Home page for accesible maths Math 101 Chapter 3: Differentiation

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3.36 A differential equation for hyperbolic functions

Proposition

Let m,k>0m,k>0, and A,BA,B be real. Then the differential equation

m⁢d2⁢fd⁢x2=k⁢f⁢(x)m{{d^{2}f}\over{dx^{2}}}=kf(x)

with initial conditions

f⁢(0)=A, f′⁢(0)=Bf(0)=A,\quad f^{\prime}(0)=B

has solution

f⁢(x)=A⁢cosh⁡β⁢x+Bβ⁢sinh⁡β⁢xf(x)=A\cosh\beta x+{{B}\over{\beta}}\sinh\beta x

where β=k/m\beta=\sqrt{k/m}.

This solution is not periodic, and does not oscillate. Usually f⁢(x)f(x) will diverge to ∞\infty or -∞-\infty as x→∞x\rightarrow\infty.