Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology

Thiruvananthapuram
MA 121 - Differential Equations
Instructor: Dr. Kaushik Mukherjee Tutorial-II

1. Show that there exist two linearly independent solutions of the differential equation y 00 + p(x)y 0 + q(x)y = 0
with p and q continuous on the interval [a, b].
2. Let φ1 , φ2 be two real valued functions such that they are one time differentiable on the interval [a, b].
(a) Show that if the Wronskian W (φ1 , φ2 )(x) 6= 0, for some x ∈ [a, b] ,then φ1 and φ2 are linearly
independent on [a, b].
(b) Suppose that φ1 and φ2 are linearly independent on [a, b]. Does it imply that W (φ1 , φ2 )(x) 6= 0 for
some x ∈ [a, b]? Justify your answer.
3. (a) Using the definition 1 of linearly independent functions, check whether the functions φ1 (x) = x2 and
φ2 (x)=x|x| are linearly independent or dependent on [−1, 1] and on [−1, 0].
(b) Consider two functions φ1 (x) =x2 and φ2 (x)=x|x|. Determine whether the functions φ1 and φ2 can
be solutions of the differential equation y 00 + p(x)y 0 + q(x)y = 0 with p and q continuous on [−1, 1].
4. Find real valued general solution of the following linear homogeneous equations.
(a) y (iv) + 2y 00 + y = 0. (b) y (iv) + y = 0.

5. Verify that φ1 (x) = x is one solution of (x2 + 1)y 00 − 2xy 0 + 2y = 0. Find the another linearly independent
solution φ2 .
6. Use the method of variation of parameters and find the general solution of the following equations.
(a) x2 y 00 − xy 0 + y = 2x. (b) y 000 + y 0 = tan x.
 2
e−1/x x 6= 0,
7. Is the function f (x) = analytic at x = 0? Justify your answer.
0 x = 0,

8. Consider the equation y 00 + xy 0 + y = 0.

(a) Find its general solution in the form y = a0 y1 (x) + a1 y2 (x), where y1 (x) and y2 (x) are the power
series solutions about x = 0.
(b) Verify that the two series y1 (x) and y2 (x) converge for all x.
9. Determine the singular points of the following equations and examine whether they are regular or irregular
singular points.
(a) (x3 + 4x)y 00 − 2xy 0 + 6y = 0. (b) y 00 + (ln x)y 0 + 3xy = 0. (c) xy 00 + x
1−x y
0
+ (sin x)y = 0.
10. Find the first few terms each of two linearly independent series solutions of the following equations about
the point x = 0 for x > 0.
(a) 2x2 y 00 + xy 0 − (x + 1)y = 0. 2 (b) x2 y 00 + (x2 − 3x)y 0 + 3y = 0. 3
(c) x2 y 00 − xy 0 − (x2 + 45 )y = 0.
(d) (x − x2 )y 00 + (1 − 5x)y 0 − 4y = 0.

1 Definition: Two functions φ and φ are called linearly independent on [a, b] ⊂ R if the linear combination c φ (x) +
1 2 1 1
c2 φ2 (x) = 0 for all x ∈ [a, b], implies that c1 = c2 = 0.
2 See Example 6.14 at page no. 243, Chap 6, S. L. Ross
3 See Example 6.13 at page no. 243, Chap 6, S. L. Ross