Non-constant coefficient ODE & Power series

Exercises

1. Find a general solution of the following Cauchy-Euler equation.

(a) x2 y 00 − 2xy 0 − 4y = 0
(b) x2 y 00 + 2xy 0 − 2y = 0
(c) 6x2 y 00 + 5xy 0 − y = 0
(d) x2 y 00 − 2y = 0
(e) x2 y 00 − 5xy 0 + 9y = 0
(f) x2 y 00 + xy 0 + y = 0
(g) x2 y 00 + 3xy 0 + 2y = 0

2. Find an interval of convergence of the following power series by identifying a

center of expansion (x0 ) and a radius of convergence using either formula, R =
1 1
an+1 , or R = p .
limn→∞ | | limn→∞ n |an |
an
∞ ∞  ∞
X X x + 3 n X
(a) nxn (b) (c) (n − 1)3 (x − 5)n
n=0 n=0
2 n=0
∞ ∞ ∞
X n(n − 1) n X X (x − 1)n
(d) x (e) (−1)n (x − 1)n (f)
n=0
3 n=0 n=0
(n + 1)n

3. By applying the power series method about x = x0 , obtain a recursion formula,

find a general solution (up to the first 4 terms of the power series), and determine
the radius of convergence.

(a) y 0 = 2y; x0 = 0
(b) y 0 + y = 0; x0 = 0
(c) y 00 − 4y 0 = 0; x0 = 0
(d) y 00 + 2y 0 + y = 0; x0 = 0
(e) xy 00 + y 0 + y = 0; x0 = −5
(f) xy 00 + (3 + x)y 0 + xy = 0; x0 = −3
(g) y 00 − x3 y = 0; x0 = 0
Answers

1.
(a) y = C1 x4 + C2 x−1
(b) y = C1 x + C2 x−2
(c) y = C1 x1/2 + C2 x−1/3
(d) y = C1 x2 + C2 x−1
(e) y = C1 x3 + C2 (ln x)x3
(f) y = C1 cos ln x + C2 sin ln x
(g) y = x−1 C1 sin ln x + C2 cos ln x

2.
(a) R = 1, x0 = 0, −1 < x < 1
(b) R = 2, x0 = −3, −5 < x < −1
(c) R = 1, x0 = 5, 4 < x < 6
(d) R = 1, x0 = 0, −1 < x < 1
(e) R = 1, x0 = 1, 0 < x < 2
(f) R = ∞, x0 = 1, −∞ < x < ∞ (use the second formula to determine R)
3.
2  2 22 23 
(a) an+1 = an , y = a0 1 + x + x 2 + x 3 + · · · , R = ∞
n+1 1! 2! 3!
1  1 1 2 1 3 
(b) an+1 = − an , y = a0 1 − x + x − x + · · · , R = ∞
n+1 1! 2! 3!
4
(c) an+2 = an+1 ,
n+2
 40 41 42 43 
y = a0 + a1 x + x 2 + x3 + x4 + · · · , R = ∞
1! 2! 3! 4!
2 1
(d) an+2 = − an+1 − an ,
n+2 (n + 2)(n + 1)
 1 1 1   1 1 
y = a0 1 − x 2 + x 3 − x 4 + · · · + a1 x − x 2 + x 3 − x 4 + · · · ,
2 3 8 2 6
R=∞
n+1 1
(e) an+2 = an+1 + an ,
5(n + 2) 5(n + 2)(n + 1)
h 1 1 11 i
y = a0 1 + (x + 5)2 + (x + 5)3 + (x + 5)4 + · · · +
10 75 3000
h 1 7 13 i
a1 (x + 5) − (x + 5)2 + (x + 5)3 + (x + 5)4 + · · · , R = 5
10 150 1500
n n−3 1
(f) an+2 = an+1 + an + an−1
3(n + 2) 3(n + 2)(n + 1) 3(n + 2)(n + 1)
for n = 0, 1, 2, ... (a−1 ≡ 0),
h 1 2 1 4 1 5
i
y = a0 1 − (x + 3) + (x + 3) − (x + 3)x + · · · +
2 72 180
h 1 3 1 4 1 5
i
a1 (x + 3) − (x + 3) + (x + 3) + (x + 3) + · · · , R = 3
9 108 540
1
(g) an+2 = an−3 for n = 0, 1, 2, ... (a−3 = a−2 = a−1 ≡ 0),
(n + 2)(n + 1)
 1 1 10 1 
y = a0 1 + x 5 + x + x15 + · · · +
20 1800 378000
 1 6 1 11 1 
a1 x + x + x + x16 + · · · ,
30 3300 792000 !
1 1
R=∞ use R = an+1 = an+2
limn→∞ | | limn→∞ | |
an an−3