HOMEWORK 1 SOLUTIONS

Section 1.1
2
a) Linear
b) Nonlinear
d) Nonlinear
3
a) Second order, linear inhomogeneous
c) Third order, nonlinear
e) Second order, linear homogeneous
h) Fourth order, nonlinear
4
Let u and v be solutions to the inhomogeneous linear equation. Then we have Lu = g and Lv = g.
Subtracting the two equations gives
Lu Lv = g g = 0.
Since L is linear, Lu Lv = L(u v) so
L(u v) = 0.
Therefore u v is a solution of the homogeneous equation.
6
The vectors |1, 2, 3|, |2, 0, 1|, and |1, 10, 17| are linearly independent if and only if the matrix
whose columns are these vectors has nonzero determinant. Let
M =

1 2 1
2 0 10
3 1 17

.
Then we have det(M) = 1(0 10) 2(34 1) +3(20 0) = 10 +70 60 = 0, so the vectors are
not linearly independent. An explicit dependence relation is as follows:
5

1
2
3

2
0
1

1
10
17

0
0
0

.
1
2 HOMEWORK 1 SOLUTIONS
10 (extra problem)
We can easily check that the zero function is a solution to the dierential equation, and that if u
and v are solutions and c is any constant, then cu+v is also a solution to the equation. Properties
such as distributivity are inherited from the fact that functions themselves form a vector space
under addition. Therefore the solutions to the dierential equation form a vector space. Since
u

3u

+4u = 0 is a third order dierential equation, its solution space should be three dimensional,
so to nd a basis it will suce to nd three linearly independent solutions. These are given by
e
2x
, xe
2x
, e
x
.
Section 1.2
1
To solve 2u
t
+ 3u
x
= 0 we use the solution to the constant coecient equation (equation (2) on
page 6) to obtain
u(x, t) = f(2x 3t).
Next we use the auxiliary condition u(x, t) = sin(x) when t = 0. This means f(2x) = sin(x) so
f(x) = sin(x]2). Therefore,
u(x, t) = sin_x
3
2
t_.
2
We wish to solve the equation 3u
y
+ u
xy
= 0. Let v = u
y
. Then our equation becomes
3v + v
x
= 0.
This is a seperable ODE which we know how to solve:
dv
dx
= 3v
1
v
dv = 3dx
ln(v) = 3x + f(y)
v = f(y)e
3x
.
Note that since v is a function of x and y, our constant of integration here was actually an
arbitrary function of y. Using the fact that v = u
y
we have
u(x, y) = f(y)e
3x
+ g(x).
4
We want to check that u(x, y) = f(e
x
y) indeed solves the PDE u
x
+yu
y
= 0. By the chain rule,
u
x
= f

(e
x
y)(ye
x
)
u
y
= f

(e
x
y)(e
x
).
Thus,
ux + yu
y
= f

(e
x
y)(ye
x
) + y(f

(e
x
y)(e
x
))
= ye
x
f

(e
x
y) + ye
x
f

(e
x
y)
= 0.
HOMEWORK 1 SOLUTIONS 3
10 (extra problem)
We wish to solve u
x
+ u
y
+ u = e
x+2y
subject to the auxiliary condition u(x, 0) = 0. Well use the
coordinate method: Let
x

= x + y
y

= x y.
Then
u
x
=
u
x

x
+
u
y

x
= u
x
+ u
y

u
y
=
u
x

y
+
u
y

y
= u
x
u
y
.
Solving for x and y in terms of x

and y

we have:
x =
1
2
(x

+ y

)
y =
1
2
(x

).
Rewriting the equation gives
u
x
+ u
y
+ u
x
u
y
+ u = e
1
2
(x

+y

)+x

and simplifying gives

u
x
+
1
2
u =
1
2
e
3
2
x

1
2
y

.
This is an ODE that we know how to solve! Multiply both sides by e
1
2
x

. Then we have

{e
1
2
x

u) =
1
2
e
2x

1
2
y

.
Integrating with respect to x

gives
e
1
2
x

u =
1
4
e
2x

1
2
y

+ f(y

).
Finally, writing x

and y

in terms of x and y and solving for u yields

u(x, y) =
1
4
e
x+2y
+ e

1
2
(x+y)
f(x y).
Now we use the initial condition u(x, 0) = 0:
0 =
1
4
e
x
+ e

1
2
x
f(x)
and conclude that f(x) =
1
4
e
3
2
x
. Putting it all together,
u(x, y) =
1
4
e
x+2y

1
4
e
x2y
.
4 HOMEWORK 1 SOLUTIONS
13 (extra problem)
This problem is solved quite similarly to problem 10 so a few steps will be omitted. We wish to
solve
u
x
+ 2u
y
+ (2x y)u = 2x
2
+ 3xy 2y
2
.
As before, we start with the coordinate method. Let
x

= x + 2y
y

= 2x y.
Under the new coordinates we have
u
x
=
u
x

x
+
u
y

x
= u
x
+ 2u
y

u
y
=
u
x

y
+
u
y

y
= 2u
x
u
y

x =
1
5
(x

+ 2y

)
y =
1
5
(2x

).
Plugging this into the original equation and doing a great deal of simplication we have
u
x
+
1
5
y

u =
1
5
x

.
This is an ODE we can solve, and we wind up with
u(x

, y

) = x

5
y

+ f(y

)e

1
5
x

.
Substituting back x and y we have
u(x, y) = x + 2y
5
2x y
+ f(2x y)e

1
5
(2x
2
+3xy2y
2
)
.