Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2005 / Paper 1 / 8 / Solution

Take $x\ge 0$ and a source position $\xi >0$. Before the source, the zero initial data require $G=0$. After it, set $G=e^{-2(x-\xi )}h(x-\xi )$; the homogeneous equation becomes $h^{\prime \prime }+a^{2}h=0$. Continuity of $G$ and a unit jump in $G_x$ at $x=\xi$ give $h(0)=0$, $h^{\prime }(0)=1$. Thus the causal Green function of a damped oscillator isHere $H$ is the Heaviside step function. For $a=0$, take the continuous limit $\sin (as)/a\to s$, giving $G=H(x-\xi )(x-\xi )e^{-2(x-\xi )}$. The formula is also unchanged when a nonzero $a$ changes sign. Its continuity removes a delta derivative, and its unit first-derivative jump supplies the required Dirac delta function.

For the forced equation use $a=2$. The zero-initial-data Green function representation isThe sine-product identity reduces this to elementary exponential-trigonometric integrals. Evaluating givesFor an independent check, the steady particular part is $\sin 2x/20-\cos 2x/10$, while the decaying homogeneous part has coefficients $1/10$ and $1/20$ that impose $y(0)=y^{\prime }(0)=0$.