Q37E

Question

The auxiliary equations for the following differential equations have repeated complex roots. Adapt the "repeated root" procedure of Section 4.2  to find their general solutions:


(a)y''''+2y''+y=0

(b)y''''+4y'''+12y''+16y'+16y=0


Step-by-Step Solution

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Answer
  1. The general solution of the given differential equation is:y(t)=(c1+c2t)cost+(c3+c4t)sint 
  2. The general solution of the given differential equation is:y(t)=(c1+c2t)e-tcos3t+(c3+c4t)e-tsin3t
1Step 1: Finding the roots and general solution

The auxiliary equation is: r4+2r2+1=0

 

Now one will find the roots of this equation: 

r4+2r2+1=0(r2+1)2=0


r2+1=0r2=-1r1,2=±i


These roots are both repeated. Similarly, to the procedure when repeated roots are not complex, one has that the general solution is: 

 

 y(t)=c1eαtcosβt+c3eαtsinβt+t(c2eαtcosβt+c4eαtsinβt)y(t)=(c1+c2t)eαtcosβt+(c3+c4t)eαtsinβt

 

Where r1,2=α±βi. In this case α=0  and β=1 , so the general solution of the given differential equation is y(t)=(c1+c2t)cost+(c3+c4t)sint .

 

2Step 2: Finding the roots and general solution.

The differential equation is y''''+4y'''+12y''+16y'+16y=0.

 

The auxiliary equation is: r4+4r3+12r2+16r+16=0 

 

Let’s solve this: 

r4+4r3+12r2+16r+16=0(r2+2r+4)2=0


r2+2r+4=0r1,2=-2±4-162r1,2=-1±3i


As before, those roots are repeated, so the general solution is: y(t)=(c1+c2t)eαtcosβt+(c3+c4t)eαtsinβt

 

Where r1,2=α±βi. In this case α=-1  and β=3 , so the general solution of the given differential equation is y(t)=(c1+c2t)e-tcos3t+(c3+c4t)e-tsin3t .