Mathematics
The Method of Undetermined Coefficients for Nonhomogeneous Differential Equations
Quick fact
The method of undetermined coefficients only 'guesses' a solution in the form of the forcing function, and if that guess appears in the homogeneous solution, you simply multiply it by x (the independent variable) to fix the overlap.
Why this is interesting
When a spring is driven by a rhythmic push, its motion is described by a differential equation with a forcing term. How can we predict the eventual steady oscillation?