5/27/2017 DifferentialEquationsReal&DistinctRoots

Real,DistinctRoots
Itstimetostartsolvingconstantcoefficient,homogeneous,linear,secondorderdifferentialequations.So,
letsrecaphowwedothisfromthelastsection.Westartwiththedifferentialequation.


Writedownthecharacteristicequation.


Solvethecharacteristicequationforthetworoots,r1andr2.Thisgivesthetwosolutions


Now,ifthetworootsarerealanddistinct(i.e. )itwillturnoutthatthesetwosolutionsarenice
enoughtoformthegeneralsolution


Aswiththelastsection,wellaskthatyoubelieveuswhenwesaythattheseareniceenough.Youwillbe
abletoprovethiseasilyenoughoncewereachalatersection.

Withreal,distinctrootstherereallyisntawholelottodootherthanworkacoupleofexamplessoletsdo
that.

http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/DE/RealRoots.aspx 1/1