Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/ia/paper-2/5a/iv/solution

Rewrite the equation as
On , one has . If a nontrivial solution had two zeros, choose two consecutive ones in that interval. Then .
The solution
of is strictly positive on . Since and the coefficients are not identical on this interval, the Sturm comparison theorem requires to have a zero between and , a contradiction. Hence every nontrivial solution has

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