Exercise · ZW-UNDETERMINED-COEFFICIENTS-005 · ★☆☆ Basic

For which \(g(t)\) can undetermined coefficients be used in \(ay''+by'+cy=g(t)\)?

Choose one option.

Show answer
  • C. \(t^2e^{t}\cos 3t\)

Explanation

It only works when \(g\) is a sum of products of polynomials, exponentials, sines and cosines. \(\tan t\), \(\ln t\) and \(1/t\) are not; \(t^2e^t\cos3t\) is.

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Review the concept: Undetermined coefficients

A method that finds a particular solution \(y_p\) of \(ay''+by'+cy=g(t)\) by guessing a function of the same type as \(g\), with coefficients \(A_i\) fixed by substitution.

\[y_p=t^{s}\,(A_0+A_1t+\cdots+A_nt^n)\,e^{kt}\]

More practice problems: undetermined coefficients

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