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Worked Examples · Example 4

Q.Verify that y=1x−log⁡xy=\frac{1}{x}-\log x is a solution of the differential equation x2d2ydx2+xdydx−y=log⁡xx^2\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}+x\frac{dy}{dx}-y=\log x

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Computing y′y' and y′′y'' for y=1x−log⁡xy=\tfrac1x-\log x and substituting reduces the LHS to exactly log⁡x\log x.

Substitute y,  y′=dydx,  y′′=d2ydx2y,\;y'=\dfrac{dy}{dx},\;y''=\dfrac{d^2y}{dx^2} into x2y′′+xy′−yx^2y''+xy'-y and check it equals log⁡x\log x. Recall ddxx−1=−x−2\dfrac{d}{dx}x^{-1}=-x^{-2} and ddxlog⁡x=1x\dfrac{d}{dx}\log x=\dfrac1x.

Given: y=1x−log⁡x=x−1−log⁡xy=\dfrac1x-\log x=x^{-1}-\log x.

  1. First derivative: y′=−x−2−1x=−1x2−1xy'=-x^{-2}-\dfrac1x=-\dfrac{1}{x^2}-\dfrac1x.
  2. Second derivative: y′′=2x−3+x−2=2x3+1x2y''=2x^{-3}+x^{-2}=\dfrac{2}{x^3}+\dfrac{1}{x^2}.
  3. x2y′′=x2 ⁣(2x3+1x2)=2x+1x^2y''=x^2\!\left(\dfrac{2}{x^3}+\dfrac{1}{x^2}\right)=\dfrac{2}{x}+1.
  4. xy′=x ⁣(−1x2−1x)=−1x−1xy'=x\!\left(-\dfrac{1}{x^2}-\dfrac1x\right)=-\dfrac1x-1.
  5. −y=−1x+log⁡x-y=-\dfrac1x+\log x. …

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