Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2016 / ib / Paper 3 / 7A / Solution

Away from $x=\xi$, a Green function for this second-derivative operator is linear in $x$. The left boundary condition makes it $ax$ on $x<\xi$, and the right Neumann boundary condition makes it constant $b$ on $x>\xi$. Continuity gives $b=a\xi$. Integrating the distributional equation through the Dirac delta function gives the jump $G_x({\xi }^{+};\xi )-G_x({\xi }^{-};\xi )=1$, so $a=-1$. ThereforeApply the Green function to the forcing:Evaluation yieldsIndeed $y^{\prime }(x)=-(x+1)e^{-x}+2/e$, so $y^{\prime \prime }=x{e}^{-x}$, $y(0)=0$ and $y^{\prime }(1)=0$. A difference of two solutions is linear with these homogeneous boundary conditions, hence zero; the boundary value problem has a unique solution.