Department of Mathematics

MAL 110 (Mathematics I)

Tutorial Sheet No. 5
Differential Equations of Higher Order
1. Find all the solutions of the following equations:

(a) y ′′ − 4y = 0
(b) y ′′ + 16y = 0
(c) y ′′ − 4y ′ + 5y = 0

2. Consider the equation y ′′ + a1 y ′ + a2 y = 0, where the constants a1 , a2 are real. Suppose α + iβ is a complex
root of the characteristic equation, where α, β are real, β ̸= 0.

(a) Show that α − iβ is also a root.

−a1 a21
(b) Show that α = 2 ; β 2 = a2 − 4

3. Show that every solution of the constant coefficient equation y ′′ + a1 y ′ + a2 y = 0 tends to zero as x → ∞
if and only if, the real parts of the roots of the characteristic polynomial are negative.
4. Consider the equation y ′′ + k 2 y = 0, where k is a non-negative constant. For what values of k will there
exist non-trivial solutions ϕ satisfying:

ϕ(0) = 0, ϕ(π) = 0

5. The functions ϕ1 , ϕ2 defined below exist for −∞ < x < ∞. Check whether the two functions ϕ1 and ϕ2
solutions of 2nd order linear ODE for linear independence.

(a) ϕ1 (x) = cos x; ϕ2 (x) = sin x

(b) ϕ1 (x) = x2 , ϕ2 (x) = x|x|

6. Find all solutions of the following equations:

(a) y ′′ + y = sec x
(b) y ′′ + 4y = 8x2
(c) y ′′ + 4y = cos x
(d) y ′′ + 4y ′ + 3y = x
(e) y ′′ + 2y ′ + 5y = 2 cos x
(f) y ′′ − y = 3e2x cos x

7. Solve

(a) x2 y ′′ − 2.5xy ′ − 2.0y = 0

(b) x2 y ′′ + 7xy ′ + 13y = 0

8. Find the particular solution y ∗ of the equation

y ′′ − 4y = x + 3ex

9. Solve

(a) y ′′ − 7y ′ + 6y = (x − 2)ex

1
 (b) Find the general solution of the equation
y ′′ + 9y = (x2 + 1)e3x
(c) y ′′′′ − y = 5 cos x
(d) y ′′′ − 6y ′′ + 11y ′ − 6y = e−x
(e) y ′′′′ − 5y ′′ + 4y = 0
10. Find the non-trivial solution of the boundary value problem

y (iv) − w4 y = 0; y(0) = 0, y ′′ (0) = 0, y(e) = 0, y ′′ (e) = 0

11. Solve the IVP
(a) 4y ′′ − 4y ′ + 4y = 0; y(0) = 3, y ′ (0) = 1
(b) y ′′ + y ′ − 2y = 0; y(0) = 4, y ′ (0) = −5
(c) y ′′′ − y ′′ + 100y ′ − 100y = 0; y(0) = 4, y ′ (0) = 11, y ′′ (0) = −299
12. Find basis solutions for the following second order homogeneous linear equation for positive x.

x2 y ′′ − xy ′ + y = 0
13. Solve using method of variation of parameters-

x3 y ′′′ − 3x2 y ′′ + 6xy ′ − 6y = x4 lnx

14. Find the general solution of the equation
′
(a) y ′′ − yx = x
(b) x3 y ′′′ − 3xy ′ + 3y = 16x + 9x2 lnx, x > 0
15. Find the general solution of the homogeneous linear system

y1′ = − 2y1 + y2
y2′ = y1 − 2y2
16. Find the general solution of the linear system of equations
[ ] [ ]
′ 5 −7 2
y = Ay + h = y− et
2 −4 4
17. Find the radius and convergence of the series:
∑∞ m x+5 m
(a) m=0 (−1) ( 2 )
∑∞ (−1)m 3m
(b) m=0 8m x

18. Find the series solution of the following equation

(a) y ′′ + (x − 1)y ′ + y = 0; x0 = 2
(b) (1 − x2 )y ′′ − 4xy ′ + 2y = 0, x0 = 0
19. If Pn (x) is a Legendre’s polynomial of degree n, prove that
(a) Pn (−x) = (−1)n Pn (x)
{
∫1 0, m ̸= n
(b) −1 Pm (x)Pn (x)dx = 2
2n+1 , m=n