Math 1005 B Fall 2015

Second-order linear homogeneous equations sum-

mary
Constant coefficients

To solve the equation

ay 00 + by 0 + cy = 0
(with a, b, and c constants), let y = erx . This yields the indicial equation
ar2 + br + c = 0.
There are three cases:

Case 1 : The indicial equation has two distinct real solutions r1 and r2 . Then the
general solution is
y = c1 er1 x + c2 er2 x .
Case 2 : The indicial equation has one repeated real solution r. Then the general
solution is
y = c1 erx + c2 xerx
= erx (c1 + c2 x) .
Case 3 : The indicial equation
√ has two complex solutions α ± iβ (where α and β are
real numbers and i = −1). Then the general solution is
y = c1 eαx cos(βx) + c2 eαx sin(βx)
= eαx (c1 cos(βx) + c2 sin(βx)) .

Cauchy-Euler equations

To solve the equation

ax2 y 00 + bxy 0 + cy = 0
(with a, b, and c constants), let y = xr . This yields the indicial equation
ar(r − 1) + br + c = 0.
There are three cases:

Case 1 : The indicial equation has two distinct real solutions r1 and r2 . Then the
general solution is
y = c1 |x|r1 + c2 |x|r2 .
Case 2 : The indicial equation has one repeated real solution r. Then the general
solution is
y = c1 |x|r + c2 |x|r ln |x|
= |x|r (c1 + c2 ln |x|) .
Case 3 : The indicial equation
√ has two complex solutions α ± iβ (where α and β are
real numbers and i = −1). Then the general solution is

y = c1 |x|α cos(β ln |x|) + c2 |x|α sin(β ln |x|)

= |x|α (c1 cos(β ln |x|) + c2 sin(β ln |x|)) .