MODULE 8

Order Reduction and Variation of Parameters

Reduction of Order

The second order linear equation may be represented by

( )

Let be a solution of the homogeneous equation, i.e.

Let , then by differentiation gives

Substituting the above equation (1) gives

( ) ( )
( )
( )

Let

( )
which is linear in .

Example (a) Solve the equation

Solution: The roots of the auxiliary equation

( )

are . Thus, we have the complementary solution as

For the transformation, let

 Substituting in the given equation gives

( )

Let , then

which is now linear in z. Then the integrating factor is

Multiplying both sides of the linear equation in by we have

( )
Integrating

Substitute

Integrating:

Substitution:

Example (b) Solve the equation ( )

Example (c) Solve the equation ( )

Example (d) Solve the equation

Exercises
Reduction of Order

Solve the following equations:

1. ( ) ( )
2. ( )
3. ( )

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 4.
5. ( )

Variation of Parameters

Consider the general second-order linear equation

In the first part of the module, we developed a method for obtaining the solution of
the above equation using one part of the solution pertaining to one root of the
auxiliary equation. Now in this section, we shall employ two roots of the auxiliary
equation.

Suppose the general solution of the homogeneous equation is

Based on the form of , let . Then by differentiation,

Let . It follows that in terms of and is .

By differentiation

By substitution, we have the following computations

( ) ( ) ( )

By arranging the terms, we get

( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

But and are solutions of the homogeneous equation, i.e.

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 Thus, we find the equation in (1) only in terms of as follows

( )

Combine and solve simultaneously the two equations in terms of by

eliminating . Then integrate to solve A and B.

( )

Example (a) Solve the equation ( )

Solution: The auxiliary equation of ( ) has the roots The

complementary solution is

Based on the roots of the auxiliary equation, take as such that

Let , and so we have

By substitution, we have:

( ) ( )

Simplifying the above equation, what is left will be in terms of only, i.e.

Solve the equation in terms of simultaneously

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 By addition, we have

By division, we have

By integration, we have ( )

Substitution , we find

( )

By integration, we have ( )

The particular solution is

( ) [ ( )]
( ) ( )

Thus, the general solution is

( ) ( )

Example (b) Solve the equation ( )

Example (c) Solve the equation ( )

Exercises
Variation of Parameters

Solve the following equations

1. ( )
2. ( ) ( )
3.
4.
5.

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means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document, without the prior written permission of SLU, is strictly prohibited. 4