Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-differential-equations-2-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017/1/b/i/solution
Past exam of the differential equations 2 course of the University of Oxford 2017 1 b i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Interpret the Dirac delta coefficient as a point interaction in a second-order differential equation. The solution is continuous at and is twice differentiable on either side, where . Its transmission conditions for a delta coefficient areIndeed, the distributional second derivative across a jump contributes , which must cancel the delta coefficient because has no point source.
Put and . Integrating the ordinary equation and inserting the required derivative jump giveswhere . This formula is continuous, has the stated jump, satisfies the equation, and parametrizes every solution with the left endpoint value. Imposing the right endpoint value gives the scalar equationConsequently a unique , and hence a unique solution for every , exists precisely whenAt the exceptional value, the nonzero homogeneous solution with zero endpoint values isIt has derivative jump . Thus uniqueness fails. More precisely, there are infinitely many solutions ifand none otherwise. This follows either from the scalar equation or by integration by parts against . It is the compatibility obstruction at Dirichlet resonance for a point interaction.
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