Second-Order Linear Homogeneous
Differential Equations with
Constant Coefficients
Lang Moore and David Smith,
Duke University
with the assistance of
Jer-Chin Chuang, Furman University
John Michel, Marietta College
Purpose: To investigate
the qualitative behavior of the solutions of initial value problems of
the form
| y"
+ ay' + by |
= |
0, |
| y(0) |
= |
y0, |
| y'(0) |
= |
y1. |
In particular, to
determine how solutions depend on the signs and magnitudes of the coefficients
a and b and on the initial conditions.
Prerequisites: The helper application
tutorial and knowledge of the symbolic form of solutions of differential equations
of the form y" + ay' + by = 0.
