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MATH2100 Assignment 1, Semester 2, 2015

This document outlines math problems to be completed for Assignment 1. Students in MATH2100 should complete questions marked with * and students in MATH7100 should also complete problems marked with †. The problems involve finding eigenvalues and eigenvectors, solving differential equations, and analyzing a coupled pendulum system.

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10 views2 pages

MATH2100 Assignment 1, Semester 2, 2015

This document outlines math problems to be completed for Assignment 1. Students in MATH2100 should complete questions marked with * and students in MATH7100 should also complete problems marked with †. The problems involve finding eigenvalues and eigenvectors, solving differential equations, and analyzing a coupled pendulum system.

Uploaded by

Bob
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MATH2100 Assignment 1, Semester 2, 2015

Hand in the questions marked * by 5:00pm on Friday, the 7th August. In addition problems
marked are to be handed in by students in MATH7100.

Question 1
Find the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the following matrices:

3
1
3 6
2 1
5
a)
b)
c)*
d)*
8 4
2
2
2
1 2

0
2

Question 2
Show that if A is a real n n matrix with eigenvalue then is also an eigenvalue. That is, the
eigenvalues are either real or come in complex conjugate pairs (Recall: given a complex number
z = a + ib, the complex conjugate of z is the complex number z = a ib).

Question 3*
Find the general solution to the following second order ODE (a) Directly and (b) by converting it
to a system of coupled first order ODEs. (Show all working)
y 00

5y 0 + 6y = 0.

Question 4*
Solve the following initial value problem
y10 = y2
y20 =
5y1

4y2

with initial conditions


y1 (0) = 1,

y2 (0) = 0.

Question 5
a) What are the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the upper-diagonal matrix
A=

a 1
0 d

y=

where a and d are real numbers?


b)Find the general solution to
y = Ay,
with A as in part (a).

y1
y2

Question 6 - Challenge Problem


Consider a pair of identical pendulums coupled by a spring as shown.

Here l is the length of the pendulum, k is the spring constant and m the mass.
a) Consider first the case k = 0 (ie. there is eectively no spring). The equation of motion of each
pendulum is then
mg
x
l

m
x=

where g is the acceleration due to gravity. Show that each oscillator oscillates with angular frequency
!=

g
.
l

b) Now suppose k 6= 0. Then the motion of the two pendulums is described by the following pair
of ODEs:
mx1 =

mg
x1
l

k(x1

x2 )

mx2 =

mg
x2 + k(x1
l

x2 )

Note that there is no damping in the system so once it is set in motion it will oscillate indefinitely.
What are the possible oscillation frequencies of the system?

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