LECTURE 5: Variation of Parameters

Lawal G.S

University of Ibadan
gslawal@hotmail.com

April 26, 2021

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 1 / 15

 Overview

1 Variation of Parameters

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 2 / 15

 Variation of Parameters

Variation of Parameter: Procedure

Let
φ(D)y = a0 (x)y n + a1 (x)y n−1 + a2 (x)y n−2 + ... + an−1 (x)y + an (x)y
and suppose that the complementary solution of
φ(D)y = R(x)
is
y = C1 y1 (x) + C2 y2 (x) + C3 y3 (x) + ... + Cn yn (x)
Replace the arbitrary constants C1 , C2 , C3 , ...Cn by the functions
K1 , K2 , K3 , ..., Kn and seek to determine these functions so that
y = K1 y1 (x) + K2 y2 (x) + K3 y3 (x) + ... + Kn yn (x)
is a solution of
φ(D)y = R(x)

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 3 / 15

 Variation of Parameters

To determine these n-functions, we must impose n restrictions on them

and since one of these is that the differential equation be satisfied, if
follows that the remaining (n − 1) may be taken at will. The conditions
which lead to the greatest simplicity are given by the equations;

K10 y1 + K20 y2 + K30 y3 + ... + Kn0 yn = 0

K10 y10 + K20 y20 + K30 y30 + ... + Kn0 yn0 = 0
.........................................................
K1 y1 + K20 y2n−2 + K30 y3n−2 + ... + Kn0 ynn−2 = 0
0 n−2

K10 y1n−1 + K20 y2n−1 + K30 y3n−1 + ... + Kn0 ynn−1 = R(x)

where the last equation represents the condition that the given differential
equation be satisfied. From these equations, K10 , K20 , K30 , ..., Kn0 .
K1 , K2 , K3 , ..., Kn can then be found by integration leading to the required
equation. This method is applicable whenever the complementary solution
can be found including cases where a0 , a1 , a2 , ..., an are not constants.

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 4 / 15

 Variation of Parameters

Example I:
Solve the differential equation using method of variation of parameters
(D 2 − 3D + 2)y = e 5x

Solution:
The differential equation can also be written as

y 00 − 3y 0 + 2y = e 5x

The complementary solution

yc = c1 e x + c2 e 2x

To find the solution, we assume the general solution

y = K1 e x + K2 e 2x (i)

where K and K are suitable functions

MAT 241 of x to be determined.
Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) April 26, 2021 5 / 15
 Variation of Parameters

Continuation...
Differentiating (i) yields

y 0 = K10 e x + K20 e 2x + K1 e x + 2K2 e 2x (ii)

Since there are two functions, we must arrive at two conditions for
determining them. One of these conditions is that

K10 e x + K20 e 2x = 0 (iii)

such that (ii) becomes

y 0 = K1 e x + 2K2 e 2x (iv )

Differentiating (iv) again, we obtain

y 00 = K10 e x + 2K20 e 2x + K1 e x + 4K2 e 2x (v )

substituting (i), (iv) and (v) into the given differential equation, we
obtain Thus,
Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 6 / 15
 Variation of Parameters

Continuation...

y 00 − 3y 0 + 2y = K10 e x + 2K20 e 2x + K1 e x + 4K2 e 2x − 3(K1 e x + 2K2 e 2x )

+2(K1 e x + K2 e 2x ) = e 5x
(1)
such that
K10 e x + 2K20 e 2x = e 5x (vi)
solving (iii) and (vi) simultaneously to determine K10 and K20 , we have
K10 e x + K20 e 2x = 0
K10 e x + 2K20 e 2x = e 5x
from(iii)
K10 = −K20 e x (vii)
substitute (vii) into (vi), then
(−K20 e x )e x + 2K20 e 2x = e 5x
Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 7 / 15
 Variation of Parameters

Continuation...

−K20 e 2 x + 2K20 e 2x = e 5x

K20 e 2x = e 5x

1
K20 = e 3x =⇒ K2 = e 3x + c2
3

using K20 = e 3x , then from (vii),

K10 = −(e 3x )e x = −e 4x
integrating implies that
1
K10 = − e 4x + c1
4
By assumption,
y = K1 e x + K2 e 2x
Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 8 / 15
 Variation of Parameters

Continuation...

hence
1 1
y = (− e 4x + c1 )e x + ( e 3x + c2 )e 2x
4 3
rearranging, we have
1 5x
y = c1 e x + c2 e 2x + e
12

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 9 / 15

 Variation of Parameters

Example II:
Solve the differential equation
(D 2 + 4)y = 8 sin 2x

Solution:
The differential equation can also be written as

y 00 + 4y = 8 sin 2x

The complementary solution is

yc = c1 cos 2x + c2 sin 2x

To find the solution, we assume the general solution

y = K1 cos 2x + K2 sin 2x (∗)

where K and K are suitable functions

MAT 241 of x to be determined.
Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) April 26, 2021 10 / 15
 Variation of Parameters

Continuation...
Differentiating (*) yields
y 0 = −2K1 sin 2x + K10 cos 2x + 2K2 cos 2x + K20 sin 2x (∗∗)
Since there are two functions, we must arrive at two conditions for
determining them. One of these conditions is that
K10 cos 2x + K20 sin 2x = 0
such that (**) becomes
y 0 = −2K1 sin 2x + 2K2 cos 2x
Differentiating again
y 00 = −4K1 cos 2x − 2K10 sin 2x − 4K2 sin 2x + 2K20 cos 2x
Thus,
y 00 + 4y = −2K10 sin 2x + 2K20 cos 2x = 8 sin 2x (∗ ∗ ∗)

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 11 / 15

 Variation of Parameters

Continuation...
From the two equations,
K10 cos 2x + K20 sin 2x = 0
0
−2K1 sin 2x + 2K20 cos 2x = 8 sin 2x
From here,
−K20 sin 2x
K10 =
cos 2x
substituting into the second equation, we obtain
−K20 sin 2x
 
−2 sin 2x + 2K20 cos 2x = 8 sin 2x
cos 2x
Multiply all by cos 2x, then
2K20 sin2 2x + 2K20 cos2 2x = 8 sin 2x cos 2x

2K20 = 8 sin 2x cos 2x

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 12 / 15

 Variation of Parameters

Continuation...

K20 = 4 sin 2x cos 2x =⇒ K2 = sin2 2x + c2

Also
−K20 sin 2x sin 2x
K10 = =⇒ K10 = (−4 sin 2x cos 2x)
cos 2x cos 2x
and
K10 = −4 sin2 2x
integrating, we obtain
1
K1 = −2x + sin 4x + c1
2
Using the assumption that
y = K1 cos 2x + K2 sin 2x
we have
 
1
−2x + sin 4x + c1 cos 2x + sin2 2x + c2 sin 2x


y=
2
Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 13 / 15
 Variation of Parameters

Continuation...

Hence
1
y = c1 cos 2x + c2 sin 2x − 2x cos 2x + sin 4x cos 2x + sin3 2x
2

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 14 / 15

 Variation of Parameters

Tutorial Questions:

Solve using variation of parameters

1 y 00 + 2y 0 − 3y = xe −x
2 y 00 + 4y = csc 2x
3 (D 3 + D)y = 4 tan x
4 (D 2 + 9)y = sec 3x
5 xy 00 − y 0 = x
6 (D 2 + D − 2)y = x 2 e 2x
7 (D 2 − 4)y = 16x 3

Lawal G.S (Department of Mathematics) MAT 241 April 26, 2021 15 / 15