Undetermined Coefficient (UC) Method

1. To obtain the general solution of non-homogeneous linear

differential equation 𝒂𝟐 (𝒙) 𝒚′′ + 𝒂𝟏 (𝒙) 𝒚′ + 𝒂𝟎 (𝒙) 𝒚 = 𝒈(𝒙) we must we

must find following:-

a. Complementary function denoted by 𝒚𝒄

b, Particular integral 𝒚𝒑

2. The general solution of non-homogeneous linear differential

equation is then 𝒚 = 𝒚𝒑 + 𝒚𝒄

3. Recall that a Solution/Integral 𝒚𝒑 is any function free of arbitrary

constants, which satisfies the differential equation identically.

5. The method of Undetermined Coefficients is not only limited to

second order Differential Equations but it is also applicable to higher

order Linear Differential Equations. We can find Particular

Solution/Integral 𝒚𝒑 using UC method of the equation 𝒇(𝑫) = 𝑭(𝒙) when

𝑭(𝒙) consists of following functions:-

a. an exponential function (𝒆𝒂𝒙 )

 b. a polynomial (𝒃𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝒃𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + 𝒃𝟐 𝒙𝒏−𝟐 + ⋯ + 𝒃𝒏 )

c. a sinusoidal function (𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙 𝒐𝒓 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙)

d. the more general case in which 𝑭(𝒙) is sum of a product of

terms of the above types, such as

𝑭(𝒙) = (𝒆𝒂𝒙 ) (𝒃𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝒃𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + 𝒃𝟐 𝒙𝒏−𝟐 + ⋯ + 𝒃𝒏 )(𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙 𝒐𝒓 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙)

6. The Particular Integral 𝒚𝒑 will be constructed according to

following table:-

Ser 𝑭(𝒙) is of the form Take 𝒚𝒑 as

1 𝑪 is any constant 𝑨𝒙𝒌

2 𝟓𝒙 ∓ 𝟕 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨𝒙 + 𝑩)

3 𝟒𝒙𝟑 − 𝟕𝒙 + 𝟓 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨𝒙𝟑 + 𝑩𝒙𝟐 + 𝑪𝒙 + 𝑫)

4 In general 𝒂𝒙𝒏 where n is 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑨𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑨𝒏−𝟏 𝒙 + 𝑨𝒏 )

positive integer
5 𝒆−𝟑𝒙 𝒙𝒌 𝑨𝒆−𝟑𝒙

6 (𝟒𝒙𝟑 − 𝒙 + 𝟓)𝒆−𝟑𝒙 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨𝒙𝟑 + 𝑩𝒙𝟐 + 𝑪𝒙 + 𝑫)𝒆−𝟑𝒙

7 In general 𝒂𝒙𝒏 𝒆𝒓𝒙 where n 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑨𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑨𝒏−𝟏 𝒙 + 𝑨𝒏 ) 𝒆𝒓𝒙

is positive integer
8 𝟓𝒙𝟐 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙 𝒙𝒌 {(𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑩𝒙 + 𝑪) 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙 + (𝑫𝒙𝟐 + 𝑬𝒙
+ 𝑭) 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙}
9 𝟓𝒙𝟐 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙 𝒙𝒌 {(𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑩𝒙 + 𝑪) 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙 + (𝑫𝒙𝟐 + 𝑬𝒙
+ 𝑭) 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙}
10 𝑪𝒙𝒏 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙 𝒙 (𝑨𝟎 𝒙 + 𝑨𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑨𝒏−𝟏 𝒙 + 𝑨𝒏 ) 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙
𝒌 𝒏

+𝒙𝒌 (𝑩𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑩𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑩𝒏−𝟏 𝒙 + 𝑩𝒏 ) 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙

11 𝑪𝒙𝒏 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑨𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑨𝒏−𝟏 𝒙 + 𝑨𝒏 ) 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙

+𝒙𝒌 (𝑩𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑩𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑩𝒏−𝟏 𝒙 + 𝑩𝒏 ) 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙

12 𝟓𝒙𝟐 𝐞𝟑𝐱 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐚𝐱 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨 𝒙𝟐 + 𝑩𝒙 + 𝑪) 𝒆𝟑𝒙 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙

+𝒙𝒌 (𝑫 𝒙𝟐 + 𝑬𝒙 + 𝑭) 𝒆𝟑𝒙 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙

13 𝟓𝒙𝟐 𝐞𝟑𝐱 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨 𝒙𝟐 + 𝑩𝒙 + 𝑪) 𝒆𝟑𝒙 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙

+𝒙𝒌 (𝑫 𝒙𝟐 + 𝑬𝒙 + 𝑭) 𝒆𝟑𝒙 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙

14 𝑪𝒙𝒏 𝒆𝒓𝒙 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑨𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑨𝒏−𝟏 𝒙

+ 𝑨𝒏 ) 𝒆𝒓𝒙 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙

+𝒙𝒌 (𝑩𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑩𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑩𝒏−𝟏 𝒙

+ 𝑩𝒏 ) 𝒆𝒓𝒙 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙

15 𝑪𝒙𝒏 𝒆𝒓𝒙 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙 𝒙𝒌 (𝑨𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑨𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑨𝒏−𝟏 𝒙

+ 𝑨𝒏 ) 𝒆𝒓𝒙 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒂𝒙

+𝒙𝒌 (𝑩𝟎 𝒙𝒏 + 𝑩𝟏 𝒙𝒏−𝟏 + ⋯ + 𝑩𝒏−𝟏 𝒙

+ 𝑩𝒏 ) 𝒆𝒓𝒙 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒂𝒙
Note

7. In 𝒙𝒌 , 𝒌 is the smallest nonnegative integer which will ensure that

no term in 𝒚𝒑 is already present in the Complementary Function 𝒚𝒄

8. If 𝑭(𝒙) is the sum of several terms, write 𝒚𝒑 for each term

individually and then add up all of them.

9. The 𝒚𝒑 and all its derivatives will be substituted into the equation

𝒇(𝑫) = 𝑭(𝒙) and the coefficients of like terms on left hand side and right

sides will be equated to determine Undetermined Coefficients

𝑨𝟎, 𝑨𝟏 , … 𝑨𝒏−𝟏 , 𝑨𝒏 , 𝑩𝟎, 𝑩𝟏 , … 𝑩𝒏−𝟏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒏

10. UC method is not applicable to non homogeneous part 𝑭(𝒙) when

it is of any one of following type:-

a. 𝑭(𝒙) = 𝐥𝐧 𝒙

𝟏
b. 𝑭(𝒙) = 𝒙

c. 𝑭(𝒙) = 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝒙

d. 𝑭(𝒙) = 𝐬𝐢𝐧−𝟏 𝒙

11. The functions mentioned in para 9 will be studied in Variation of

Parameters Method.
12. Working Procedure

a. 𝒚𝒑 is written on the basis of type of function mentioned in

𝑭(𝒙).

b. In 𝒙𝒌 , 𝒌 is the smallest nonnegative integer 𝒌 = 𝟎, 𝟏, 𝟐, … … ..

which will ensure that no term in 𝒚𝒑 is already present in the

Complementary Function 𝒚𝒄 .

c. If no term of 𝒚𝒄 is in 𝒚𝒑 , then put 𝒌 = 𝟎

d. Start giving values to 𝒌 = 𝟎, 𝟏, 𝟐, … … .. in 𝒚𝒑 and leave those

values of 𝒌 which make 𝒚𝒑 similar to the terms in 𝒚𝒄

e. If 𝑭(𝒙) is the sum of several terms, write 𝒚𝒑 for each term

individually, calculate 𝒚𝒑 for each term separately and

finally add up all of them.

f. The values of 𝒚𝒑 and its derivatives i.e. 𝒚, 𝒚′ , 𝒚′′, … will be

substituted in original equation and coefficients of like

terms on 𝑳. 𝑯. 𝑺 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹. 𝑯. 𝑫 will be equated to determine the

𝑼𝑪𝒔 𝒊. 𝒆. 𝑨, 𝑩, 𝑪, ….