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ComplexRoots
Inthissectionwewillbelookingatsolutionstothedifferentialequation
inwhichrootsofthecharacteristicequation,
arecomplexrootsintheform
Now,recallthatwearrivedatthecharacteristicequationbyassumingthatallsolutionstothedifferential
equationwillbeoftheform
Pluggingourtworootsintothegeneralformofthesolutiongivesthefollowingsolutionstothedifferential
equation.
Now,thesetwofunctionsareniceenough(theresthosewordsagainwellgetaroundtodefining
themeventually)toformthegeneralsolution.Wedohaveaproblemhowever.Sincewestartedwithonly
realnumbersinourdifferentialequationwewouldlikeoursolutiontoonlyinvolverealnumbers.Thetwo
solutionsabovearecomplexandsowewouldliketogetourhandsonacoupleofsolutions(niceenough
ofcourse)thatarereal.
TodothiswellneedEulersFormula.
AnicevariantofEulersFormulathatwellneedis.
http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/DE/ComplexRoots.aspx 1/1