Final Exam, Math 1B

August 13, 2010

Name:

Page: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 Total
Points: 6 6 8 4 4 7 8 4 3 5 5 60
Score:
1. (3 points) Is xy 00 + yy 0 + x2 y = 0 a second order linear differential equation? Explain
why or why not.

Solution: It is not linear because of the yy 0 term. (Though it is second order.)

2. (3 points) A model for the populations (in thousands) of two species x(t) and y(t) is
given below (
dx
dt
= −x + xy
dy
dt
= y − xy
One of the species serves as the main food source for the other species. Which is the
predator and which is the prey and why? What are the equilibrium solutions?

dy
Solution: y is the prey since the −xy term in suggests that y will decrease if
dt
there are a lot of meetings between the xs and the ys.
dx
Similarly, the +xy term in suggests that x will increase if there are a lot of the
dt
meetings, so x is the predator.
The equilibrium solutions occur when both derivatives are zero, i.e.:
(
0 = −x + xy
0 = y − xy

From the first equation 0 = −x(1 − y), we see that x = 0 or y = 1. If x = 0, the

second equation tells us that y also equals 0. This yields the equilibrium solution
(x, y) = (0, 0). If y = 1, then the second equation tells us that x = 1, and this yields
the equilibrium solution (x, y) = (1, 1). Thus, there are two equilibrium solutions
(0, 0) and (1, 1).

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 ∞
X
3. (3 points) Determine whether e1/n converges or diverges.
n=1

Solution:
e1/n → e0 = 1 6= 0
X
so e1/n diverges by the divergence test.

Z 2
4. (3 points) Consider the definite integral cos x dx. Find an n ∈ N such that the
0
1
midpoint rule with n bars would give an approximation within of the true value
300 00
of the integral. (Recall the midpoint rule error bound formula: If |f (x)| ≤ K for all
K(b − a)3
x ∈ [a, b], then |EM | ≤ )
24n2

Solution: In this case f (x) = cos x, and so |f 00 (x)| = | − cos x| ≤ 1 (for every x).
Thus,

1(2 − 0)3
|EM | ≤
24n2
1
≤ 2
3n
1 1
Thus, all we need to do is ensure that 2
≤ . This happens if n ≥ 10, so we
3n 300
may choose n = 10.

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 ∞
X (x − 1)n
5. (4 points) For which x does converge?
n=1
n2n

Solution: We use the ratio test.

 (x − 1)n+1 n2n 
 
n 1 1
 (n + 1)2n+1 · (x − 1)n  = |x − 1| n + 1 2 → 2 |x − 1|


Thus the radius of convergence is R = 2. We need to check the endpoints x = 3, −1

∞
X 1
separately. If x = 3, the series becomes , which diverges. If x = −1, the
n=1
n
∞
X (−1)n
series becomes , which converges. In conclusion, the series converges when
n=1
n
x ∈ [−1, 3).

6. (4 points) Give a solution to the boundary-value problem y 00 − 2y 0 + 2y = 0, y(0) = 1,

y(π) = eπ , or show that there is no solution.

Solution:

r2 − 2r + 2 = 0
p
2± 4 − 4(1)(2)
r=
2
=1±i
y = ex (c1 cos x + c2 sin x)

Plugging in the boundary values, we get the following system of equations:

(
1 = c1
eπ = eπ (−c1 )

Thus, there is no solution.

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 −x2 − 3
Z
7. (4 points) Evaluate dx.
(x2 + 1)(x − 1)

Solution: We use the method of partial fractions.

−x2 − 3 Ax + B C
2
= 2 +
(x + 1)(x − 1) x +1 x−1
−x − 3 = (Ax + B)(x − 1) + C(x2 + 1)
2

We get the following system of equations:


−1 = A + C

0=B−A

−3 = C − B


From this it follows that A = 1, B = 1, and C = −2. Thus,

−x2 − 3
Z Z
x+1 2
2
dx = 2
− dx
(x + 1)(x − 1) x +1 x−1
Z
x 1 2
= + − dx
x2 + 1 x2 + 1 x − 1
1
= ln(x2 + 1) + 2 tan−1 (x) − 2 ln(x − 1) + C
2

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8. (4 points) Solve the differential equation y 00 − 2y 0 + y = ex .

Solution:

r2 − 2r + 1 = 0
(r − 1)2 = 0
yc = c1 ex + c2 xex

We try yp = Ax2 ex (we’ve multiplied by x2 because otherwise we’ll get a solution to

the complementary equation and so it wouldn’t work out).

yp0 = 2Axex + Ax2 ex

= (Ax2 + 2Ax)ex
yp00 = (2Ax + 2A)ex + (Ax2 + 2Ax)ex
= (Ax2 + 4Ax + 2A)ex
yp00 − 2yp0 + yp = (A − 2A + A)x2 + (4A − 4A)x + (2A) ex
 

= 2Aex

1 1
This is supposed to equal ex , so we get A = . Thus yp = x2 ex is a particular
2 2
solution. The general solution is then given by
1
y = yc + yp = c1 ex + c2 xex + x2 ex
2

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 1
9. (3 points) Express p as a power series. Your answer should make clear what
(x2 + 1)3
n
the coefficient of x is.

Solution:
3 − 3 (− 3 − 1) 2 2 − 23 (− 32 − 1)(− 32 − 2) 2 3
(x2 + 1)−3/2 = 1 − x2 + 2 2 (x ) + (x ) + · · ·
2 2! 3!
3 − 3 (− 5 ) − 3 (− 5 )(− 72 ) 6
= 1 − x2 + 2 2 x4 + 2 2 x + ···
2 2! 3!
∞
3 2 X 3 · 5 · · · (2n + 1) 2n
=1− x + (−1)n x
2 n=2
n!2n

10. (4 points) Is it possible that two distinct linearly dependent functions may be solutions
of the same homogenous second order linear differential equation? If so, give an example
demonstrating it’s possible. If not, explain why not.

Solution: Yes, it’s possible. Consider the homogenous second order linear differen-
tial equation y 00 − 2y 0 + y = 0. The auxiliary equation is r2 − 2r + 1 = (r − 1)2 = 0,
and so the general solution is y = c1 ex + c2 xex . Then 2ex and ex are both solutions,
and they are linearly dependent.

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11. (4 points) Solve the differential equation y 0 + y 2 = 0.

Solution:

y0 = −y 2
dy
= −1 dx (assuming y 6= 0)
y2
1
− = −x + C
y
1
=x+C
y
1
y=
x+C
Note that y = 0 is also a solution, so the general solution is
(
y=0
1
y = x+C (C ∈ R)

12. (4 points) For which natural numbers n is y = sin x a solution to y (n+2) + y (n+1) + y (n) =
cos x?

Solution:

(sin x)(0) = sin x

(sin x)(1) = cos x
(sin x)(2) = − sin x
(sin x)(3) = − cos x
(sin x)(4) = sin x
...

The derivatives repeat in cycles of four. So we just need to check four different cases.
Case n = 0. Here we get

y (n+2) + y (n+1) + y (n) = − sin x + cos x + sin x = cos x

so it works.
Case n = 1. Here we get

y (n+2) + y (n+1) + y (n) = − cos x − sin x + cos x = − sin x 6= cos x

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so it doesn’t work.
Case n = 2. Here we get

y (n+2) + y (n+1) + y (n) = sin x − cos x − sin x = − cos x 6= cos x

so it doesn’t work.
Finally, Case n = 3. Here we get

y (n+2) + y (n+1) + y (n) = cos x + sin x − cos x = sin x 6= cos x

so it doesn’t work.
In conclusion, it works for n = 0, 4, 8, 12, . . ..

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13. ^
¨ Happy Friday the Thirteenth! (This is a bonus problem, worth 1 bonus point) Find
a continuous, positive function defined on [1, ∞) such that
Z ∞ ∞
X
f (x) dx = f (n)
1 n=1

(and both converge).

Solution: (I’m sure there are many possible ways to answer this problem.) Since
we know how to add them up, it’s reasonable to try a geometric series, say
∞  n 1
X 1 2
= 1 =1
n=1
2 1− 2

 x
1
If we let f (x) = for x ∈ [2, ∞) and x = 1, then our task just becomes to define
2 R∞
f for x ∈ (1, 2) so that f is continous and positive and 1 f (x) dx = 1. Note that
Z ∞  x  t
1 1 1
dx = lim · x
2 2 t→∞ ln 1 2 2
2
−1
=
ln 12 22

1
=
4 ln 2
1
Since < 1, our task is still possible. We just need to define a function f on [1, 2]
4 ln 2
R2 1 1
such that f (1) = 21 , f (2) = 41 , and 1 f (x) dx = 1 − 4 ln1 2 . Since 1 − > , it will
4 ln 2 2
be possible to find some height y (greater than 1/2) such that the trapezoid formed
by the points (1, 0.5), (1.25, y), (1.75, y), (2, 0.25) and the x-axis has area 1 − 4 ln1 2 .
29 1
Finding this y just involves solving a linear equation; it turns out y = − .
24 3 ln 2
The function f can then be defined on [1, 2] just so it agrees with the upper sides of
this trapezoid.

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14. (4 points) Solve y 00 − xy 0 − y = 0, y(0) = 1, y 0 (0) = 0. Express your final answer as an
elementary function.

∞
X
Solution: We guess that a solution may be found of the form y = cn xn . Then
n=0
from the initial conditions, we get that c0 = 1 and c1 = 0.
∞
X ∞
X ∞
X
00 0 n n
y − xy − y = (n + 2)(n + 1)cn+2 x − ncn x − cn x n
n=0 n=1 n=0
∞
X
= 2c2 − c0 + [(n + 2)(n + 1)cn+2 − (n + 1)cn ] xn
n=1
=0
c0
Thus, c2 = 2
= 21 , and cn+2 = cn
n+2
for n > 0. Calculating the first few cn we get:
c1
c3 = =0
3
c2 1
c4 = =
4 2·4
c5 = 0
1
c6 =
2·4·6
...
1
We see that c2n = n!2n
, while the odd coefficents are 0. We get
∞
X 1 2n
y= n
x
n=0
n!2
∞ n
X (x2 /2)
=
n=0
n!
x2 /2
=e

which does indeed satisfy the initial-value problem.

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 Z 1/2
2 + sin x
15. (3 points) Find the value of if it converges. If it diverges, show why.
0 x ln x

Solution: Note that for x ∈ (0, 1/2],

1 2 + sin x
0< ≤
−x ln x −x ln x
R 1/2 R 1/2
Thus, since 0 −x1ln x dx diverges, 0 2+sin x
dx must diverge too by the integral
R 1/2 2+sin−xx
ln x
R 1/2 2+sin x
comparison test. It follows that 0 x ln x
dx = − 0 −x ln x
dx diverges too.
R 1/2 1
To see that 0 −x ln x dx diverges, note that
Z 1/2 Z 1/2
1 1
dx = lim+ dx
0 −x ln x t→0 t −x ln x
= lim+ [− ln | ln x|]t1/2
t→0
= lim+ ln | ln t| − ln | ln(1/2)|
t→0
=∞

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16. (5 points) Solve the differential equation y 0 − (tan x)y = cos x where x ∈ (−π/2, π/2).

Solution: We use the method of section 9.5.

P (x) = − tan x
R
− tan x dx
I(x) = e
= e− ln | sec x|
= cos x
(y cos x)0 = y 0 cos x − y sin x
= cos x(y 0 − (tan x)y)
= cos2 x
Z
y cos x = cos2 x dx
Z
1
= (1 + cos(2x)) dx
2
1 1
= x + sin(2x) + C
2 4
2x + sin(2x) + C
y= (C ∈ R)
4 cos x

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17. (5 points) Solve the differential equation y 00 + y = ecos x . Antiderivatives should be
simplified where possible.

Solution: First we solve the complementary equation.

r2 + 1 = 0
r = ±i
yc = c1 cos x + c2 sin x

Now we find a particular solution using the method of variation of paramters. Let
y1 = cos x and y2 = sin x. Then y10 = − sin x and y20 = cos x, and y10 y2 − y1 y20 =
− sin x(sin x) − cos x(cos x) = −1. Then
Z
1 y2 G
u1 =
a −1
Z
= − sin xecos x dx

= ecos x
Z
1 y1 G
u2 = −
a −1
Z
= cos xecos x

Fixing a particular antiderivative here for u2 , we get

Z
cos x
yp = y1 u1 + y2 u2 = cos xe + sin x cos xecos x dx

as a particular solution. Then the general solution is given by

y = yc + yp
Z
cos x
= c1 cos x + c2 sin x + cos xe + sin x cos xecos x dx

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