Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2002/paper-2/7/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2002 Paper 2 7 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-18 Updated 2026-10-20
The characteristic equation of the associated homogeneous linear ordinary differential equation is , so the complementary function is . For a particular solution, try . Substitution gives , so , . The unrestricted solution is thereforeIts derivative at zero is . The single prescribed condition imposes and leaves one arbitrary constant. Thus the most general permitted solution isThere is no condition fixing , so the remaining arbitrary constant is essential.
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