ME5010: Mathematical Methods for Engineers

Assignment 6

Note: Problems in this assignment are taken from the book Elementary differential equations and
boundary value problems by Boyce and DiPrima. Students are advised to go through this and other
books listed on the course website.

1. Determine the radius of convergence of the given power series

n x2n
(x 2)n xn
P P P
(a) (b) n (c)
n=0 n=0 2 n=0 n!
n 2 (x x )n n!xn
0 P
(1)n n (x + 2)n
P P
(d) (e) 2
(f) n
n=1 4 n=1 n n=1 n

2. In each of the following, rewrite the series as a single sum whose generic term is xn

n2
an x n
P P

P n1

P k
(b) x n(n 1)a n x +
(a) x nan x + ak x n=2 n=1
n=1 k=0

n(n 1)an xn2 + x kak xk1 n(n 1)an xn1 + x an x n
P P P P
(c) x (d)
n=2 k=1 n=1 n=0

3. Find a series solution of the Airys equation

y 00 xy = 0, < x <

(a) in powers of x, and (b) in powers of (x 1).

4. In the following problems

Seek power series solutions about the given point x0 and determine the recurrence relation
Find the first four terms in each of the two solutions
Evaluate the Wronskian to confirm whether or not the two solutions form a fundamental set
of the solutions.
If possible, find the general term in each solution
(a) (1 + x2 )y 00 4xy 0 + 6y = 0, x0 = 0 (b) y 00 + xy 0 + 2y = 0, x0 = 0
(c) (1 x)y 00 + xy 0 y = 0, x0 = 0 (d) (3 x2 )y 00 3xy 0 y = 0, x0 = 0
5. The equation below, where is a constant, is called the Hermite equation

y 00 2xy 0 + y = 0, < x <

Find the first four terms in each of the two solutions about x = 0
If is a non-negative even integer, then one of the series solution terminates and becomes a
polynomial. Find the polynomial solutions for = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.

6. The equation below, where is a constant, is called the Chebyshev equation

(1 x2 )y 00 xy 0 + 2 y = 0
 Determine two solutions in powers of x for |x| < 1 and show that they form a fundamental
set of solutions.
Show that if is an non-negative integer n, then there is a polynomial solution of degree n.
These polynomials are called Chebyshev polynomials.
Find Chebyshev polynomials for the case of = n = 0, 1, 2, 3.

7. Solve the following first order ODEs using series method. If youre able to solve them using some
other method, then do that as well and then compare the solutions
(a) y 0 xy = 0, (b) y 0 + xy = 1 + x (c) (1 x)y 0 y = 0

8. Quite similar to Chebyshev equation is the Legendre equation given below

(1 x2 )y 00 2xy 0 + ( + 1) = 0.

Show that the two solutions in powers of x for |x| < 1 are
( + 1) 2 ( 2)( + 1)( + 3) 4
y1 (x) = 1 x+ x +
2! 4!

X . . . ( 2m + 2)( + 1) . . . ( + 2m 1) 2m
(1)m x
m=3
(2m)!

( 1)( + 2) 3 ( 1)( 3)( + 2)( + 4) 5

y2 (x) = x x + x +
3! 5!

X ( 1) . . . ( 2m + 1)( + 2) . . . ( + 2m) 2m+1
(1)m x
m=3
(2m + 1)!

Show that if is an non-negative even integer 2n, then y1 reduces to a polynomial solution
of degree 2n with only even powers of x. Find the polynomials for = 0, 2, 4.
Show that if is an non-negative odd integer 2n+1, then y2 reduces to a polynomial solution
of degree 2n + 1 with only odd powers of x. Find the polynomials for = 1, 3, 5.
Upon solving the Laplace equation in spherical coordinates, we arrive at the following equa-
tion
d2 F dF
2
+ cot + n(n + 1)F = 0, 0 < < ,
d d
where n is a positive integer. Show that a substitution x = cos can reduce the above
equation to Legendre equation.

9. Determine the homogeneous solutions of the Euler equation

x2 y 00 + xy 0 + y = 0

for (a) = 3/2, = 1/2 (b) = 5, = 4.

10. In the following problems, determine the singular points of the equations and determine whether
they are regular or not.
(a) x(1 x2 )3 y 00 + 1(1 x2 )2 y 0 + 2(1 + x)y = 0 (b) x2 y 00 3(sin x)y 0 + (1 + x2 )y = 0
(c) (sin x)y 00 + xy 0 + 4y = 0 (d) x(3 x)y 00 + (x + 1)y 0 2y = 0

2
11. Determine the singular points of thePChebyshev equation and comment on whether or not are
they regular. For the series solution
n=0 an x
n+c
, determine the value of the exponent c at both
the singular points.
Find the two solutions about x = 1.

12. The Bessel equation of order is given by

x2 y 00 + xy 0 + (x2 2 )y = 0

Determine the singular points and the value of the exponent c.

1
Determine the solutions for = 0, , 1.
2
13. Show that a solution of the equation below
 
2 00 2 2 2 1 2 2
x y + x + y = 0, x>0
4

is given by y = x1/2 f (x ), where f (z) is a solution of the Bessel equation of order .