Chapter 31: Problem 20
Solve the given differential equations. $$2 D^{2} y-3 D y-y=0$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The general solution is \( y(x) = C_{1} e^{\frac{3 + \sqrt{17}}{4}x} + C_{2} e^{\frac{3 - \sqrt{17}}{4}x} \).
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Form of the Differential Equation
The given differential equation is a linear homogeneous differential equation with constant coefficients of the form \(ay'' + by' + cy = 0\), where \(y''\) is the second derivative and \(D\) is the differentiation operator.
02
Write the Characteristic Equation
For the equation \(2D^{2}y - 3Dy - y = 0\), it translates to the characteristic equation \(2m^{2} - 3m - 1 = 0\), where \(m\) represents the roots corresponding to the operator \(D\).
03
Solve the Characteristic Equation
The characteristic equation \(2m^{2} - 3m - 1 = 0\) can be solved using the quadratic formula: \(m = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^{2} - 4ac}}{2a}\). Here, \(a = 2\), \(b = -3\), and \(c = -1\).
04
Calculate the Discriminant
Calculate the discriminant \(b^{2} - 4ac = (-3)^{2} - 4 \cdot 2 \cdot (-1) = 9 + 8 = 17\). The discriminant is positive, indicating two distinct real roots.
05
Determine the Roots
Using the quadratic formula, the roots are \(m_{1} = \frac{3 + \sqrt{17}}{4}\) and \(m_{2} = \frac{3 - \sqrt{17}}{4}\).
06
Write the General Solution
The general solution for the differential equation with distinct real roots \(m_{1}\) and \(m_{2}\) is \(y(x) = C_{1}e^{m_{1}x} + C_{2}e^{m_{2}x}\), where \(C_{1}\) and \(C_{2}\) are arbitrary constants.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Linear Homogeneous Differential Equation
A linear homogeneous differential equation is a type of equation that involves derivatives of a function and is characterized by linearity and homogeneity. In simpler terms, these equations can be written in the structure of
- Linear: Each term is either a constant or a product of a constant and a derivative of the function.
- Homogeneous: The equation is set to equal zero, meaning there are no standalone constant terms.
Characteristic Equation
The characteristic equation is derived from a linear homogeneous differential equation by substituting the differential operator \(D\) with \(m\). This approach reduces a differential equation problem to an algebraic problem. By replacing derivatives in the equation with a characteristic polynomial, it becomes:
- For a second-order differential equation like \(ay'' + by' + cy = 0\), the characteristic equation is: \[ am^2 + bm + c = 0, \]
- The roots of this polynomial determine the form of the solution to the differential equation.
Quadratic Formula
The quadratic formula is a mathematical formula used to find the solutions (roots) of a quadratic equation, which is a polynomial equation of degree two. The formula is given by:\[ m = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}, \] where \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) are coefficients from the quadratic equation:\[ ax^2 + bx + c = 0. \] The quadratic formula provides a straightforward way to solve any quadratic equation by substituting in the coefficients.
- Its main advantage is that it works universally for all quadratic equations.
- The presence of the discriminant, \(b^2 - 4ac\), as part of the formula, offers insight into the nature of the roots, which can be real, distinct, equal, or complex.
Discriminant
The discriminant is a specific part of the quadratic formula, isolated as \(b^2 - 4ac\). It provides valuable insights into the nature of the roots of the quadratic equation.
- A positive discriminant (\(D > 0\)) indicates two distinct real roots.
- A zero discriminant (\(D = 0\)) indicates a repeated (or double) root.
- A negative discriminant (\(D < 0\)) indicates that the roots are complex and conjugate pairs.