Homework # 4: Power Series Ansatz

Instructions
Answer all the questions and upload your results to the moodle page before the next lecture. In case of
handwritten notes, only scans will be accepted, no photos taken with mobile phone.

Introduction
Two power series
∞
∑
an xn = a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + a3 x3 + . . . (1)
n=0
and
∞
∑
bxn = b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 + b3 x3 + . . . (2)
n=0
can be added and subtracted and multiplied with a number termwise:
∞
∑ ∞
∑
α an xn + β bxn = αa0 + βb0 + (αa1 + βb1 ) x + (αa2 + βb2 ) x2 + (αa3 + βb3 ) x3 + . . . (3)
n=0 n=0

Differentiation is also quite easy, treating each term separate:

∞ ∞
d ∑ d d d ∑
an xn = a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + a3 x3 + . . . = 0 + a1 + 2a2 x + 2a3 x2 + · · · = an+1 (n + 1) xn (4)
dx n=0 dx dx dx n=0

Questions
∑
∞
df (x)
1. (2 points) Insert the power series f (x) = an xn into the ODE dx = −kf (x) and carry out the
n=0
differentiation.
2. (2 points) Compare the coefficients on the left hand and right hand side of the equation that belong
to the same xn and write down the recursion relation for the an . What are a1 , a2 , a3 and a4 ?
3. (2 points) With f (0) = f0 , fix a0 and solve the recursion relation. Compare your result with the solution
derived by the Ansatz f (x) = c1 exp {αx}.
∑
∞
4. (2 points) The second derivative of the power series an xn is given by
n=0
∞ ∞ ∞
d2 ∑ n d ∑ n
∑
a n x = a n+1 (n + 1) x = an+2 (n + 2) (n + 1) xn (5)
dx2 n=0 dx n=0 n=0

∑
∞
d2 f (x)
Insert the power series an xn into the ODE dx2 = −f (x)
n=0

5. (4 points) Compare the coefficients on the left hand and right hand side of the equation that belong
to the same xn and write down the recursion relation for the an . What are a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 , a6 and a7 ?
How many recursion relations are there? Please write them down! Which coefficients are undetermined
and need to be fixed by initial conditions?
6. (2 points) What are the resulting power series?
7. (2 points) To which elementary functions do they match?
df (x)
8. (4 points) Please derive a power series solution to the ODE dx = xf (x)