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Procedure for solving non-homogeneous second order differential equations:
) ( ) ( ' ) ( " x g y x q y x p y = + +

1. Determine the general solution ) ( ) (
2 1
x y C x y C y
h
+ = to a homogeneous
second order differential equation: 0 ) ( ' ) ( " = + + y x q y x p y
2. Find the particular solution
p
y of the non-homogeneous equation, using
one of the methods below.
3. The general solution of the non-homogeneous equation is:
p
y x y C x y C x y + + = ) ( ) ( ) (
2 1
where
1
C and
2
C are arbitrary constants.

METHODS FOR FINDING THE PARTICULAR SOLUTION (y
p
) OF A NON-
HOMOGENOUS EQUATION
Undetermined
Coefficients.
Restrictions:
1. D.E must have constant
coefficients:
) ( ' " x g c by ay = + +
2. g(x) must be of a
certain, easy to guess
form.



1. Write down g(x). Start taking derivatives of g(x). List all the
terms of g (x) and its derivatives while ignoring the coefficients.
Keep taking the derivatives until no new terms are obtained.
2. Compare the listed terms to the terms of the homogeneous
solution. If one or more terms are repeating, then the recurring
expression needs to be modified by multiplying all the repeating
terms by x.
3. Based on step 1 and 2 create an initial guess for y
p
.
4. Take the 1
st
and the 2
nd
derivatives of y
p
. Plug into the
differential equation. Solve for the constants.
5. Plug the values of the constants into y
p
.
Variation of
Parameters.

} }
+ = dx
x y y W
x g x y
y dx
x y y W
x g x y
y x y
p
) )( , (
) ( ) (
) )( , (
) ( ) (
) (
2 1
1
2
2 1
2
1

where y
1
and y
2
are solutions to the homogeneous equation and

1 2 2 1
2 1
2 1
2 1
) )( , ( y y y y
y y
y y
x y y W ' ' =
' '
=
The set of solutions is linearly independent in I if
0 ) )( , (
2 1
= x y y W for every x in the interval.
Or equivalently:
2 2 1 1
) ( y v y v x y
p
+ =
where y
1
and y
2
are solutions to the homogeneous equation and
v
1
and v
2
are unknown functions of x.
To determine v
1
and v
2,
solve the following system of equations
for v
1
and v
2.
) (
0
2 2 1 1
2 2 1 1
x g v y v y
v y v y
= ' ' + ' '
= ' + '

Integrate v
1
and v
2
to find

v
1
and v
2
.
Substitute v
1
and v
2
into
2 2 1 1
) ( y v y v x y
p
+ =
NON-HOMOGENEOUS SECOND ORDER
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
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Part of a homogeneous solution.
Both terms need to be modified
Example #1. Solve the differential equation:
t
e t y y + =
'

' '
2


Solution:
1. Homogeneous equation:
0 2 = ' ' ' y y

Characteristic equation: 0 2
2
= r r
2 , 0
0 ) 2 (
= =
=
r r
r r



t
h
e C C y
2
2 1
+ =
2. Particular solution:
t
t
t
e t g
e t g
e t t g
=
+ =
+ =
) ( "
1 ) ( '
) (
Terms:
t
t
t
e
e C
e t
,
,


Initial guess of yp =
p
y
t
Ce B At + +


) (

Modify yp:
t 2 t
e e ) ( C Bt At C B At t y
p
+ + = + + =

t
p
Ce B At y + + = ' 2
t
p
Ce A y + = 2 "
Plug the yp and its derivatives into the original differential equation:
t
e t y y + = ' ' ' 2

implies ( )
t t t
e t Ce B At Ce A + = + + + 2 2 2

+ =
t t
e t Ce At B A 4 2 2
4
1
0 2 2
4
1
1 4
1 1
= =
= =
= =
B B A
A A
C C

So
t t
p
e t
t
e
t t
y + = = ) 1 (
4 4 4
2
and the general solution is:

t t
p h
e t
t
e C C y
y y y
+ + =
+ =
) 1 (
4
2
2 1



The constant is already in the
homogeneous solution.
Multiplying it by t will repeat the
terms of g(t). So we need to
modify both the constant and the t.
No new terms.
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Example #2. Solve the differential equation:
t
e
y y y
t
= + ' ' ' 2


1. Homogeneous equation: 0 2 = + ' ' ' y y y
Characteristic equation: 0 1 2
2
= + r r
1 , 1
0 ) 1 (
2
= =
=
r r
r

t t
h
te C e C y
2 1
+ =
t
e y =
1
and
t
te y =
2

t
e y =
1
' and
t t
e te y + =
2
'

2. Particular solution:

( )
t t t t t t t t t
t t t
t t
e te e te e te e te e
e te e
te e
y y
y y
x y y W
2 2 2 2
2 1
2 1
2 1
det det ) )( , ( = + = + =
+
=
' '
=

So
t te te dt
t
te dt e dt
e
t
e
e
te dt
e
t
e
te
e
dx
x y y W
x g x y
y dx
x y y W
x g x y
y x y
t t t t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
t
p
ln
1
1
) )( , (
) ( ) (
) )( , (
) ( ) (
) (
2 2
2 1
1
2
2 1
2
1
+ = + =

=
= + =
} } } }
} }



t te te t y
t t
p
ln ) ( + = and the general solution is:

t te te C e C t te te te C e C y
t t t t t t t
ln ln
3 1 2 1
+ + = + + =





You try it:

1. x y y y 2 sin 2 ' " =
2.
x
xe y y y = + ' 2 "
3. x y y sec " = +






Not an easy to guess
function. It is a quotient so the
derivatives will get more
complicated, making it
impossible to list all terms.
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Solutions:
#1: x x e C e C y
x x
2 cos
20
1
2 sin
20
3
2
2 1
+ + =


#2:
x x x
e x xe C e C y
3
2 1
6
1
+ + =
#3: ( )( ) x x x x x C x C y sin cos ln cos sin cos
2 1
+ + + =