Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-algebra-analysis-and-differential-equations-2-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2012/8/a/solution

For the linear differential operator , the characteristic equation is , with roots . Take the fundamental system of solutions
The Wronskian is never zero, so variation of parameters is valid on the whole interval. Write a particular solution as , and impose the auxiliary condition . Substitution then gives . These two equations give
Choosing both integrals to start at zero makes the resulting particular solution and its first derivative vanish there:
A general solution is . The boundary condition at zero sets . The condition at gives
because and . Combining the two integrals yields the Green's function representation
Indeed, for the kernel is , since ; for it is .
For fixed interior , the Green's function vanishes at both endpoints, is continuous at , solves the homogeneous equation away from , and satisfies
This derivative jump is the normalization required by the leading coefficient one in . Finally, a homogeneous solution satisfying the first boundary condition is , and the second boundary condition at forces . Thus the boundary value problem has exactly one solution for every continuous forcing, justifying the unique inverse represented by this kernel.

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