Power Series Problem

mwt006

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Nov 30, 2011
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Big Test comin up and I can't seem to figure out this homework problem.
Find the first four nonzero terms in a power series expansion about x = 0 to the initial value problem:

y'' + (x + 1)y' - 2y = 0
y(0) = 1 ; y'(0) = 1

Its a lengthy problem I think but any help will save my life!
 
I would imagine no one has replied to this problem because power series solutions of DE's are tedious.

But, here is a little help if you still need it.

Use \(\displaystyle y=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}c_{n}x^{k}\) and find the first and second derivatives.

Then, sub these into the given DE.

This gives:

\(\displaystyle \displaystyle \underbrace{\sum_{n=2}^{\infty}n(n-1)c_{n}x^{n-2}}_{\text{k=n-2}}+\underbrace{\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}nc_{n}x^{n}}_{\text{k=n}}+\underbrace{\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}nc_{n}x^{n-1}}_{\text{k=n-1}}-\underbrace{2\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}c_{n}x^{n}}_{\text{k=n}}=0\)

This shifts the index to:

\(\displaystyle \displaystyle \sum_{k=0}^{\infty}(k+2)(k+1)c_{k+2}x^{k}+\)\(\displaystyle \displaystyle \sum_{k=1}^{\infty}kc_{k}x^{k}\)\(\displaystyle \displaystyle +\sum_{k=0}^{\infty}(k+1)c_{k+1}x^{k}-2\sum_{k=0}^{\infty}c_{k}x^{k}\)

We now want all of the indices to begin at k=1. So, we take out the k=0 case where applicable.

\(\displaystyle \displaystyle 2c_{2}+c_{1}-2c_{0}+\sum_{k=1}^{\infty}\left[(k+2)(k+1)c_{k+2}+(k+1)c_{k+1}+(k-2)c_{k}\right]x^{k}\)

Now, try continuing with the recurrence to solve the DE.
 
So now we just set

\(\displaystyle \displaystyle 2c_{2}+c_{1}-2c_{0} = 0\)

And


\(\displaystyle \((k+1)(k+1)c_{k+2}+(k+1)c_{k+1}+(k-2)c_{k}=0\)


\(\displaystyle And \ find \ the \ relation \ ...\)
 
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