Chapter 4: Problem 15
\(y^{\prime \prime}-6 y^{\prime}+9 y=0\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The general solution is y(t) = (C1 + C2t) e^(3t).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Type of Differential Equation
The given equation is a second-order linear homogeneous differential equation with constant coefficients: y^{u}-6 y^{u}+9 y=0
02
Write the Characteristic Equation
To solve this type of differential equation, first, find the characteristic equation by replacing y^{u} with r^{2} y^{u} and y^{u} with r. The characteristic equation for the given differential equation is:
03
Solve the Characteristic Equation
Solve the characteristic equation: r^{2}-6r+9=0. This factors to:
04
Find the Roots of the Characteristic Equation
Factor the quadratic equation to find its roots: (r-3)^{2}=0. Therefore, the root is r=3, which is a repeated root.
05
Write the General Solution
Since the characteristic equation has a repeated root, the general solution to the differential equation is: y(t) = (C_{1} + C_{2}t) e^{3t} .
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
characteristic equation
When solving a second-order linear homogeneous differential equation like \( y^{\text{''}} -6 y^{\text{'} } + 9 y = 0 \), one of the initial steps is to write the **characteristic equation**. This equation helps us determine the form of the solution. To form the characteristic equation:
- Replace \( y^{\text{''}} \) with \( r^2 \)
- Replace \( y^{\text{'}} \) with \( r \)
repeated roots
After forming the characteristic equation, the next step is to solve it. In our example, the characteristic equation is \[ r^2 - 6r + 9 = 0 \]Solving this, we factor it as \[ (r-3)^2 = 0 \]This indicates that there is only one root, \( r = 3 \), but it has a multiplicity of 2 (it is a repeated root). Repeated roots occur when the same root appears more than once. In such cases, the solutions are not simple exponentials but involve multiples of \( t \). Understanding this is crucial for forming the general solution.
general solution
The general solution for a second-order linear homogeneous differential equation depends on the roots of its characteristic equation. For repeated roots, like in the given problem where \( r = 3 \) with multiplicity 2, the general solution takes a specific form to account for the repetition. If \( r_1 \) is a repeated root, the general solution is \[ y(t) = (C_1 + C_2t) e^{r_1 t} \]In our specific case: \[ y(t) = (C_1 + C_2t) e^{3t} \]This formula ensures that the two constants \( C_1 \) and \( C_2 \) account for different initial conditions or boundary conditions. These constants are found through additional information, often given in the problem.