∫Calc Practice

Second-order linear equations

Problem 6.133 · medium

Solve \( \displaystyle y'' + 0y' + 1y = 0 \) with \( \displaystyle y(0) = -3,\ y'(0) = 0 \).
  1. Try y = e^(mx): the characteristic equation is m² + bm + c = 0.
  2. \[ \left(m - i\right) \left(m + i\right) = m^{2} + 1 \]
    Roots: -I, I.✓ Proved
  3. Roots α ± βi give y = e^(αx)(C₁cos βx + C₂sin βx).
  4. Use y(0) and y'(0) to find C₁ and C₂.
  5. \[ - 3 \cos{\left(x \right)} + \frac{d^{2}}{d x^{2}} \left(- 3 \cos{\left(x \right)}\right) = 0 \]
    The solution satisfies the equation.✓ Proved
  6. \[ -3 \]
    y(0).✓ Proved
  7. \[ 0 \]
    y'(0).✓ Proved
Answer \( y = - 3 \cos{\left(x \right)} \)

Lines: 4 proved, 3 not checked. The answer was also checked a second way, without looking at the solution. The reviewers disagree about how one step is explained; every verdict is in the receipt.

The full receipt
LineStatusChecked byDetail
1Not checked—a sentence; read, not computed
2✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(lhs - rhs) reduced to 0
3Not checked—a sentence; read, not computed
4Not checked—a sentence; read, not computed
5✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(lhs - rhs) reduced to 0
6✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(lhs - rhs) reduced to 0
7✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(lhs - rhs) reduced to 0
answer, a second way✓ Checked independentlysympy 1.14.0 + mpmath 1.3.0sympy.checkodesol substitutes the solution back; both initial conditions match

Reviewers

  • gpt-oss:20b: fail (error) — The solution skips the crucial step of determining the constants C₁ and C₂ from the initial conditions. It also presents the verification step in a confusing way and lists duplicate values for y(0) and y'(0) instead of showing the actual calculations. This omission makes the reasoning incomplete and potentially misleading.
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass — The solution correctly identifies the characteristic equation, roots, and general form. The constants are determined correctly via initial conditions, and the final answer is verified.
Every verdict on record (4)
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass 2026-09-27 — The solution correctly identifies the characteristic equation, roots, and general form. The constants are determined correctly via initial conditions, and the final answer is verified.
  • gpt-oss:20b: fail (error) 2026-09-27 — The solution skips the crucial step of determining the constants C₁ and C₂ from the initial conditions. It also presents the verification step in a confusing way and lists duplicate values for y(0) and y'(0) instead of showing the actual calculations. This omission makes the reasoning incomplete and potentially misleading.
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass 2026-09-27 — The solution correctly identifies the characteristic equation, finds the complex roots, applies the general solution formula for complex conjugate roots, and verifies the initial conditions.
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-27

Proved: SymPy reduced the difference between the two sides to zero. Checked independently: a separate method, named above, confirmed it. Checked numerically: the two sides agree at every sampled point, which is evidence, not proof. Reviewed: a model or a person read it; that is all a sentence can have. Solution by generator:structured/second_order_linear, checked 2026-09-27 with SymPy 1.14.0.