What differential equations correspond to these solutions?

35 Views Asked by At

Given solutions from two ODE's:

$x(t)=\alpha \sin(\omega t+\phi)$

$y(t)=\alpha \omega \cos(\omega t+\phi)$

Which two ODEs correspond to each of these solutions?

My considerations:

Obviously, the oscillator equation must be used:

$\frac{dx}{dt^2}+\omega^2x=0$

or

$\frac{dy}{dt^2}+\omega^2y=0$

These equations provide the solution $\sin(\omega t)$. How to modify them to take into account the amplitude and phase of the sinusoidal signal?

1

There are 1 best solutions below

5
On BEST ANSWER

Your O.D.E does allow for a phase expression. First of all, the general solution is, as you say:

$$x=A\sin(\omega t)+B\cos(\omega t)$$

But now consider this:

$$\alpha\sin(\omega t+\epsilon)=\alpha\sin(\omega t)\cos(\epsilon)+\alpha\cos(\omega t)\sin(\epsilon)$$

If we write that as equivalent to the first general solution, we have:

$$A\sin(\omega t)+B\cos(\omega t)\equiv\alpha\sin(\omega t)\cos(\epsilon)+\alpha\cos(\omega t)\sin(\epsilon)\\A=\alpha\cos(\epsilon)\\B=\alpha\sin(\epsilon)$$

And so it indeed does make sense to let the solution be written in phase-amplitude form.

Furthermore:

$$A^2+B^2=\alpha^2(\cos^2(\epsilon)+\sin^2(\epsilon))=\alpha^2\\\alpha=\sqrt{A^2+B^2}\\\frac{B}{A}=\frac{\alpha\sin(\epsilon)}{\alpha\cos(\epsilon)}=\tan(\epsilon)$$

So you can completely determine the phase-amplitude form from the initial conditions.