PHYS-332 Fall 2014

Homework I
1. Suppose R radiative atoms are produced per second in a sample by neutron irradiation.
If each atom so produced decays with the probability per second, show that the
number N(t) of radiative atoms in th sample satisfies the differential equation
dN(t)
= R N(t)
dt
while under neutron irradiation. Calculate N(t) if N(0) = 0.
2. A rain drop initially at rest falls down from a height h. If air resistance gives rise to a
retarding force v(t) proportional to the instantaneous velocity v(t), calculate the
speed of the raindrop (a) as a function of time and (b) when it hits the ground.
3. Determine if the functions in each of the following collections are linearly independent:
(a) eikx , eikx , sin kx;
(b) eikx , eikx , tan kx;
(c) x2 1, x2 + 1, x.
State any additional conditions under which your answer is valid.
4. Calculate the Wronskian of the following differential equations
(a) Associated Legendre equation
!

m2
(1 x )y 2xy + l(l + 1)
y=0
1 x2
2

(b) Bessel equation

x2 y + xy + (x2 m2 )y = 0
(c) Spherical Bessel equation
x2 y + 2xy + [x2 l(l + 1)]y = 0
(d) Confluent hypergeometric equation
xy + (c x)y ay = 0
5. A frictionless simple harmonic oscillator driven by a force F (t) satisfies the inhomogeneous LDE
!

d2
+ 02 x(t) = F (t)
dt2
If the driving force is F (t) = A cos t with real A, show that a particular solution is
xp (t) = A cos t/(02 2 ). Describe the motion of this driven harmonic oscillator
when the initial conditions at t = 0 are x(0) = 1, x(0)

= 0 /2.
1

6. Consider the differential equation

x2 y + (1 2a)xy + a2 y = xb ,

a 6= b

(a) Show that one solution of the homogeneous equation is y1 (x) = xa .

(b) Obtain the linearly independent second solution of the homogeneous equation.
(c) Obtain the solution of the inhomogeneous equation satisfying the boundary conditions y(1) = c, y (1) = d.
7. Calculate the Green function for the differential equation
!

d2
2 y(x) = e|x| ,
2
dx
where , > 0 and 6= , in the interval (, ) with the boundary conditions
y() = y() = 0. Obtain a particular solution.
8. Calculate the Green function for the differential equation
!

2 d
l(l + 1)
d2
y(x) = R(x)
+

2
dx
x dx
x2
in the interval (0, ) satisfying the boundary conditions y(0) = y() = 0. Express
the particular solution in terms of integrals of R(x).