r=-1, -1
y=Axe^(-x)+Be^(-x)
So what should the initial guess yp be for this problem? How to find the initial guess yp?
 
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Math10 said:

Homework Statement


Find a particular solution of y"+2y'+y=8x^2*cosx-4xsinx. The answer is yp=-(14-10x)cosx-(2+8x-4x^2)sinx.

Homework Equations


None.

The Attempt at a Solution


r^2+2r+1=0
(r+1)^2=0
r=-1, -1
y=Axe^(-x)+Be^(-x)
So what should the initial guess yp be for this problem? How to find the initial guess yp?
The particular solution is not necessarily related to the complementary, or homogeneous, solution. Often times, yp can be found only by trial and error.

For some RHS, there are definite candidates to try, as can be seen here:

http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/DE/UndeterminedCoefficients.aspx

There's a table at the end of Example 4, part way down from the top of the page, which gives particular solutions for different forms of the RHS of non-homogeneous equations.
 
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So shouldn't yp=(Ax^2+Bx+C)cosx+(Dx+E)sinx?
 
Math10 said:
So shouldn't yp=(Ax^2+Bx+C)cosx+(Dx+E)sinx?
The OP said find 'a particular solution' to the given ODE. I don't know if the answer in your book is the only one which satisfies this equation.
 
Math10 said:

Homework Statement


Find a particular solution of y"+2y'+y=8x^2*cosx-4xsinx. The answer is yp=-(14-10x)cosx-(2+8x-4x^2)sinx.

Homework Equations


None.

The Attempt at a Solution


r^2+2r+1=0
(r+1)^2=0
r=-1, -1
y=Axe^(-x)+Be^(-x)
So what should the initial guess yp be for this problem? How to find the initial guess yp?

Determine the Green's Function ##G(x)## for ##y'' + 2 y' + y##; this is the solution ##G(x) = y(x)## that solves the "almost-homogeneous" equation
y''(x) + 2 y'(x) + y(x) = \delta(x)
where ##\delta(x)## is the "Dirac Delta". Then, for ##x \geq 0## and RHS ##f(x)## on ##x \geq 0## (i.e., ##f(x) = 0 ## for ##x < 0##) a particular solution of ##y'' + 2 y' + y=f## is
y_p(x) = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} G(x-s) f(s) \, ds = \int_{s=0}^{\infty} G(x-s) f(s) \, ds
You can find an appropriate ##G(x)## by noting that ##G''(x) + 2 G'(x) + G(x) = 0## for ##x < 0## and for ##x > 0##, which implies
G(x) = \begin{cases}<br /> A_1 x e^{-x} + B_1 e^{-x}, &amp; x &lt; 0 \\<br /> A_2 x e^{-x} + B_2 e^{-x}, &amp; x &gt; 0 <br /> \end{cases}
for constants ##A_1,A_2,B_1,B_2##. We need additional conditions: ##G(-0) = G(+0)## (continuity of ##G## at x=0) and ##G'(+0) - G'(-0) = 1## (jump condition on first derivative at x=0). Usually we impose two additional boundary conditions (at ##\pm \infty## for example) in order to get four equations in the four unknowns ##A_1,B_1,A_2,B_2##. For example, if we want ##G(x)## to either remain bounded or have moderate growth at large ##|x|## we can take ##A_1 = B_1 = 0##.
 
Math10 said:
So shouldn't yp=(Ax^2+Bx+C)cosx+(Dx+E)sinx?
You should include an x2sin(x) term too because there is a y' on the left, and the x2cos(x) term on the right might come from that.
 
I tried yp=(Ax^2+Bx+C)cosx+(Dx^2+Ex+F)sinx but it seems weird at the end because I got D+A=4 with 4D+E+B=-2.
 
SteamKing said:
The OP said find 'a particular solution' to the given ODE. I don't know if the answer in your book is the only one which satisfies this equation.

It is the only answer in this sense. If ##y_p## and ##y_q## are both particular solutions of the NH equation, then their difference is a solution of the homogeneous and can be accounted for by the choice of the two arbitrary constants in the complementary solution:$$
y_p - y_q = Ae^{-x} + Bxe^{-x}$$
 
Math10 said:
4D+E+B=-2
I don't get that.
You should get 6 equations altogether, so probably enough to find all six constants.
 
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  • #10
Math10 said:
I tried yp=(Ax^2+Bx+C)cosx+(Dx^2+Ex+F)sinx but it seems weird at the end because I got D+A=4 with 4D+E+B=-2.

If you use the approach outlined in #5, you can write down an answer with no guesswork at all. A good Green's function for this problem is ##G(x) = x e^{-x} \, 1_{\{ x > 0 \}}##, so a particular solution for your inhomogeneous DE (with RHS = 0 for ##x < 0##) is
y_p(x) = \int_{\Re} G(x-y) f(y) dy = \int_0^x (x-y) e^{-(x-y)} (8y^2 \, \cos\,y- 4y \sin\, y) \, dy,
which evaluates to
y_p(x) = (4x^2-8x-2)\sin(x)+(10x-14) \cos(x)+6xe^{-x}+14 e^{-x}.
Since the last two terms here are just two solutions to the homogeneous DE, we can get another particular solution by dropping them, leaving the function in your answer. One advantage of this method is that for any RHS of the form ##f(x) 1_{\{x>0\}}## we can immediately write
y_p(x) = \int_0^x (x-y) e^{-(x-y)} f(y) \, dy,
so the problem is reduced to evaluation of an integral.
 
  • #11
haruspex said:
I don't get that.
You should get 6 equations altogether, so probably enough to find all six constants.

You're totally right. When I checked my work, I found my mistakes. Now I found all six constants and the answer is right. Thanks for mentioning about that.
 
  • #12
SteamKing said:
The particular solution is not necessarily related to the complementary, or homogeneous, solution. Often times, yp can be found only by trial and error.

For some RHS, there are definite candidates to try, as can be seen here:

http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/DE/UndeterminedCoefficients.aspx

There's a table at the end of Example 4, part way down from the top of the page, which gives particular solutions for different forms of the RHS of non-homogeneous equations.

@SteamKing , that website above was really helpful. Thanks a lot for the help.
 

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