Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/ia/paper-2/5a/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 ia Paper 2 5A b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Set . The resulting second-order linear differential equation is . A polynomial particular solution requires and , hence . The homogeneous characteristic roots of a constant-coefficient differential equation are , soIntegrating twice and renaming constants gives the general real solutionThe four independent homogeneous terms account for the four initial data of the fourth-order linear ordinary differential equation.
For the substitution , repeated use of the chain rule, with , givesThereforeFor , the map is invertible, and the transformed equation is exactly the equation just solved. Hence the general real solution on isThere is no requirement that extend as an even function through : only the branch is needed, so the sine and square-root terms must be retained.
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