Determine the scalar product of the functions \(f(x)=\cos (2 n \pi x / L)\) and \(g(x)=\cos (2 p \pi x / L)\) on the domain \(0 \leq x \leq L\), where \(n \neq p\) are positive integers greater than zero.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The scalar product of the given functions on the domain \(0\leq x\leq L\) is 0.

Step by step solution

01

Find the product of \(f(x)\) and \(g(x)\)

To calculate the product, simply multiply both functions: \( f(x)g(x)=\cos(2 n \pi x / L)\cos(2 p \pi x / L)\)
02

Integrate the product over the given domain

Now we need to integrate this product on the interval \(0\leq x\leq L\). We will use the trigonometric identity: \(\cos(a) \cos(b)=\frac{1}{2}\left[\cos(a-b)+\cos(a+b)\right]\) Applying this identity to the product \(f(x)g(x)\) with \(a=2n\pi x/L\) and \(b=2p\pi x/L\), we get: \( f(x)g(x) = \frac{1}{2}\left[\cos\left(\frac{2(n-p)\pi x}{L}\right) + \cos\left(\frac{2(n+p)\pi x}{L}\right)\right]\) Now we will integrate the product over the domain \(0\leq x\leq L\): \(\int_0^L f(x)g(x)dx = \frac{1}{2}\int_0^L \left[\cos\left(\frac{2(n-p)\pi x}{L}\right) + \cos\left(\frac{2(n+p)\pi x}{L}\right)\right]dx\) Integration of both cosine terms, we get: \(= \frac{1}{2}\left[\frac{L}{2(n-p)\pi}\sin\left(\frac{2(n-p)\pi x}{L}\right) + \frac{L}{2(n+p)\pi}\sin\left(\frac{2(n+p)\pi x}{L}\right)\right] \bigg|_0^L\) We can now evaluate the expression at the limits: \(= \frac{1}{2}\left[\frac{L}{2(n-p)\pi}\sin\left(\frac{2(n-p)\pi L}{L}\right) + \frac{L}{2(n+p)\pi}\sin\left(\frac{2(n+p)\pi L}{L}\right) - \left(\frac{L}{2(n-p)\pi}\sin\left(\frac{2(n-p)\pi (0)}{L}\right) + \frac{L}{2(n+p)\pi}\sin\left(\frac{2(n+p)\pi (0)}{L}\right)\right)\right]\) Notice that all sine terms with integer multiples of \(\pi\) are zero. Therefore: \(\int_0^L f(x)g(x)dx = 0\) So, the scalar product of the given functions \(f(x)\) and \(g(x)\) on the domain \(0\leq x\leq L\) is \(\boxed{0}\).

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free