492 DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
For example, if y=4 cos 2x,
then
d^6 y
dx^6
=y(6)=4(2^6 ) cos
(
2 x+
6 π
2
)
=4(2^6 ) cos(2x+ 3 π)
=4(2^6 ) cos(2x+π)
=−256 cos 2x
(iv) Ify=xa,y′=axa−^1 ,y′′=a(a−1)xa−^2 ,
y′′′=a(a−1)(a−2)xa−^3 ,
andy(n)=a(a−1)(a−2).....(a−n+1)xa−n
ory(n)=
a!
(a−n)!
xa−n (4)
whereais a positive integer.
For example, ify= 2 x^6 , then
d^4 y
dx^4
=y(4)
= (2)
6!
(6−4)!
x^6 −^4
= (2)
6 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1
2 × 1
x^2
= 720 x^2
(v) Ify=sinhax, y′=acoshax
y′′=a^2 sinhax
y′′′=a^3 coshax, and so on
Since sinhaxis not periodic (see graph on page
43), it is more difficult to find a general state-
ment fory(n). However, this is achieved with the
following general series:
y(n)=
an
2
{[1+(−1)n] sinhax
+[1−(−1)n] coshax} (5)
For example, if
y=sinh 2x, then
d^5 y
dx^5
=y(5)
=
25
2
{[1+(−1)^5 ] sinh 2x
+[1−(−1)^5 ] cosh 2x}
=
25
2
{[0] sinh 2x+[2] cosh 2x}
=32 cosh 2x
(vi) Ify=coshax,
y′=asinhax
y′′=a^2 coshax
y′′′=a^3 sinhax, and so on
Since coshaxis not periodic (see graph on page
43), again it is more difficult to find a general
statement fory(n). However, this is achieved
with the following general series:
y(n)=
an
2
{[1−(−1)n] sinhax
+[1+(−1)n] coshax} (6)
For example, ify=
1
9
cosh 3x,
then
d^7 y
dx^7
=y(7)=
(
1
9
)
37
2
(2 sinh 3x)
=243 sinh 3x
(vii) Ify=lnax,y′=
1
x
,y′′=−
1
x^2
,y′′′=
2
x^3
, and
so on.
In general,y(n)=(− 1 )n−^1
(n−1)!
xn
(7)
For example, ify=ln 5x, then
d^6 y
dx^6
=y(6)=(−1)^6 −^1
(
5!
x^6
)
=−
120
x^6
Note that ify=lnx,y′=
1
x
; if in equation (7),
n=1 theny′=(−1)^0
(0)!
x^1
(−1)^0 =1 and ify′=
1
x
then(0)!= 1 (Check
that (−1)^0 =1 and (0)!=1 on a calculator).
Now try the following exercise.
Exercise 194 Further problems on higher
order differential coefficients as series
Determine the following derivatives:
- (a)y(4)wheny=e^2 x(b)y(5)wheny=8e
t
2
[(a) 16 e^2 x(b)
1
4
e
t
(^2) ]
- (a)y(4)wheny=sin 3t
(b)y(7)wheny=
1
50
sin 5θ
[(a) 81 sin 3t (b)− 1562 .5 cos 5θ]