MATH2065

Introduction to Partial Differential

Equations
Semester 2 – Tutorial Questions (Week 1)

1. Show that the ordinary differential equation

dx
= µx, µ = constant
dt
has the general solution
x = A eµt ,
where A is a constant.
Hence solve

(a) dx/dt = 3x, x = 2 when t = 0.

(b) dy/dz = −5y, y = 10 when z = 1.
(c) dx/dt = 4 − 3x, x = 0 when t = 0.[Hint: let X = 4 − 3x]

2. Find the general solution to each of the following ordinary differential equations (y 0 = dy/dx,
etc.)

(a) y 0 − 7 y = 0
(b) y 00 + y 0 − 2 y = 0
(c) y 00 − 3 y 0 = 0
(d) y 00 − 4 y = 0
(e) y 00 + 4 y = 0
(f) y 00 + 6 y 0 + 9 y = 0
(g) y 00 − 6 y 0 + 25 y = 0
(h) † y 000 + 2 y 00 − y 0 − 2 y = 0

3. Determine the solution to each of the following initial value problems.

(a) y 0 − 7 y = 0 ; y(0) = 1
(b) y 00 − 3 y 0 = 0 ; y(0) = 0 , y 0 (0) = 1
(c) y 00 + 6 y 0 + 9 y = 0 ; y(0) = 0 , y 0 (0) = 1
(d) y 00 − 6 y 0 + 25 y = 0 ; y(0) = 0 , y 0 (0) = 4

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 4. Verify that y1 (t) = t3 and y2 (t) = t3 ln t both satisfy the differential equation

t2 y 00 − 5 t y 0 + 9 y = 0

in the domain {t > 0}. Hence, make a guess at the general solution to this second-order
linear ordinary differential equation.

5. (a) Write down the definitions for the functions cosh x and sinh x in terms of exponential
functions. Sketch these functions.
(b) Consider the expression y(x) = C1 epx + C2 e−px for some constant p, and suppose C1
and C2 are arbitrary constants. Show that this can be written alternatively as

y(x) = D1 cosh px + D2 sinh px

where D1 and D2 are arbitrary constants.

Short answers:

1. (a) x = 2e3t .
(b) y = 10e5(1−z) .
(c) x = 34 (1 − e−3t )

2. (a) y(x) = C1 exp (7x)

(b) y(x) = C1 exp (x) + C2 exp (−2x)
(c) y(x) = C1 exp (0x) + C2 exp (3x) = C1 + C2 exp (3x)
(d) y(x) = C1 exp (2x) + C2 exp (−2x)
(e) y(x) = C1 sin 2x + C2 cos 2x
(f) y(x) = C1 exp (−3x) + C2 x exp (−3x)
(g) y(x) = C1 exp (3x) cos (4x) + C2 exp (3x) sin (4x)
(h) y(x) = C1 exp (x) + C2 exp (−x) + C3 exp (−2x)

3. (a) y(x) = exp (7x)

(b) y(x) = 13 [exp (3x) − 1]
(c) y(x) = x exp (−3x)
(d) y(x) = exp (3x) sin (4x)