Second-Order Linear Homogeneous
Differential Equations with
Constant Coefficients

Part 4: Summary

1. What type of solutions do you expect for a second-order linear differential equation

y" + by

=

0,

where b > 0?

2. What type of solutions do you expect for a second-order linear differential equation

y" + by

=

0,

where b < 0?

3. Explain why the differential equation

y" - y

=

0

has such a wide range of different solutions.

4. For a differential equation of the form

y" + ay' + by

=

0,

what are the effects of a nonzero a term? What is the difference between positive values of a and negative values of a?