MA262 — PRACTICE PROBLEMS FOR EXAM II — FALL 2023

1. Consider the vectors

⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤
1 3 5 −2
⎢ −1 ⎥ ⎢ 1 ⎥ ⎢ −3 ⎥ ⎢ 4 ⎥
v1 = ⎢ ⎥ ⎢
⎣ 1 ⎦ , v2 = ⎣ 7
⎥ , v3 = ⎢
⎦
⎥ ⎢
⎣ 9 ⎦ v4 = ⎣ 2
⎥
⎦
−1 1 1 8

The dimension of the vector space span{v1 , v1 , v3 , v4 } is equal to

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

E. 5

2. Find all values of k such that the vectors v1 = (1, −1, 0) v2 = (1, 2, 2) and v3 = (0, 3, k) form a
basis for R3 .

A. k = 1

B. k = 2

C. k ̸= 1

D. k ̸= 2

E. k ̸= 3
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3. Let ⎡ ⎤ ⎡ ⎤
a11 a12 a13 b11 b12 b13
A = ⎣ a21 a22 a23 ⎦ and B = ⎣ b21 b22 b23 ⎦ .
a31 a32 a33 b31 b32 b33
If the determinant of A is equal to five and the determinant of B is equal to 6 the determinant
of the matrix ⎡ ⎤⎡ ⎤
a11 2a12 a13 3b11 b12 + 2b11 b13
C = ⎣ a21 2a22 a23 ⎦ ⎣ 3b21 b22 + 2b21 b23 ⎦
a31 2a32 a33 3b31 b32 + 2b31 b33
is equal to

A. 180

B. 100

C. 150

D. 200

E. 300

4. If y(x) is the solution of

y ′′ − 2y ′ + y = 0,
y(0) = 1, y ′ (0) = −1

then y( 12 ) is equal to

A. 0

B. e 2
1

C. 2e 2
1

1 1
D. e2
2
E. −3e 2
1
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5. Find linearly independent solutions of x2 y ′′ (x)+4xy ′ (x)+2y(x) = 0 x > 0 of the form y(x) = xr
and conclude that the general solution of this equation, for x > 0, is of the form

A. y(x) = C1 x−1 + C2 x−2

B. y(x) = C1 x−2 + C2 x−3

C. y(x) = C1 x−2 + C2 x−4

D. y(x) = C1 x−3 + C2 x−5

E. y(x) = C1 + C2 x−3

6. Let y(x) satisfy

x2 y ′′ (x) − 2xy ′ (x) + 2y(x) = 0

y(1) = 2, y ′ (1) = 3.

Then y(2) is equal to (Hint: use the method of the previous problem.)

A. 4

B. 5

C. 6

D. 7

E. 8
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7. The constants a, b, c, d are real numbers and the solutions of the polynomial equation p(r) =
ar3 + br2 + cr + d = 0, are given by r1 = 1 + 2i, r2 = 1 − 2i and r3 = 4. We can say that the
general solution of the equation ay (3) + by (2) + cy ′ + dy = 0 is given by

A. y(x) = C1 e4x + C2 ex cos(2x) + C3 ex sin(2x)

B. y(x) = C1 e4x + C2 e2x cos(2x) + C3 e2x sin(2x)

C. y(x) = C1 e4x + C2 e4x cos(x) + C3 e4x sin(x)

D. y(x) = C1 e4x + C2 e2x cos(x) + C3 e2x sin(x)

E. y(x) = C1 e4x + C2 ex cos(x) + C3 sin(x)

8. We know that the characteristic polynomial of a certain homogeneous differential equation is

given by

p(r) = (r2 − 1)2 (r2 + 4)2 .

We can say that the general solution of the differential equation is given by

A. C1 ex + C2 xex + C3 e−x + C4 xe−x + C5 cos(2x) + C6 x cos(2x) + C7 sin(2x) + C8 x sin(2x)

B. C1 ex + C2 xex + C3 e−x + C4 xe−x + C5 (1 + x) cos(2x) + C6 (1 + x) sin(2x)

C. C1 ex +C2 xex +C3 x2 ex +C4 (1+x)e−x +C5 cos(2x)+C6 x cos(2x)+C7 x2 cos(2x)+C8 x sin(2x)

D. C1 ex + C2 e−x + C3 cos(2x) + C4 sin(2x)

E. C1 ex + C2 e−x + C3 cos(2x) + C4 x cos(2x) + C5 sin(2x) + C6 x sin(2x)

F. C1 ex + C2 xex + C3 e−x + C4 xe−x + C5 cos(2x) + C6 x sin(2x) + C7 x2 sin(2x)

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9. The Wronskian of the functions {x, sin x, cos x} (in this order) is equal to

A. x

B. −x

C. x sin x + cos x

D. sin x cos x

E. x(cos2 x − sin2 x)
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we have not yet learned what a defective matrix is. Ignore this alternative
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7. Find the general solution to the differential equation

y (4) − 8y ′′ + 16y = 0.

A. y = c1 e2x + c2 e−2x

B. y = c1 xe2x + c2 xe−2x

C. y = c1 e2x + c2 e−2x + c3 xe2x + c4 xe−2x

D. y = c1 xe2x + c2 xe−2x + c3 x2 e2x + c4 x2 e−2x

E. y = c1 cos 2x + c2 sin 2x + c3 x cos 2x + c4 x sin 2x

8. Let y(x) satisfy

y ′′ + 9y ′ + 18 = 0, y(0) = 0, y ′ (0) = 3.

1
Then y( log 3) =?
3
1 2
A. y( log 3) =
3 9
1 2
B. y( log 3) =
3 3
1 3
C. y( log 3) =
3 4
1 1
D. y( log 3) =
3 3
1 1
E. y( log 3) =
3 4
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11. Find the solution to the initial value problem

y 00 + 2y 0 + 2y = 0, y(0) = 1, y 0 (0) = 0.
A. y(t) = et + e t
B. y(t) = cos t + sin t
C. y(t) = et cos t + et sin t
D. y(t) = e t cos t e t sin t
E. y(t) = e t cos t + e t sin t

12. Consider the di↵erential equation

y 00 6y 0 + 9y = 0.
Which one of the following statements is true?

A. The equation has only one linearly independent solution e3t

B. The equation has only one linearly independent solution te3t
C. The equation has two linearly independent solutions e3t and te3t
D. The equation has two linearly independent solutions t and e3t
E. The equation has two linearly independent solutions t3 and e3t