assignment Homework

Fourier Transform of Cosine and Sine

1. Find the Fourier transforms of \(f(x)=\cos kx\) and \(g(x)=\sin kx\).
2. Find the Fourier transform of \(g(x)\) using the formula for the Fourier transform of a derivative and your result for the Fourier transform of \(f(x)\). Compare with your previous answer.
3. In quantum mechanics, the Fourier transform is the set of coefficients in the expansion of a quantum state in terms of plane waves, i.e. the function \(\tilde{f}(k)\) is a continuous histogram of how much each functions \(e^{ikx}\) contributes to the quantum state. What does the Fourier transform of the function \(\cos kx\) tell you about which plane waves make up this quantum state? Write a sentence or two about how this makes sense.

assignment Homework

Fourier Series for the Ground State of a Particle-in-a-Box.

• Set up the integrals for the Fourier series for this state.

• Which terms will have the largest coefficients? Explain briefly.

• Are there any coefficients that you know will be zero? Explain briefly.

• Using the technology of your choice or by hand, calculate the four largest coefficients. With screen shots or otherwise, show your work.

• Using the technology of your choice, plot the ground state and your approximation on the same axes.

assignment Homework

Circle Trigonometry

On the following diagrams, mark both \(\theta\) and \(\sin\theta\) for \(\theta_1=\frac{5\pi}{6}\) and \(\theta_2=\frac{7\pi}{6}\). Write one to three sentences about how these two representations are related to each other. (For example, see: this PHET)

assignment Homework

Homogeneous Linear ODE's with Constant Coefficients

Homogeneous, linear ODEs with constant coefficients were likely covered in your Differential Equations course (MTH 256 or equiv.). If you need a review, please see:

Constant Coefficients, Homogeneous

or your differential equations text.

Answer the following questions for each differential equation below:

• identify the order of the equation,
• find the number of linearly independent solutions,
• find an appropriate set of linearly independent solutions, and
• find the general solution.

1. \(\ddot{x}-\dot{x}-6x=0\)
2. \(y^{\prime\prime\prime}-3y^{\prime\prime}+3y^{\prime}-y=0\)
3. \(\frac{d^2w}{dz^2}-4\frac{dw}{dz}+5w=0\)

assignment Homework

Inhomogeneous Linear ODEs with Constant Coefficients

The general solution of the homogeneous differential equation

\[\ddot{x}-\dot{x}-6 x=0\]

is

\[x(t)=A\, e^{3t}+ B\, e^{-2t}\]

where \(A\) and \(B\) are arbitrary constants that would be determined by the initial conditions of the problem.

1. Find a particular solution of the inhomogeneous differential equation \(\ddot{x}-\dot{x}-6 x=-25\sin(4 t)\).

2. Find the general solution of \(\ddot{x}-\dot{x}-6 x=-25\sin(4 t)\).

3. Some terms in your general solution have an undetermined coefficients, while some coefficients are fully determined. Explain what is different about these two cases.

4. Find a particular solution of \(\ddot{x}-\dot{x}-6 x=12 e^{-3 t}\)

5. Find the general solution of \(\ddot{x}-\dot{x}-6 x=12 e^{-3 t}-25\sin(4 t)\)

   How is this general solution related to the particular solutions you found in the previous parts of this question?

   Can you add these particular solutions together with arbitrary coefficients to get a new particular solution?

6. Sense-making: Check your answer; Explicitly plug in your final answer in part (e) and check that it satisfies the differential equation.