ANSWERS TO MA1512 TUTORIAL 5

Question 1.
The original ODE describing this situation in the absence of friction was

M ẍ = M g − ρ A (d + x)g,

where the downward direction is positive. We need an extra term to account for the
sudden force exerted by the rogue wave. Since the force is exerted suddenly, this suggests
that we need a Dirac delta function, so the force will be proportional to δ(t − T ). Now
F = ma, Newton’s law, can be written as F = [time derivative of mv], where v is the
velocity, so the change in the momentum is equal to the time integral of the force. Recall
∫∞
that 0 δ(t − T )dt = 1, so clearly in our case F = −P δ(t − T ), since P is the given
change in the momentum. [Integrate both sides to verify this, and remember that x(t)
here is the DOWNWARD displacement so the upward force of the wave [as stated in
the problem] is negative, like the buoyancy force. Note that the units here are correct
since the delta function has units of 1/time; this is because the time integral of the delta
function is a pure number.] So we have

M ẍ = M g − ρ A (d + x)g − P δ(t − T ),

which, as in Tutorial 3, simplifies to

ρAg P
ẍ = − x− δ(t − T ).
M M
Taking the Laplace transform of both sides, remembering that the ship is initially at
rest, we have
ρAg P −T s
s2 X = − X− e ,
M M
or
P e−T s P ωe−T s
X(s) = − = − ,
M s2 + ω 2 ωM s2 + ω 2
√
where ω is the natural frequency of oscillation of the ship, ρ A g/M . Using the t-
shifting theorem, we can find the inverse Laplace transform:
P
x(t) = − sin[ω(t − T )]u(t − T ).
ωM
The amplitude is P/ωM, so this is the maximum distance the ship goes down if it doesn’t
sink.
QUESTION 2.
We have to deal with the equation
Z t
1
V (t) = RI + LI˙ + I dt.
C 0

The problem here is that we don’t actually know V(t); all we know is that it is some multiple
of the Dirac delta function δ(t − 2) [since it was applied to the system, and turned off, almost
instantaneously, at t = 2]. So we set V (t) = Aδ(t − 2) where A is some unknown constant. Thus
we have
1 t
Z
˙
Aδ(t − 2) = RI + LI + I dt.
C 0
Take the Laplace transform of both sides, and let Θ(s) denote the transform of I(t); we get
1
Ae−2s = RΘ(s) + LsΘ(s) + Θ(s),
sC
where we have used the fact that I(0) = 0 [see the given formula for I(t)]. Solving for Θ(s) we get
Ase−2s
Θ(s) = .
Ls2 + Rs + (1/C)
But the Laplace transform of the given current is [using both shifting theorems]
(s + 1)e−2s e−2s se−2s Ase−2s
Θ(s) = − = = ,
(s + 1)2 + 1 (s + 1)2 + 1 s2 + 2s + 2 As2 + 2As + 2A
from which we see immediately that R = 2A; since TAL knows that R = 2, we see that A = 1.
Clearly C must have been 1/2 and L must have been 1 in the appropriate units.

QUESTION 3.
(a) Setting u(x, y) = X(x)Y (y), the p.d.e. yux − xuy = 0 becomes yX 0 Y − xXY 0 = 0.
Dividing by XY gives
X0 Y0
y −x = 0
X Y
1 X0 1 Y0
i.e. · = · = k1 (constant)
x X y Y
1 X0
This gives two separable o.d.e., the first of which is · = k1 . Integrating this yields
x X
1
ln |X| = k1 x2 + c1
2
2 1
i.e. X = ±ec1 ecx , where c = k1
2
1 Y0 2
Similarly, integrating the second separable o.d.e. · = k1 gives Y = ±ec2 ecy .
y Y
Thus,
2 2
u(x, y) = XY = ±ec1 ecx ec2 ecy
2 +y 2 )
= kec(x .
 MA1512 Tutorial 6 Solutions

(b) Setting u(x, y) = X(x)Y (y), the p.d.e. ux = yuy becomes X 0 Y = yXY 0 . Dividing by XY
gives
X0 Y0
= y = c (constant)
X Y
X0
This gives two separable o.d.e., the first of which is = c. Integrating this yields
X
ln |X| = cx + k1
i.e. X = ±ek1 ecx .

Y0 c
Similarly, integrating the second separable o.d.e. = gives
Y y

ln |Y | = c ln |y| + k2
i.e. Y = ±ek2 y c .

Thus,

u(x, y) = XY = ±ek1 ecx ek2 y c

= ky c ecx .

(c) Setting u(x, y) = X(x)Y (y), the p.d.e. uxy = u becomes X 0 Y 0 = XY . Dividing by XY gives

X0 Y 0
· = 1.
X Y
X0 Y0 X0 Y0 1
This implies that both and are nonzero constants and we set = c and = . This
X Y X Y c
X0
gives two separable o.d.e., the first of which is = c. Integrating this yields
X
ln |X| = cx + k1
i.e. X = ±ek1 ecx .

Y0 1
Similarly, integrating the second separable o.d.e. = gives
Y c
y
ln |Y | = + k2
c
i.e. Y = ±ek2 ey/c .

Thus,

u(x, y) = XY = ±ek1 ecx ek2 ey/c

= kecx+y/c .

(d) Setting u(x, y) = X(x)Y (y), the p.d.e. xuxy + 2yu = 0 becomes xX 0 Y 0 + 2yXY = 0.
Dividing by −2yXY gives
X0 1 Y0
  
x − · = 1.
X 2y Y

2
 MA1512 Tutorial 6 Solutions

X0 −1 Y 0 X0 −1 Y 0 1
This implies that both x and · are nonzero constants. We set x = c and · = ,
X 2y Y X 2y Y c
X0 c Y0 2y
which respectively give two separable o.d.e. = and = − .
0
X x Y c
X c
Integrating the first o.d.e. = yields
X x
ln |X| = c ln x + k1
i.e. X = ±ek1 xc .

Y0 2y
Similarly, integrating the second separable o.d.e. = − gives
Y c
y2
ln |Y | = − + k2
c
2
i.e. Y = ±ek2 e−y /c .

Thus,
2 /c
u(x, y) = XY = ±ek1 xc ek2 e−y
2 /c
= kxc e−y .

QUESTION 4.
We want to solve
c2 yxx = ytt ,
subject to the four conditions

y(t, 0) = y(t, π) = 0, y(0, x) = f (x), yt (0, x) = 0,

where f(x) is a given function which is zero at 0 and π, and which we extend when necessary to be
an odd periodic function of period 2π. D’Alembert claimed that the following object satisfies all of
the above:
1h i
y(t, x) = f (x + ct) + f (x − ct) .
2
First, note that if y(t,x) is given by this formula, then

c2 h 00 i
ytt = f (x + ct) + f 00 (x − ct) ,
2
while
1 h 00 i
yxx = f (x + ct) + f 00 (x − ct) .
2
So it does satisfy the equation. We also see that
1h i
y(t, 0) = f (ct) + f (−ct) ,
2
which is zero because f(x) is odd. Then
1h i 1h i
y(t, π) = f (π + ct) + f (π − ct) = f (π + ct) + f (−π − ct) ,
2 2

3
 MA1512 Tutorial 6 Solutions

because f(x) is periodic with period 2π, and this too vanishes because f(x) is odd. Next, clearly
1h i
y(0, x) = f (x) + f (x) = f (x),
2
and finally
1h 0 i
yt (0, x) = cf (x) − cf 0 (x) = 0.
2
So D’Alembert was right.

QUESTION 5.
As in the last example in the notes, we know that
2 π 2 t/9 nπx
un (x, t) = bn e−2n sin (HSn )
3
is a solution for each n = 1, 2, 3, . . .. that satisfies all the conditions except perhaps the initial
condition u(x, 0) = sin5 πx. This time, to get a solution that satisfies the initial condition, it is
insufficient to use only a single un (x, t) from (HSn ). Instead, we need to take three appropriate
un (x, t) and take their linear combination. By the superposition principle, this combination will
still satisfy the p.d.e and the boundary conditions.
If we choose n = 3, n = 9, n = 15 separately, then we get the three terms in the initial condition.
Therefore, the particular solution is of the form

u(x, t) = u3 (x, t) + u9 (x, t) + u15 (x, t)

2 2 2
= b3 e−2π t sin πx + b9 e−18π t sin 3πx + b15 e−50π t sin 5πx

By comparing coefficients, we need to choose b3 = 85 , b9 = − 16 5

, b15 = 1
16 in order to satisfy the
initial condition. That is, the particular solution in this case is
5 2 5 2 1 2
u(x, t) = e−2π t sin πx − e−18π t sin 3πx + e−50π t sin 5πx.
8 16 16

4
Question 6 Solution

d 2x dx
m 2
  A  B (t ) with x(0)  0 and x(0)  0
dt dt
Laplace transform of the above eqn

ms2 X   AsX  B
B c c2
X  1
s(mS  A) s ms  A

B mB
c1  c2  
A A

B1 1 
X   
A  s s  A/ m 

B
Inverse Laplace transform of the above x (1  e At / m )
A
MATLAB 5

1. >> f = inline (’(x+1)/sqrt(x)’, ’x’, ’y’);

>> [x, fa] = ode45(f,[1 4],2);
>> fa(end)

ans =

8.6667

The last command returns the last value in the array f a, which is f a(4), since we
only approximated from 1 ≤ x ≤ 4. Note that ode45 requires your input function to
have two variables although this d.e. only has a single variable x.

2. >> f = inline(’t+x.^2’,’t’,’x’);
>> [ta, xa]=ode45(f,[0 1],1);
>> plot (ta,xa)
>> axis( [ 0 1 0 100])

—The End—