MATH3705 Tutorial 3

1. Find the two roots of the indicial equation to the following dierential equation:
x(1 x)y + (3 5x)y 4y = 0.
Solution: We rewrite the equation as
y +

3 5x
4x
y + 2
y = 0.
x(1 x)
x (1 x)

We have
xp(x) =

3 5x
= (3 5x)(1 + x + x2 + x3 + ...) = 3 2x ..., p0 = 3;
1x

x2 q(x) =

4x
= 4x(1 + x + x2 + x3 + ...) = 4x 4x2 ...., q0 = 0.
(1 x)

Then we get the indicial equation: r2 + 2r = 0. Then r1 = 0, r2 = 2.

2. Find the two roots of the indicial equation to the following dierential equation:
x2 (1 x)y + (3 5x)xy + y = 0.
Solution: We rewrite the equation as
y +

3 5x
1
y + 2
y = 0.
x(1 x)
x (1 x)

We have
xp(x) =
x2 q(x) =

3 5x
= (3 5x)(1 + x + x2 + x3 + ...) = 3 2x ..., p0 = 3;
1x
1
= 1(1 + x + x2 + x3 + ...) = 1 + x + x2 + x3 + ..., q0 = 1.
(1 x)

Then we get the indicial equation: r2 + 2r + 1 = 0. Then r1 = r2 = 1.

3. Find the general solution of
2x2 y + 7xy + (3 + 2x)y = 0
for x > 0 near x0 = 0.
1

(1)

Solution: Step 1: Determine whether x0 = 0 is an ordinary point or a regular singular

point. Write the equation as
7 3 + 2x
y +
y = 0,
2x
2x2

y +

(2)

We have
xp(x) = 3.5, x2 q(x) = 1.5 + x.
So x0 = 0 is a regular singular point.
Step 2: Find and solve the indicial equation. Note that p0 = 3.5, q0 = 1.5. The indicial
equation is:
r2 + (p0 1)r + q0 = 0. r2 + 2.5r + 1.5 = 0. r1 = 1, r2 = 1.5.
Note that r1 r2 = 0.5, so we have Case (i).
Step 3: Find the recursive relation about cn (r). Let
y=

c0 (r) = 1.

cn (r)xn+r ,

n=0

y =

n+r1

(n + r)cn (r)x

,y =

n=0

(n + r)(n + r 1)cn (r)xn+r2 .

n=0

Substitute them into (1) we have

2

2x

(n+r)(n+r1)cn (r)x

n+r2

n=0

+7x

n+r1

(n+r)cn (r)x

+(3+2x)

n=0

cn (r)xn+r = 0,

n=0

2(n + r)(n + r 1)cn (r)x

n+r

n=0

7(n + r)cn (r)xn+r

n=0

3cn (r)xn+r +

n=0

2cn (r)xn+r+1 = 0,

n=0

[2(n + r)(n + r 1) + 7(n + r) + 3]cn (r)x

n+r

n=0

2cn (r)xn+r+1 = 0,

n=0

[(2n + 2r + 3)(n + r + 1)]cn (r)xn+r +

n=0

(2r + 3)(r + 1)]c0 (r)xr +

2cn1 (r)xn+r = 0,

n=1

{[(2n + 2r + 3)(n + r + 1)]cn (r) + 2cn1 (r)}xn+r = 0,

n=1

(2r + 3)(r + 1)]c0 (r) = 0,

[(2n + 2r + 3)(n + r + 1)]cn (r) + 2cn1 = 0, n 1.

Since c0 (r) = 1 = 0, the above rst equation results in our indicial equation (2r + 3)(r +
1) = 0. The second equation gives
cn (r) =

2
cn1 (r), n 1.
(2n + 2r + 3)(n + r + 1)

(3)

Step 4: Find y1 . Take r = r1 = 1, by (3),

cn (1) =

2
cn1 (1), n 1.
n(2n + 1)

cn (1) =

(2)n
, n 1.
n!(2n + 1)!!

Therefore,
1

y1 = x

n=1

(2)n
xn1 = xr1
n!(2n + 1)!!

(
1+

n=1

)
(2)n
n
x .
n!(2n + 1)!!

Step 5: Find y2 . Take r = r2 = 1.5, by (3),

cn (1.5) =

2
cn1 (1.5).
n(2n 1)

cn (1.5) =
Therefore,
1.5

y2 = x

n=1

(2)n
.
n!(2n 1)!!
(2)n
xn1.5 .
n!(2n 1)!!

Step 6: The general solution is y(x) = c1 y1 + c2 y2 , where c1 and c2 are constants.

4. Find two linearly independent solutions x2 y (x) + xy (x) + (3x2 4)y(x) = 0, valid for
x > 0:

Solution: Note that 2 = 3 and 2 = 4, = 3 and = 2. Hence

y1 (x) = J2 ( 3x), y2 (x) = Y2 ( 3x).

5. Find two linearly independent solutions x2 y (x) + xy (x) + (4x2 3)y(x) = 0, valid for
x > 0:

Solution: Note that 2 = 4 and 2 = 3, = 2 and = 3. Hence

y1 (x) = J3 (2x),

y2 (x) = J3 (2x).