Math 383H - Linear Algebra and Dierential Equations (Metcalfe)

Spring 2008
February 21, 2008
Exam 1
Please show all of your work, and justify your answers completely. No credit will be given for
answers which are lacking supporting work.
This is a closed book exam. No calculators or outside sources of assistance are permitted. It is
not necessary to compute nontrivial arithmetic. Answers do not need to be algebraically simplied.
You are, however, expected to evaluate integrals and derivatives.
All electronic equipment with storage or wireless capabilities (e.g. cell phones) need to be o
and out of sight during the exam.
You will be given 50 minutes to complete the exam. Some scrap paper is provided at the end
of the test. Please feel free to remove it and use it as you see t. The exam is 50 points total. The
point value for each problem is given next to the problem number.
1. [10 points] Find the (explicit) solution to the initial value problem
x
dy
dx
= 2e
x
xy 2y, y(1) = 0.
This is a linear, rst order equation. Rewriting, this is
y

1 +
2
x

y =
2
x
e
x
.
The integrating factor is
= exp

1 +
2
x
dx

= exp(x + 2 ln|x|) = x
2
e
x
.
Multiplying both sides of our equation by the integrating factor, we have
d
dx
[x
2
e
x
y] = 2x
or
x
2
e
x
y = x
2
+ C.
Thus,
y = e
x
+
C
x
2
e
x
.
Using the initial data, we see that C = 1 and
y = e
x

1
1
x
2

2. [10 points] Given that y

1
= e
x
is a solution of
xy

(x + 1)y

+ y = 0,
nd the general solution.
1
We want to use reduction of order. Set
y
2
= ve
x
.
Thus,
y

2
= ve
x
+ v

e
x
y

2
= ve
x
+ 2v

e
x
+ v

e
x
.
Plugging into the original equation and simplifying yields
xe
x
v

e
x
v

+ xe
x
v

= 0.
Substituting u = v

this becomes
u

1
1
x

u = 0.
If we separate variables, we have
du
u
=
1
x
1 dx
and integrating
ln|u| = ln|x| x.
Thus,
u = xe
x
.
Integrating (by parts) gives
v = xe
x
e
x
.
Thus
y
2
= x 1
and the general solution is
y = c
1
e
x
+ c
2
(x + 1)
3. [10 points] Find the (implicit) solution to the initial value problem

3y
2
x
2
y
5

dy
dx
+
x
2y
4
= 0, y(1) = 1.
Rewriting, we have
x
2y
4
dx +

3y
3

x
2
y
5

dy = 0
Since
M
y
= 2
x
y
5
= N
x
this is exact. Thus,
f =

M dx =
x
2
4y
4
+ h(y)
2
Comparing f
y
= N, we see that h

(y) = 3y
3
or h(y) =
3
2
y
2
. Thus, the solution is
x
2
4y
4

3
2
y
2
= c.
Plugging in x = 1, y = 1, we see that c = 5/4 and
x
2
4y
4

3
2
y
2
= 5/4
4. [10 points] Find the general solution to
4y
(4)
+ 16y

+ 25y

+ 15y

+ 3y = 0.
This linear, constant coecient, homogeneous equation has the following character-
istic equation:
4x
4
+ 16x
3
+ 25x
2
+ 15x + 3 = 4(x
2
+ 3x + 3)(x + (1/2))
2
= 0.
Since all of the coecients are positive, there cannot be any positive roots. Thus, you
may eliminate them from consideration when using the rational root test.
The roots of the characteristic equation are

1
2
,
3
2
i

3
2
with the rst one with multiplicity 2. Thus,
y = c
1
e
t/2
+ c
2
te
t/2
+ c
3
e
3t/2
cos

3
2
t + c
4
e
3t/2
sin

3
2
t.
5. [10 points] An arrow is shot straight upward from the ground with an initial velocity of 160
ft/s. It experiences both the deceleration of gravity and deceleration v
2
/800 due to air resistance.
How high in the air does it go? (Use 32 ft/s
2
as the acceleration due to gravity.)
See 2.3 #20.
Setting the positive direction to be upward, we have
dv
dt
= 32 v
2
/800, v(0) = 160.
(This model breaks down once the arrow begins travelling downward.) If we separate
variables, we have
dv
(v/160)
2
+ 1
= 32 dt
or
160 arctan(v/160) = 32t + C.
Using the initial data, we nd that C = 160 /4, and thus
v = 160 tan

t
5
+

4

.
3
The time of the maximum height corresponds to when v = 0. Plugging this in and
solving for t, we see that the maximum height occurs at t = 5/4.
Integrating the equation for velocity, we see that the height is
y = 5(160) ln

cos

t
5
+

4

+ C,
and since y(0) = 0, we have C = 5(160) ln| cos(/4)|. At t = 5/4, it turns out that
y = 5(160) ln| cos(/4)| = 5(160) ln

2.
4