MA1330

THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

FIRST YEAR EXAMINATION: Summer 2024

DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Time Allowed: 2 hours

Read carefully the instructions on the answer book and make sure that the particulars
required are entered on each answer book.

Calculators are not needed and are not permitted in this examination.

ANSWER ALL 3 QUESTIONS.

The numbers in the margin indicate approximately how many marks are available for
each part of a question.
QUESTION 1 is worth 50 marks, while QUESTIONS 2 and 3 are worth 25 marks each.

Throughout the exam we use the following conventions:

• Boldface variables denote vector-valued variables

• The vectors i, j, and k are Cartesian unit vectors, so that r = (x, y, z) = xi +

yj + zk.

1 CONTINUED
MA1330

1. a) For the following equation, specify its dependent and independent variable, its
order, whether it is autonomous or non-autonomous, whether it is linear or
non-linear and if linear, whether it is homogeneous or inhomogeneous.

d3 y dy
+ cos(x) = 2024xy.
dx3 dx
[5]
b) For the following initial value problems, does the existence and uniqueness the-
orem for first order ODEs guarantee that a unique solution exists (at least on
some small time interval)? Provide adequate justification.
(i)
dx
= x2 etx , x(1) = 0,
dt
(ii)
dx √
= x, x(0) = 0.
dt
[4]
c) Find the solution of the first order separable ODE

dx t3
= , with x(0) = 0
dt 2 + cos(4x)

in implicit form. [4]

d) Find the general solutions of the following homogeneous second order linear
ODEs with constant coefficients.
(i)
y ′′ + y ′ − 6y = 0,
(ii)
y ′′ − 4y ′ + 13y = 0.
[5]
e) Draw the phase portrait of

y ′ = f (y) = (y − 1)(y − 2)(y − 4),

and use this to determine the stationary points and their stability. You may
include the plot of f (y) on the phase diagram. You do not need to perform
analytical calculations. [6]
f) Evaluate the following
(i)
grad f, where f (x, y, z) = xy 2 z + e3x ,

2 Question 1 continued overleaf

MA1330

(ii)  
xyz
curl F , where F (x, y, z) =  exyz  ,
 
xy − x
(iii)  
xyz
div F , where F (x, y, z) =  exyz  ,
 
xy − x
(iv)
∂f
, where f (x, y) = 5x3 y 2
∂x
(v)
∂f
, where f (x, y) = 5x3 y 2
∂y
(vi) the directional derivative of

f (x, y) = 5x3 y 2

in the direction given by the line segment starting at (0, 0) and ending at
(3, 4). [8]
g) Give a parameterisation of the curve that starts at (−2, 0), follows an arc of
a circle of radius 2 that is centred at the origin in clockwise direction until it
reaches (0, 2), continues vertically to (0, 1) and then follows a straight line to
its endpoint at (2, 0). You may split the curve into multiple segments and give
a parameterisation for each segment. Sketch the curve. [7]
h) Consider the curve C paraemeterised by
! !
2 3
x 3
t
r(t) = = , 0 ≤ t ≤ 3.
y t2 − 2

Find its length. Find its general tangent vector, principal normal at (2/3, −1),
and curvature at (2/3, −1). [11]

3 CONTINUED
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2. a) Show that  
3x2 z
F = z2
 

3
x + 2yz
is conservative and find its potential. [7]
b) Let f (x, y, z) be a scalar-valued function and F (x, y, z) = P (x, y, z)i+Q(x, y, z)j+
R(x, y, z)k be a vector field. For the following, state whether the given expres-
sion is meaningful. If so, state whether the result is a scalar or vector field. If
not, explain why the expression is not meaningful.
(i)
grad (div F )
(ii)
grad (curl (curl F ))
(iii)
(curl (grad f )) × (div (curl F ))
[6]
c) Let F (x, y, z) = A(x, y, z)i+B(x, y, z)j+C(x, y, z)k and G(x, y, z) = a(x, y, z)i+
b(x, y, z)j + c(x, y, z)k be two vector fields. Show, using the definition of the
divergence and curl of a vector field that

div (F × G) = G · curl F − F · curl G.

[7]
d) Let  
ln(y) cos(z)
y 2 +3y
e arccos(ln(z))
G(x, y, z) =  x cos2 (xz)
2
.
 
z

Is there a vector field F (x, y, z) such that

curl(F ) = G?

Explain your reasoning. [5]

4 CONTINUED
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3. a) Consider the system of two first order linear ODEs with constant coefficients
!
dx x
= Ax, x = , A ∈ R2×2 .
dt y

Classify the stationary point (0, 0) and draw the phase portrait, where
(i) the eigenvalues of A are λ1 = 3 and λ2 = −2, with corresponding eigenvec-
tors v 1 = (1, 1), and v 2 = (1, −2).
(ii) the eigenvalues of A are λ1 = −2 and λ2 = −3, with corresponding eigen-
vectors v 1 = (2, 1), and v 2 = (1, −1).
(iii) the eigenvalues of A are given by the pair of complex conjugate numbers
λ = ±i, and dy
dt
< 0 when y = 0 and x > 0
Use separate figures for (i), (ii), (iii). [9]
b) Consider the system of first order ODEs

dx
= −y + λx x2 + y 2 ,


dt (1)
dy
= x + λy x2 + y 2 ,


dt
where λ ∈ R is constant.
(i) Show that the origin (x, y) = (0, 0) is a centre for the system that is obtained
by linearising (1) about the origin.
(ii) Set r(t)2 = x(t)2 + y(t)2 . Use implicit differentiation to show that r satisfies

dr
= λr3 . (2)
dt
(iii) Consider (2) with the initial condition r(0) = r0 . Show that its solution
satisfies
1
r2 = −2
r0 − 2λt
and use this to show that the sign of λ determines whether solution trajec-
tories move towards or away from r = 0.
(iv) Explain the contrasting results from parts (i) and (iii) using the Hartman-
Grobman Theorem. [16]

5 END