TITLE: Solution of $\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} - \frac{H(x) y}{b} = H(-x)$
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: Does the equation
$$\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} - \frac{H(x)}{b} y = c H(x)$$
have a solution where $H(x)$ is the Heaviside step function and $b$ and $c$ are constant?

Update: What about the second step function be $H(-x)$:
$$\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} - \frac{H(x)}{b} y = c H(-x)$$

REPLY [3 votes]: I'm going to answer the updated question, which asks for the solution of the problem:

$$ \color{green}{y''(x) - \frac{H(x)}{b} y(x) = H(-x) \, c } \tag{1}$$

which can be rewritten equivalently as follows:
$$ \begin{array}{ll}
y_1'' - \frac{1}{b} y_1 = 0 & \quad x > 0  \\ \tag{2}
y_2'' = c & \quad x < 0  
\end{array}$$ 
where I have denoted $y_1(x)$ as the solution for $x>0$ and $y_2(x)$ the solution for $x<0$. If we integrate both equations we will arrive at:

$$ \color{blue}{y_1(x) = A e^{r_1 x} + B e^{r_2 x}, \quad y_2(x) = \frac{c x^2}{2} + Dx +E} \tag{3}$$ 

where $r_i$ are the solutions of the characteristic equation $s^2 - 1/b = 0$ and $A, B,  D$ and $E$ are constants of integration. To enforce continuity of both the function and its first derivative, we must provide: 
$$y_1(0) = y_2(0), \quad y'_1(0) = y_2'(0), \tag{4}$$
which yields to:
\begin{align}
A+B & = E  \\
Ar_1 + B r_2 & = D, \tag{5}
\end{align} which gives us the solution, provided $r_1 \neq r_2$:

$$\color{blue}{A = \frac{D-r_2 E}{r_1 - r_2} , \quad B = \frac{D - r_1 E}{r_2 - r_1}}  \tag{6}$$

The constants $D$ and $E$ remain unkown until any boundary conditions or initial conditions are specified.
Hope this helps!
Cheers.