Botswana International University of Science & Technology

Faculty of Sciences
Department of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences
End of Semester Two Examinations 2023/2024: Test 3

Course or Module Code: MATH 211

Course or Module Title: Applied Calculus
Date of Examination: Wednesday, 24th April 2024
Time of Examination: 1800hrs to 1930hrs (1 Hour 30 Minutes)

The following items are provided:

One Test Paper (3 printed pages in total including the cover page)
Answer Booklet(s)
Candidates are permitted to bring into the examination room:
A non-programmable scientific calculator
Pens and Pencils

The paper consists of five (5) questions.

Candidates must answer ALL questions. Total Marks: 50
• Show all necessary steps for your solutions.
• All answers must be written in the answer booklet(s) provided.
• All rough work must be written in the answer booklet(s) provided.
• A line should be drawn through any rough work to indicate to the examiner that it is not
part of the work to be graded.
• Black or blue pen only must be used for written answers and pencil for all drawings
and sketches.
• Ensure you have the correct number of pages on your examination question paper.

MATH 211, APPLIED CALCULUS

1
Question 1
Find the general solution to the differential equation [10 marks]

u00 − 6u0 + 9u = tet .

Question 2
Find the Fourier series expansion of [12 marks]

−1 −π < x < 0
f (x) =
1 0 < x < π.

Question 3
Find the Fourier cosine series expansion of f (x) = |x| relevant to the
interval 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. [8 marks]

Question 4
A forensics team of game rangers discovered a carcass of an elephant that was killed by poachers.
The forensics team was tasked to determine the length of time that had passed since the killing
of the elephant. The known maximum core body temperature of an elephant is 36.2◦ C. Within
the prevailing conditions, it is estimated that the temperature of the carcass reduced by 1.5◦ C
within the first minute after death. The average ambient temperature of the surrounding was
estimated to be 25◦ C. The temperature change can be described by Newton’s law of cooling
dT
= k(T − Ta )
dt
where k is a constant, and Ta is the ambient temperature.

(a) Solve the equation to determine the expression of temperature of the carcass [5 marks]
at any time t.

(b) If at the time of discovery the core body temperature was 25.4◦ C, determine [5 marks]
the length of time that had passed since the elephant was killed.

2
Question 5
Consider the heat initial-boundary-value problem

 u = uxx
 t


u(x, 0) = f (x)



u(0, t) = u(π, t) = 0

2
(a) Show that u(x, t) = e−n t sin nx, for n = 1, 2, 3, · · · is a solution to the PDE. [5 marks]

(b) If the general solution can be written as

∞
2
X
u(x, t) = cn e−n t sin nx,
n=1

and that
u(x, 0) = f (x) = 5 sin x − 3 sin 3x,

determine the explicit solution of the PDE. [5 marks]

END OF TEST

3
Solutions
1. Given u00 − 6u0 + 9u = tet
We first solve the homogeneous part u00 − 6u0 + 9u = 0X.
Let the auxiliary solution be u = eλt , u0 = λeλt X, u00 = λ2 eλt X
The characteristic equation is

λ2 − 6λ + 9 = 0, X

whose solution is

(λ − 3)2 = 0.X

The solution has repeated roots λ = 3.

The complementary solution is given by

yc = Ae3t + Bte3t .X

The particular solution takes the form yp = (a0 + a1 t)et .

Then

y 0 = a0 et + a1 tet + a1 et X
y 00 = a0 et + 2a1 et + a1 tet .X

Substituting in the equation, we get

a0 et + 2a1 et + a1 tet − 6(a0 et + a1 tet + a1 et ) + 9((a0 + a1 t)et ) = tet

(4a0 − 4a1 )et + 4a1 tet = tet .X

1
Comparing the coefficients, we get a1 = 4
and a0 = 14 .
Then, yp = 14 + 41 t et .

The general solution is given by

 
2t 2t 1 1
y = Ae + Bte + + t et X
4 4

4
2. We compute the coefficients
Z 0 Z π
1 1
an = cos nxdx + cos nxdxX
π −π π 0
0 π
1 1
=− sin nx + sin nx X
nπ −π nπ 0

= 0.X

Z 0 Z π
1 1
bn = − sin nxdx + sin nxdxX
π −π π 0
0 π
1 1
= cos nx − cos nx X
nπ −π nπ 0
1
= [1 − (−1)n − (−1)n + 1] X
nπ
2
= [1 − (−1)n ] X
nπ

1 0 1 π
Z Z
a0 = − dx + dxX
π −π π 0
1
x|0−π + x|π0 X


=
π
= −1 + 1X
= 0.X

Then the Fourier series is given as

∞
2X1
f (x) = (1 − (−1)n ) sin nx.X
π n=1 n
∞
4 X sin (2n − 1)x
= .
π n=1 2n − 1

3. Finding the Fourier cosine of f (x) = |x|, on the interval 0 ≤ x ≤ 1.

2 1
Z
2 1
a0 = xdxX = x2 0 = 1.X
1 0 2

5
 Z 1
2
an = x cos nπxX
1 0
 Z 1 
x 1 1
=2 sin nπx − sin nπx X
nπ 0 nπ 0
Z 1
2 2
= [0 − 0] − sin πxdxX
nπ nπ 0
1
2
= 2 2 cos nπx X
nπ 0
2
= 2 2 ((−1)n − 1) .X
nπ
Therefore, the Fourier series approximation is given by
∞
1 2 X (−1) − 1
f (x) = + 2 cos nπx.X
2 π n=1 n2

4. (a) The given equation is

dT
= k(T − T0 ).
dt
The equation can be solved by the method of separation of variables or using the inte-
grating factor method.
R
The integrating factor is µ(t) = e−k dt
= e−kt

Z
−kt
T ·e = −kTA e−kt dt
kTA −kt
= e +c
k
T · e−kt = TA e−kt + c
T = TA + ce−kt X

Given TA = 25, T (0) = 36.2. Then

36.2 = 25 + ce−k·0
36.2 − 25 = c
∴ c = 11.2.X

6
 Then the more specific solution is

T = 25 + 11.2e−kt X

Since the temperature reduced by 1.5◦ C, we have

T (1) = 36.2 − 1.5 = 34.7.

34.7 = 25 + 11.2e−k·1
34.7 − 25 = 11.2e−k·1
9.7 = 11.2e−k·1
9.7 = 11.2e−k
9.7
e−k =
11.2  
9.7
k = − ln X
11.2
 
11.2
k = ln
9.7
= 0.1438.

The specific equation becomes

T = 25 + 11.2e−0.1438t X

(b) Given T = 25.4, we need to find t.

25.4 = 25 + 11.2e−0.1438t X
0.4 = 11.2e−0.1438t X
0.4
e−0.1438t = X
11.2

0.4
ln 11.2
t= X
−0.1438
= 23.17.X

Just a little over 23 hours had passed by the time the carcass was discovered.

7
 2
5. (a) Given u(x, t) = e−n t sin nx

2
 u (x, t) = ne−n t cos nxX
 x


2
uxx (x, t) −n2 e−n t sin nxX

 2
= −n2 e−n t sin nxX

u (x, t)
t

We note that
2 2
LHS = ut = n2 e−n t sin nx = uxx (x, t) = −n2 e−n t sin nxXX

(b) Using initial conditions, we have

∞
X
5 sin x − 3 sin 3x = cn sin nxX
n=1

= c1 sin x + c2 sin 2x + c3 sin 3x + · · · .X

Comparing the coefficients, we have c1 = 5X, c3 = −3X, c2 = c4 = c5 = · · · = 0.

Thus, the explicit solution is given by

u(x, t) = 3e−t sin x − 3e−9t sin 3x.X