POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

STA. MESA, MANILA

ASSIGNMENT NO. 1

Title: INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Name: CYRUS O. RIVERA

Course and Section: BSME 2-1

Submitted to: ENGR. OSCAR L. POLOYAPOY

Date Submitted: JUNE 26, 2019

Score: __________
1. WHAT IS DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION?

A differential equation is a mathematical equation that relates some function with its derivatives.
In applications, the functions usually represent physical quantities, the derivatives represent their
rate of change, and the differential equation defines a relationship between the two. Because such
relations are extremely common, differential equations play a prominent role in many disciplines
including engineering, physics, economics, and biology.

2. GIVE EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS (2 for ODE and 2 for PDE)

AND IDENTIFY THE INDEPENDENT AND THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES.

Ordinary Differential Equation

𝑑𝑦
1. 𝑑𝑥
= 𝑥 2 − 1 ; y(x), where y is the dependent variable and x is the independent variable

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑧
2. − 𝑑𝑥 + 9𝑥 = 0 ; y(x) & z(x), where y and z are the dependent variables and x is the
𝑑𝑥
independent variable

Partial Differential Equation

𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦
1. + 𝜕𝑧 = 0 ; y(x,z), where x and z are the independent variables and y is the dependent
𝜕𝑥
variable

𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢
2. 5 (𝜕𝑦) − 𝜕𝑧 = 𝑧 2 + 𝑦 2 ; u(y,z), where y and z are the independent variables and u is the
dependent variable

3. DIFFERENTIATE DEPENDENT VARIABLE FROM INDEPENDENT VARIABLE.

The dependent variable depends on the independent variable. In a function, the independent
variable is the input while the dependent variable is the output. When the independent variable
changes, change in the dependent variable will also be observed. A function 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) is said to
relate the dependent variable y and the independent variable x. While an equation containing the
derivative of one or more dependent variables, with respect to one or more independent variables
is said to be a differential equation, or DE.

4. GIVE THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS BY TYPES.

ORDINARY DIFFERETIAL EQUATION is a differential equation containing one or more

functions of one independent variable and the derivatives of those function/s.
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦
Examples: 1. = 5𝑥 − 3 2. = 7𝑦 2 𝑥 3
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑥
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION is a differential equation that contains unknown
multivariable functions and their partial derivatives.

𝜕2 𝑢 𝜕2 𝑢 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡
Examples: 1. + 𝜕𝑦 2 = 0 2. − 3 𝜕𝑦 = 4𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2
𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑥

5. GIVE THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION BY ORDER.

Differential Equations are classified on the basis of order. Order of a differential equation is the
order of the highest order derivative (also known as differential coefficient) present in the
equation.

FIRST ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

The order of highest derivative in case of first order differential equation is 1. A linear
differential equation order 1. In case of linear differential equations, the first derivative is the
highest order derivative.

𝑦 ′ + 2𝑥𝑦 = 𝑥
Examples:
𝑥 2 𝑦 ′ = −2𝑦

SECOND ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

When the order of the highest derivative present is 2, then it represents a second order
differential equation.

𝑦 ′′ + 𝑦 ′ − 6𝑦 = 0
Examples:
4𝑦 ′′ + 12𝑦 ′ + 9𝑦 = 0

HIGHER ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

When the order of the highest derivative present is 3 or more, the it represents a higher order
differential equation.

𝑦 ′′′ − 2𝑦 ′ ′ − 4𝑦 ′ + 8𝑦 = 0
Examples:
3𝑦 ′′′′ + 𝑦 ′ − 5𝑦 ′′′ = 15𝑦

6. GIVE THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION BY DEGREE.

The degree of differential equation is represented by the power of the highest order derivative in
the given differential equation.

The differential equation must be a polynomial equation in derivatives for the degree to be
defined.
 Example 1: −𝑦 ′′′′ + 2𝑦 ′′ − 3𝑦 ′ + 𝑦 = 9

Here, the exponent of the highest order derivative is one and the given differential equation is a
polynomial equation in derivatives. Hence, the degree of this equation is 1.

Example 2: [𝑦 ′′ + (𝑦 ′ )2 ]4 = 𝑘 2 (𝑦 ′′′ )2

The order of this equation is 3 and the degree is 2 as the highest derivative is of order 3 and the
exponent raised to highest derivative is 2.

Example 3: 𝑦 ′′ + cos(𝑦 ′′ ) = 5𝑥

The given differential equation is not a polynomial equation in derivatives. Hence, the degree for
this equation is not defined.

Example 4: (𝑦 ′′′ )2 + 𝑦 = 0

The order of this equation is 3 and the degree is 2.

7. GIVE THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION BY LINEARITY.

A differential equation is linear if the dependent variable and all its derivative occur linearly in
the equation.

𝑦′ + 𝑥2𝑦 = 𝑥

𝑦 ′′′ − 2𝑦 ′′ + 𝑦 ′ = 2𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥

FIRST ORDER LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

𝑦 ′ + 𝑃(𝑥)𝑦 = 𝑄(𝑥)

𝑦′ + 𝑥 = 0

SECOND ORDER LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

𝑦 ′′ + 𝑃(𝑥)𝑦 ′ + 𝑄(𝑥)𝑦 = 𝑅(𝑥)

𝑦 ′′ = 2𝑥𝑦

8. WHAT IS NON-LINEAR ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION AND GIVE

EXAMPLES.

Linear just means that the variables in an equation appears only with a power of one. So x is
linear but 𝑥 2 is non-linear. Also any function like cos 𝑥 is non-linear.
A system of nonlinear equations is a system of two or more equations in two or more variables
containing at least one equation that is not linear. Recall that a linear equation can take the form
𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶 = 0. Any equation that cannot be written in this form in nonlinear.

9. GIVE STEPS IN ELIMINATION OF ARBITRCONSTANT, GIVE EXAMPLES.

Answers in number 9 is located at the last 2 pages

10. FAMILIES OF CURVES

A set of curves whose equations are of the same form but which have different values assigned
to one or more parameters in the equations. Families of curves arise, for example, in the
solutions to differential equations with a free parameter.

As it is known, the solution of a differential equation is displayed graphically as a family

of integral curves. It turns out that one can also solve the inverse problem: construct a differential
equation of the family of plane curves defined by an algebraic equation!

Suppose that a family of plane curves is described by the implicit one-parameter equation:

𝐹(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝐶) = 0

We assume that the function F has continuous partial derivatives in x and y. To write the
corresponding differential equation of first order, it’s necessary to perform the following steps:

𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝐹
1. Differentiate F with respect to x considering y as a function of x: + 𝜕𝑦 (𝑦 ′ ) = 0
𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝐹
+ 𝜕𝑦 (𝑦 ′ ) = 0
2. Solve the system of equations by eliminating the parameter C from it: {𝜕𝑥
𝐹(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝐶) = 0
If a family of plane curves is given by the two-parameter equation: 𝐹(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝐶1 , 𝐶2 ) = 0
We should differentiate the last formula twice by considering y as a function of x and then
eliminating the parameters C1 and C2 from the system of three equations.
The similar rule is applied to the case of n-parametric family of plane curves.

9. GIVE STEPS IN ELIMINATION OF ARBITRCONSTANT, GIVE EXAMPLES.