UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

BSc and MSci EXAMINATION 2006

For Internal Students of Royal Holloway

DO NOT TURN OVER UNTIL TOLD TO BEGIN

PH2130C: MATHEMATICAL METHODS Time Allowed: TWO hours

Answer QUESTION ONE and TWO other questions No credit will be given for attempting any further questions

Approximate part-marks for questions are given in the right-hand margin

Only CASIO fx85WA Calculators or CASIO fx85MS Calculators are permitted

PH2130C/45 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 2006 2005-06

GENERAL PHYSICAL CONSTANTS Permeability of vacuum Permittivity of vacuum

0 0
1/40

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

4 10-7 8.85 10-12 9.0 109 3.00 108 1.60 10-19 9.11 10-31 1.66 10-27 1.67 10-27 1.67 10-27 1.76 1011 6.63 10-34 1.05 10-34 1.38 10-23 5.67 10-8 8.31 6.02 1023 6.67 10-11 9.81 2.24 10-2 1.01 105

H m-1 F m-1 m F-1 m s-1 C kg kg kg kg C kg-1 Js Js J K-1 W m-2 K-4 J mol-1 K-1 mol-1 N m2 kg-2 m s-2 m3 N m-2

Speed of light in vacuum Elementary charge Electron (rest) mass Unified atomic mass constant Proton rest mass Neutron rest mass Ratio of electronic charge to mass Planck constant

c e me mu mp mn e/me h = = h/2

Boltzmann constant Stefan-Boltzmann constant Gas constant Avogadro constant Gravitational constant Acceleration due to gravity Volume of one mole of an ideal gas at STP One standard atmosphere

R NA G g

P0

MATHEMATICAL CONSTANTS e 2.718 3.142 loge10 2.303

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PH2130C
PART MARKS

ANSWER ONLY FIVE sections of Question One. You are advised not to spend more than 40 minutes answering Question One.

1.

(a)

The Gamma function ( x ) obeys the recurrence relation

( x + 1) = x ( x ) ,

and has the value (1) = 1 . Write down the value of the function for

x = 1, 2, 3, 4 . What is the connection between this function and the factorial function? (b) Use the separation of variables ( x, t ) = ( x ) T ( t ) to show how the timedependent Schrdinger equation
=2 2 + V = i= , 2 2m x t

[4]

can be converted into two ordinary differential equations, one of which is the time-independent Schrdinger equation
= 2 d 2 ( x) + V ( x) ( x) = E ( x). 2m dx 2

[4]

(c)

The time-frequency uncertainty relation is t 1. Use sketches to show the definitions of and t , and explain how they are related by a Fourier transform. In solving Laplaces equation in cylindrical polar coordinates, the angular part of the solution has the form ( ) = exp ( in ) . Explain why in physical problems n is required to be an integer.

[4]

(d)

[4]

(e)

Explain the terms order, linear, nonlinear, homogeneous, and inhomogeneous as applied to differential equations. What are the complementary function and particular integral? Describe how in an appropriate limit the Gaussian function
x2 exp 2 2 2 2 1

[4]

(f)

may be used to represent the Dirac delta function ( x ) .

[4] TURN OVER

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PH2130C
PART MARKS

2.

The periodic function f ( x ) , defined in the region L x L, can be written as a Fourier series

f ( x) =

a0 m + am cos 2 m =1 L

m x + bm sin L

x .

Eq. 1

(a)

The orthogonality between the sine and cosine basis functions is expressed by the integral

sin

n x m x cos dx = 0, L L

which holds for all integers n and m. Show that the orthogonality relation between the cosine basis functions is

L sin n x m x ( n m ) + L sin ( n + m ) . cos cos d = x ( n m) ( n + m) L L L

L

Eq. 2

1 You may assume that cos C cos D = [cos ( C + D ) + cos ( C D )]. 2

[4]

(b)

By considering different integers n and m, show that the right hand side of Eq. 2 is equal to L n ,m , where n , m = 1 if n = m, and n , m = 0 otherwise.

[3]

(c)

By multiplying both sides of Eq.1 by an appropriate function and integrating, show that the coefficient am is given by am = 1 L m x f ( x ) cos dx. L L L

[5]

(d)

Calculate the Fourier series for the function f ( x ) = x , which is defined over the interval L x L.
[8]

TURN OVER

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PH2130C
PART MARKS

3.

(a)

Describe why the Frobenius method for finding solutions to differential equations is more powerful than using simple series solutions.

[3]

(b)

The Bessel equation of order m is given by the differential equation d2 y dy + x + ( x 2 m 2 ) y = 0. x 2 dx dx

2

Substitute the series y ( x ) = ai x i +c

i =0

into the Bessel equation, and after appropriate rearrangement obtain the indicial equation from the coefficient of the lowest power x c . Show that the allowed values of c are m.
[6]

(c)

Show that the recurrence relation is

ai =

(i + c )

ai 2
2

(i m)

ai 2
2

m2

.
[3]

(d)

1 Find the first four terms of the two series for m = . 2 Write down the solutions in part (d) in terms of common trigonometric functions.

[5]

(e)

[3]

TURN OVER

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PH2130C
PART MARKS

4.

The differential equation describing a driven oscillator is

2   + 0 x + x x = f (t ).

Eq. 1

(a)

For a driving angular frequency of , the force can be written as f ( t ) = f 0e i t . Show that if the response is x ( t ) = Ae i t , then A ( ) =

2 0

2 i )

f0

.
[3]

(b)

Sketch A ( ) for light damping (0  ) , indicating the position of the resonance.

[5]
 ( t ) is in phase with the force Show that at = 0 the velocity x
f ( t ) = f 0e i t .

(c)

[3]

(d)

X ( ) is the Fourier transform (FT) of x ( t ) , given by

i t X ( ) = FT x ( t ) = x ( t ) e dt ;

and similarly F ( ) = FT f ( t ) .

 ( t ) Use integration by parts to show that FT x = i X ( ) and 2 FT x ( t )  = X ( ) . By taking the FT of both sides of Eq. 1, show that X ( ) = (e)

2 0

2 i )

F ( )

.
[6]

If Fourier transforms and inverse Fourier transforms can be readily performed (for example, using a computer), why is the result in part (d) so useful.

[3]

TURN OVER

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PH2130C
PART MARKS

5.

(a)

An incompressible fluid of density and negligible viscosity flows along a thin straight tube of cross-sectional area A , and the tube is held under tension T . The velocity of flow, u , is described by the differential equation 2u 2u 2 T 2u + 2c +c = 0. 2 t 2 xt A x Assume that the solution is a wave of the form u = u ( x vt ) which travels with speed v. Substitute this solution into the differential equation to obtain the quadratic T v 2 2cv + c 2 = 0, A and hence show that v = c T . A

[7]

(b)

Spherically symmetric waves have displacements u ( r , t ) which satisfy the wave equation
1 2u 1 2 u = r . c 2 t 2 r 2 r r

R (r ) T ( t ) , to show that the r solution to the spherical wave equation is of the form Use the separation of variables with u ( r , t ) = u ( r, t ) =
k

Ak cos kr +Bk sin kr ( Ck cos kct +Dk sin kct ). r

[6]

(c)

Functions of the form u = u ( x vt ) are solutions to the wave equation 1 2u 2u = . v 2 t 2 x 2 By making the substitution v t = i y , where i = 1 , show that the functions u = u ( x i y ) are solutions of Laplaces equation in 2D Cartesian coordinates ( x, y ) .
[7]

END