Solutions for practice problems for the Final, part 3

Note: Practice problems for the Final Exam, part 1 and part 2 are the
same as Practice problems for Midterm 1 and Midterm 2.

1. Calculate Fourier Series for the function f (x), defined on [−2, 2], where
(
−1, −2 ≤ x ≤ 0,
f (x) =
2, 0 < x ≤ 2.

We have ∞
a0 X πnx πnx
µ ¶
f (x) = + an cos + bn sin ,
2 n=1 2 2
where
1
µZ 0 Z 2 ¶
a0 = (−1) dx + 2 dx = 1,
2 −2 0
1 πnx πnx
µZ 0 Z 2 ¶
an = (−1) cos dx + 2 cos dx =
2 −2 2 0 2
à ¸0 ¸2 !
1 2 πnx 2 πnx
· ·
(−1) sin +2 sin = 0, n > 0,
2 πn 2 −2 πn 2 0

and
1 πnx πnx
µZ 0 Z 2 ¶
bn = (−1) sin dx + 2 sin dx =
2 −2 2 0 2
à ¸0 ¸2 !
1 2 πnx 2 πnx
· ·
−(−1) cos −2 cos =
2 πn 2 −2 πn 2 0

1 1 3
(1 − cos πn) − 2 (cos πn − 1) = (1 − (−1)n ).
πn πn πn
Therefore, we have
∞
1 X 3 πnx
f (x) = + (1 − (−1)n ) sin .
2 n=1 πn 2

An easy way to see that all of an except a0 are zero is to note that
1
f (x) = + g(x),
2

1
 where g(x) is an odd function,
(
3/2, x > 0,
g(x) =
−3/2, x < 0.

2. Calculate Fourier Series for the function f (x), defined on [−5, 5], where

f (x) = 3H(x − 2).

By a similar method,
∞
9 X −3 2πn πnx 3 2πn πnx
· µ ¶ ¸
f (x) = + sin cos + cos − (−1)n sin .
5 n=1 πn 5 5 πn 5 5

3. Calculate Fourier Series for the function, f (x), defined as follows:

(a) x ∈ [−4, 4], and
f (x) = 5.

Comparing f (x) with the general Fourier Series expression with L = 4,

∞
a0 X πnx πnx
µ ¶
g(x) = + an cos + bn sin ,
2 n=1 4 4

we can see that a0 = 10, an = bn = 0 for n > 0 will give f (x) = g(x).
(b) x ∈ [−π, π], and

f (x) = 21 + 2 sin 5x + 8 cos 2x.

Again, for L = π, we have

∞
a0 X
g(x) = + (an cos nx + bn sin nx) ,
2 n=1

and setting a0 = 42, a2 = 8, b5 = 2 and the rest of the coefficients zero,

we obtain f (x) = g(x).
(c) x ∈ [−π, π], and
8
X
f (x) = cn sin nx, with cn = 1/n.
n=1

2
 Similarly, we set bn = 1/n for 1 ≤ n ≤ 8, and the rest of the coefficients
zero.
(d) x ∈ [−3, 3], and
6
X
f (x) = −4 + cn (sin(πnx/3) + 7 cos(πnx/3)), with cn = (−1)n .
n=1

We have ∞
a0 X πnx πnx
µ ¶
g(x) = + an cos + bn sin ,
2 n=1 3 3
so we set a0 = −8, an = 7(−1)n for 1 ≤ n ≤ 6 and bn = (−1)n for
1 ≤ n ≤ 6, and the rest of the coefficients zero.

4. (a) Let f (x) = x + x3 for x ∈ [0, π]. What coefficients of the Fourier
Series of f are zero? Which ones are non-zero? Why?
f (x) is an odd function. Indeed,

f (−x) = −x + (−x)3 = −x − x3 = −(x + x3 ) = −f (x),

therefore an = 0, and bn can be nonzero.

(b) Let g(x) = cos(x5 ) + sin(x2 ). What coefficients of the Fourier Series
of g are zero? Which ones are non-zero? Why?
g(x) is an even function. Indeed,

g(−x) = cos((−x)5 )+sin((−x)2 ) = cos(−x5 )+sin(x2 ) = cos(x5 )+sin(x2 ) = g(x).

Therefore, bn = 0, and an can be nonzero.

5. Let f (x) = 2x + x4 for x ∈ [0, 5].

(a) Write down the function G(x), which is the odd continuation for
f (x). Specify what terms will be zero and non-zero in the Fourier
expansion for G(x).
We have (
2x + x4 , x > 0,
G(x) =
2x − x4 , x < 0.

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 Indeed, we can check that if α > 0, then G(−α) = −2α − (−α)4 =
−2α − α4 = −G(α). In the Fourier expansion for G, an = 0, and bn
can be nonzero.
(b) Write down the function V (x), which is the even continuation for
f (x). Specify what terms will be zero and non-zero in the Fourier
expansion for V (x).
We have (
2x + x4 , x > 0,
V (x) =
−2x + x4 , x < 0.
Indeed, we can check that if α > 0, then V (−α) = −2(−α) + (−α)4 =
2α + α4 = V (α). In the Fourier expansion for V , bn = 0, and an can
be nonzero.

6. Suppose f (x) is defined for x ∈ [0, 7], and f (x) = 2e−4x . Another
function, F (x), is given by the following:
∞
X
F (x) = an cos(πnx/7),
n=0

where
2 Z 7 −4x πnx
µ ¶
an = 2e cos dx.
7 0 7
What is the value of F (3)? What is the value of F (−2)?
The function F (x) is the cosine Fourier expansion of f . On the domain
of f , that is, for x ∈ [0, 7], we have F (x) = f (x). Therefore, since
3 ∈ [0, 7], then F (3) = f (3) = 2e−12 .
For the negative values of x, the cosine series converges to the even
extension of f (x), which is 2e−4|x| . Therefore, F (−2) = f (2) = 2e−8 .
Note: a sine Fourier series would give the odd extension, and in this
case we would have −f (2) = −2e−8 .

7. Let us supposed that both ends of a string of length 25 cm are attached

to fixed points at hight 0. Initially, the string is at rest, and has the
shape 4 sin(2πx/25), where x is the horizontal coordinate along the
string, with zero at the left end. The speed of wave propagation along

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 the string is 3 cm/sec. Write down the complete initial and boundary
value problem for the shape of the string.
We have the following initial and boundary value problem:
∂ 2y ∂2y
= 9 , x ∈ [0, 25], (1)
∂t2 ∂x2
y(0, t) = y(25, t) = 0, (2)
y(x, 0) = 4 sin(2πx/25), (3)
∂y(x, 0)
= 0. (4)
∂t
8. Let us suppose that the following boundary value problem is given:
∂ 2y ∂2y
= 50 , x ∈ [0, 100], (5)
∂t2 ∂x2
y(0, t) = y(100, t) = 0, (6)
y(x, 0) = x2 (100 − x), (7)
(
∂y(x, 0) x, 0 ≤ x ≤ 25,
= (8)
∂t 1/3(100 − x), 25 ≤ x ≤ 100.
What is the speed of wave propagation along the string? What is the
initial displacement of the string at point x = 20? What is the initial
velocity of the string at point x = 50? At what point of the string is
the initial velocity the largest?
√
The speed of wave propagation along the string is 50. The initial
displacement of the string at point x = 20 is 202 (100 − 20) = 32000.
The initial velocity of the string at point x = 50 is 1/3(100−50) = 50/3.
The maximum of the initial velocity is at point x = 25 (plot the graph
of the initial velocity, equation (8), to see this).
9. Let us suppose that the following boundary value problem is given:
∂2y ∂2y
= , x ∈ [0, 2], (9)
∂t2 ∂x2
y(0, t) = y(π, t) = 0, (10)
y(x, 0) = 0, (11)
∂y(x, 0)
= g(x). (12)
∂t

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 Suppose that Z 2
πnx 1
µ ¶
g(x) sin dx = .
0 2 n3
Find y(x, t).
For the problem with the zero initial displacement, the solution is given
in terms of the initial velocity (here c = 1),
∞
X nπx nπt
y(x, t) = cn sin sin ,
n=1 2 2

with
2 Z2 πnx 2
µ ¶
cn = g(x) sin dx = 4 .
nπ 0 2 nπ
10. Let us suppose that the following boundary value problem is given:
∂2y ∂ 2y
= , x ∈ [0, π], (13)
∂t2 ∂x2
y(0, t) = y(π, t) = 0, (14)
y(x, 0) = 22 sin 2x + 8 sin 6x, (15)
∂y(x, 0)
= 0. (16)
∂t
Find y(x, t), in a closed form (containing no integrals). You will not
need to evaluate any integrals.
We look for the solution is the form,
∞
X
y(x, t) = cn sin nx cos nt.
n=1

To satisfy initial condition (15), we set t = 0 and obtain,

∞
X
y(x, 0) = cn sin nx.
n=1

To make this equal to f (x) = 22 sin 2x+8 sin 6x, we set c2 = 22, c6 = 8,
and the rest of them zero. We obtain,

y(x, t) = 22 sin 2x cos 2t + 8 sin 6x cos 6t.