Problem:

Using Galerkin’s method, obtain the approximate solution to the differential equation
d 2u
2
 10 x 2  5 0  x 1
dx
Subjected to the boundary conditions, u(0) = 0, & u(1) = 0

Solution: The given differential equation may be considered to be the governing differential
equation of a beam, because, for a beam, the general behaviour equation is:
d2y
EI 2  M ( x)  0
dx
The given differential equation is:
d 2u
2
 10 x 2  5     (1)
dx
The given equation of beam may be schematically represented as

L=1

x=0 x=1
Residual require by Galerkin’s method is
d 2u
R( x)  2  10 x 2  5     (2)
dx

Selecting an appropriate solution for (1) so that it satisfies boundary conditions.

 x 
u ( x)  A sin   A sin( x)     (3) (L  1)
 L 
Differentiating (3) twice w.r.t. ‘x’ we get,
du
  A cos( x)
dx
d 2u
2
  2 A sin( x )
dx
Substituting in (2), R(x) =   2 A sin(x)  10 x 2  5 --------(4)

In Gelerkin’s method, we multiply the residual R(x) given by (3) by a weighting function
W(x). The weighting function W(x) is usually taken to be same as the assumed solution u(x).
Then we equate the integral of the product R(x) W(x) to zero.
L
i.e., I   W ( x) R ( x)dx  0
0
L
I   A sin(x )( 2 A sin x  10 x 2  5)dx  0
0
1 1 1
I   2 A2  sin(x )dx  10 A x 2 sin(x) dx  5 A sin(x)dx  0
0 0 0

I1 I2 I3

Consider the integral I1:

 1
 x 1 sin 2x 
1 1
1 1 
I1   A  sin x dx    A    cos 2x  dx   2 A2  
2 2 2 2 2

0 0 
2 2   2 2 2  0
1 
  2 A2   0   4.935 A2
 2 

Consider the integral I2:

1   2   cos x 1 1   cos x  
I 2  10 A x sin x dx   10 A  x 
2
     2 x.dx 
0      0 0    

 
1
1 2
  12 ( 1)  0 
   x cos x.dx
0