CHAPTER 2 : FIRST ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATONS

SEPARABLE VARIABLES

DEFINITION: Separable Equation

A first-order differential equation of the form

dy
= g ( x )h( y )
dx
is said to be separable or to have separable variables.

Techniques of Solving:

1
1. Separate the variables: p( y )dy = g( x )dx where p( y ) =
h( y )
2. Integrate both sides

Example :

Find the general solution of the given differential equation.

1) (1 + x )dy − ydx = 0
dy
2) = y2 − 4
dx

(e )
2
3) y
+ 1 e− y dx + (e x + 1)3 e− x dy = 0

Find the particular solution that satisfies the initial condition.

dy x
4) =− ; y (4) = −3
dx y

(y )
2
5) xydx + e− x 2
− 1 dy = 0; y (0) = 1
6) cot xdy − dx = 0; y (0) = 2
LINEAR EQUATIONS

DEFINITION: Linear Equation

A first-order differential equation of the form

dy
a1( x ) + a0 ( x )y = g( x ) -------------------------------(1)
dx
is said to be a linear equation in the dependent variable y .

If g( x ) = 0, homogeneous and if g( x )  0, nonhomogeneous.

Techniques of Solving:

dy
1. Put a linear equation (1) into the standard form: + P( x )y = f ( x ) .
dx
2. Identify P ( x ) and find the integrating factor (IF).

IF = e
P ( x )dx

3. Multiply the standard form of the equation by the integrating factor (IF).

 dy 
IF.  + P( x )y  = IF.f ( x )
 dx 
4. Rewrite step (iii)
d   P ( x )dx 
y  = e
P ( x )dx
e f (x)
dx  
5. Integrate both sides of this last equation.

** the function f ( x ) is called the input or driving function; a solution y ( x ) of the DE for a given
input is called the output or response.
Example:

1. Solve the given differential equation.

dy
a) − 3y = 0
dx
dy
b) − 3y = 6
dx
dy
c) x − 4 y = x 6e x
dx
dy sin x
d) x + 4y = 3
dx x
dy
2. Find the general solution of ( x 2 − 9) + xy = 0 .
dx
3. Solve the given initial-value problem.
dy
a) + y = x, y (0 ) = 4
dx
b)
dy
+ y = f ( x ) where
dx

1, 0  x 1
f (x) = 
0, x 1
SOLUTIONS BY SUBSTITUTIONS:

HOMOGENEOUS EQUATIONS

HOMOGENEOUS FUNCTION

If a function f possesses the property f (tx, ty ) = t  f ( x, y ) for some real number  , then f is said
to be a homogeneous function of degree  .

Example:

a) f ( x, y ) = x3 + y 3
b) f ( x, y ) = x 2 − 3xy + 5y 2
c) f ( x, y ) = x 2 − 3xy 2

HOMOGENEOUS EQUATIONS

A first-order De in differential form

M ( x, y ) dx + N ( x, y ) dy = 0 -----------------------------------(2)

is said to be homogeneous if both coefficient function M and N are homogeneous functions of

the same degree.

In other words, (2) is homogeneous if M(tx, ty ) = t  M( x, y ) and N(tx, ty ) = t  N( x, y ) .

Example:

Show that the following differential equation is homogeneous.

1) (x 2
) (
+ y 2 dx + x 2 − xy dy = 0)
2) (x 2
+ xy ) dx + ( x 3
)
− xy 2 dy = 0

SOLVING A HOMOGENEOUS DE

Techniques of Solving

dy
1. Standard Form: = F ( x, y )
dx
2. Substitute
dy du
y = ux, =u + x
dx dx

Or

dx dv
x = vy, =v + y
dy dy

3. Form separable equations

4. Integrate both sides
 y x
5. Replace u = or v = in the answer
x y

Example:

Solve the given differential equation.

1) (x 2
) ( )
+ y 2 dx + x 2 − xy dy = 0
dy
2) xy = x2 + y 2
dx
3) (x 2
)
+ 3xy + y 2 dx − x 2dy = 0

BERNOULLI’S EQUATION

Bernoulli’s equation is a DE in the form

dy
+ P( x )y = f ( x )y n ------------------------------------------(3)
dx
where n is any real number ( n  0,1)

Note:

If n = 0 and n = 1, the DE is linear

For n  0 and n  1 , the substitution u = y1−n reduces any equation of form (3) to a linear equation.

Techniques of Solving

dy
1. Standard Form: + P( x )y = f ( x )y n .
dx
2. Identify n
3. Divide the DE by y n .
du
4. Let u = y1−n and find
dx
**rearrange so that it can be subs in step (3)
du
5. Substitute u and in step (3)
dx
6. Solve using LDE.
7. Replace u = y1−n in final answers.
Example:

Solve the given differential equation.

dy
1) x + y = x2y 2
dx
2)
dy
dx
(
= y xy 3 − 1 )
dy 1
3) x 4 + x3 y = 2
dx y

REDUCTION TO SEPARATION OF VARIABLES

A differential equation of the form

dy
= f ( Ax + By + C )
dx
can always be reduced to an equation with separable variables by means of the substitution
u = Ax + By + C, B  0 .

Example:

Solve

dy
1) = (−2x + y )2 − 7, y (0) = 0
dx
dy
2) = 1 + e y − x +5
dx
dy
3) = 2 + y − 2x + 3
dx