SOLUTIONS

PRELIM 1 MATH 2930 CORNELL UNIVERSITY 7/7/2015

In 1-4 solve the differential equation. (Note that in 1 and 2 initial conditions are given: supply particular solutions for these, whereas for 3 and 4,
supply the general solution).
(15%) 1. y 00 +2ay 0 +(a2 +1)y = 0, y(0) = 1, y 0 (0) = 0 (where a is some constant).
Solution. This is a second order homogeneous linear D.E. with constant
coefficients.
the characteristic equation: -B/2A =
Hence, we look to
a and B 2 4AC/2A = 4/2 = i, so the general solution is
of the form y = C1 eat cos(t) + C2 eat sin(t). Plugging in the initial
value y(0) = 1 gives C1 = 1, and then differentiating and plugging 0
into y 0 (0) = 0 gives C2 = a, so that y = eat cos(t) + aeat sin(t).
(15%) 2. t2 y 0 = ty + 1, y(1) = 21 .
Solution. We can rewrite this as
y 0 y/t = t2 ,
R

whereby we can multiply through by the integrating factor e

1/t to get
d
[y/t] = t3 ,
dt
2

so that y/t = t 2 + C and so y = 1

+ Ct. Then, y(1) =
2t
C = 1 and so
1
+ t.
y=
2t

1
2

1t dt

gives that

(15%) 3. y 0 = e2x + y 1.
Solution. This is not exact, but if we write this as M +N y 0 = 0 we have
that (My Nx )/N = (1 0)/1 = 1, so that an integrating factor
of ex should make the D.E. exact. Then M = ex yex + ex so
we expect F (x, y) = ex ex + yex + h(y) is the function giving

SOLUTIONS
PRELIM 1 MATH 2930 CORNELL UNIVERSITY 7/7/2015
Fx = M , Fy = N . We see that h(y) is just a constant by comparing Fy
to N , so that our solutions come from
ex ex + yex = C,
by varying C. (Implicit form is fine, though y is easy enough to solve
for).
(15%) 4. y 0 tan(x)y cos(x) = 0.
Solution. This is a Rlinear, first order D.E. so we want to use an integrating factor: exp( tan(x) dx). The exponent is found by a u sub,
or by just recognizing the integrand as being the derivative of ln cos x,
so our integrating factor is cos x. That gives
Z
cos(x)y = cos2 (x) dx,
so that

x sin 2x
+ C).
y = sec(x)( +
2
4

(20%) 5. Two 5 gallon tanks are set up vertically so that pure water enters the
top tank at a rate of 2 gal/min, and this tank is simultaneously drained
into the bottom tank at the same rate, which is in turn also drained
off at the same rate of 2 gal/min (i.e., both tanks have a net gain of
zero in liquid volume). If both tanks begin with 5 gal of liquid, where
the top tank begins with a 50-50 solution (i.e., half one, half the other)
of alcohol and water, and the bottom tank begins with 5 gal of pure
alcohol, solve the differential equation to give the quantity of alcohol
in the bottom tank as a function of time. (Partial credit will be given
for correct steps, such as modeling correctly).
Solution. This is really a two part problem. The first part is to figure
out the amount Q1 of alcohol leaving the top tank, as a function of
1
= 2/5Q1 , since we are losing alcohol at a rate of
time. We have dQ
dt
2 parts (out of 5) of the total amount of alcohol. Then,
2

Q1 (t) = Ce 5 t .

SOLUTIONS
PRELIM 1 MATH 2930 CORNELL UNIVERSITY 7/7/2015
But Q1 (0) = 5/2 (we begin with 5/2 gallons of alcohol) so C = 5/2.
This allows us to set up the D.E. for the quantity Q2 of alcohol in the
bottom tank. Since the rate that alcohol is entering the second tank is
2
Q , we get
5 1
2
dQ2
2
= e 5 t Q2 .
dt
5
2

This is linear, so we multiply through by the integrating factor e 5 t and

get:
Z
2

e 5 t Q2 =

1 dt,

so that Q2 = e 5 t (t + C). We put Q2 (0) = 5 so that C = 5. In

2
2
conclusion, Q2 = te 5 t + 5e 5 t .
(20%) 6. a) (As carefully as possible) draw a slope field for the differential equady
tion dx
= (y 1)2 (y + 1) on the square 4 x 4, 4 y 4.
(Draw as many slope marks as necessary to easily convey the behavior
of the differential equation).
b) On the slope field youve drawn, sketch in solutions to i) y(0) = 2,
ii) y(0) = 0, iii) y(0) = 2 (Label each so it is clear which is which).
c) Identify any equilibria in the square youve drawn, and classify each
as stable, unstable, or semi-stable.
Solution. (a and b next page). c) Equilibrium y = 1 is semi-stable,
whereas equilibrium y = 1 is unstable.

SOLUTIONS
PRELIM 1 MATH 2930 CORNELL UNIVERSITY 7/7/2015

Figure 1: Red is y(0) = 2, green is y(0) = 0, yellow is y(0) = 2.