Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2014 / iii / Paper 74 / 3

For fixed $x>0$, set $y=y_0+\epsilon y_1+{\epsilon }^2{y}_2+\cdots$ and impose the data at one at each order. The leading equation gives $y_0^{\prime }=0$, hence $y_0=1$. At the next two orders,The boundary conditions $y_1(1)=y_2(1)=0$ give the three-term outer expansionIts ordering fails when $\epsilon /x=O(1)$, locating a boundary layer of thickness $O(\epsilon )$ at zero. Put $x=\epsilon \xi$ and $y=Y_0(\xi )+\epsilon Y_1(\xi )+\cdots$. The rescaled equation isIts leading equation is ${\xi }^2{Y}_0^{\prime }=Y_0^3$. Matching to the positive outer value one fixes the sign and integration constant:At the next order the bracket $\xi (Y_0^2-1)+2Y_0^2$ vanishes identically, leavingThe general solution is $Y_1=(1+k\xi ){\xi }^{1/2}/(\xi +2{)}^{3/2}$. In the overlap its expansion isThe outer solution re-expressed on this scale has the corresponding terms $1-1/\xi +3/(2{\xi }^2)+\epsilon (1-2/\xi )+\cdots$. Thus matched asymptotic expansion determines $k=1$, consistently in both displayed orders, and the two-term inner expansion isThis positive branch tends continuously to zero at $x=0$, with a square-root cusp. An infinite endpoint derivative is compatible with the degeneracy of the original equation's $x^2{y}^{\prime }$ coefficient.

At fixed positive $x$ the leading outer expansion satisfies $z_0^{\prime }+z_0=e^{-x}/x$. Integrating and imposing the value at one yieldsIt diverges negatively at zero, and the neglected nonlinear shift in the derivative coefficient becomes important when $x\sim \epsilon |\log x|$. Thus the relevant logarithmically enhanced nonlinear boundary layer is larger than a plain $O(\epsilon )$ layer. Write $L=\log (1/\epsilon )$, $x=\epsilon LX$ andFor fixed $X$, the leading inner equation is $(X+1)Z_X=1$. Matching to the outer logarithm, for which $Z\sim \log X$, sets the integration constant and givesIn particular the exact equation at zero is $-\epsilon z(0)z^{\prime }(0)=1$, so

An implicit inner form also checks the matching constants. With $x=\epsilon \xi$, retain $z$ without assigning it a bounded size. The leading equation is $(\xi -z)z_{\xi }=1$. Inverting it gives $d\xi /dz-\xi =-z$, henceIts large-$\xi$ match to $z\sim 1+\log \epsilon +\log \xi$ fixes $B\sim e^{-1}/\epsilon$. Taking that matched leading value at zero giveswhere $W_0$ is the positive real branch of the Lambert W function. Its large-argument expansion reproduces the logarithm and log-log terms above. This refinement is a matched approximation, not an exact solution of the full equation; the leading slope conclusion follows directly from the first inner scaling and the exact endpoint identity.