Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 7.

2 Page 1 of 8
Section 7.2: Separable Differential Equations
Big idea: There are many different techniques for solving diff. eqs. (Not DIFFY Q).
Differential equations get grouped according to their method of solution. Differential equations
that can be solved by isolating the function and the independent variable on opposite sides of the
equation are called SEPARABLE.
Separable differential equations have the property:
( ) ( ) ( ) y x u x v y
Thus their solution is given by the formula:
1
( ) ( )
( )
1
( )
( )
y x u x
v y
dy u x dx c
v y

+

Big skill:. To be able to recognize separable differential equations, and to solve them by
separating the variables.
Example:
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
2 2
2
2 1
2 1
2 1
2 1
2 1
1
2
2 2
x
y x
y x
yy x
dy
y x
dx
ydy x dx
ydy x dx
y x x c
y x x x c
+

+
+
+
+
+ +
+ +

Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 7.2 Page 2 of 8
Another (Hard) Example:
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( )
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
2
2
2
2
2
2 2
2
2 cos 1
2
cos 1
1
2
cos 1
1
2
cos 1
1
2
cos 1
cos 1 1
cos 1 cos 1
cos 1
cos 1
cos 1
sin
cot csc csc
csc( ) cot( )
y x x y x
y
x
y
dy
x
dx y
dy xdx
y
dy xdx
y
y
dy x c
y y
y
dy x c
y
y
dy x c
y
y y dy y dy x c
y y x c

+
+
+
+
+

+
+

+
+ +

Notice: the solution can only be stated implicitly.
Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 7.2 Page 3 of 8
Another Example:
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
2
2
2
2 1
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
ln 1
1 ^ ( )
( ) 1 ^ ( )
y x x y x
y
x
y
dy
x
y dx
dy xdx
y
dy xdx
y
y x c
y e x c
y x e x c

+
+
+ +

Family of solutions: all the different graphs for all the c values
Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 7.2 Page 4 of 8
Initial value problem (IVP) initial conditions: How we pick a given value for c
We can only solve for the constant of integration c if we are given an initial condition (i.e. a
point on a curve).
For example:
IF y(0) = 1.5
THEN
1+e^(0+c) = 1.5
e^c = 0.5
c = ln(0.5)
y(x) = 1 + e^(x
2
+ ln(0.5))
Hint: It is often easier to solve for c before you get the final form of y(x).
Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 7.2 Page 5 of 8
Another IVP example:
( ) ( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
2
2
2
2
2 2
2
1 2
( ) cos
1
cos
1
cos
1
cos
1
sec
2
1
tan
2
1
tan
2
y x x y x
y x
y
dy xdx
y
dy xdx
y
y dy x c
y x c
y x x c

+
+
_
+

,

If the IVP is y(2) = /4, then

( )
2
1 2
1
tan 2
4 2
1 2
1
1
tan 1
2
c
c
c
y x x

_
+

,


_


,
Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 7.2 Page 6 of 8
Logistic growth: A model that reflects the fact that as a population grows exponentially, it is
also filling up its environment, which limits the rate of growth. If k is the growth rate, and M is
the maximum carrying capacity of the environment, then the mathematical model is:
( ) ( ) y t ky M y
.
Note that y = 0 and y = M are two special solutions of this equation, corresponding to the fact
that the rate of growth y = 0 when there is no population to start with, or when the population
starts at the maximum carrying capacity of the environment.
Given an initial condition of (t
0
, y
0
), the solution is: ( )
( )
( )
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
kM t t
kM t t
My
e
M y
y t
y
e
M y

.
Proof:
Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 7.2 Page 7 of 8
Linear First-Order Differential Equations: are first-order differential equations where any
occurrences of the dependent function y are linear in nature. For example, the exponential
growth/decay model y(t) = ky is linear, but the logistic growth model
( ) ( )
2
y t ky M y kMy ky
is not linear. Linear first order differential equations are nice
because one can derive a formula for the solution to any such type of equation. The derivation of
this formula involves the application of something called an integrating factor, which is a
multiplicative function that converts the linear terms in y to an exact differential.
Start with:
( ) y t ky
, which can be written as: ( ) 0 y t ky +
, which we know has solution ( )
kt c
y t e
+

.
Now what if we have the more general case of ( ) y ky g t +
? Notice that the left-hand side of
the equation sort of looks like a product rule derivative If we could find a function u(t) to
multiply times y(t), then we could have ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
d
u t y t g t
dt
, which is easy to solve by direct
integration. The key observation is to pick ( )
kt
u t e
, because then
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
kt kt kt
kt
d
e y t ke y t e y t
dt
e y t ky t
+
+
Which means we can write the original differential equation as
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
kt kt
kt kt
kt kt
kt kt
kt kt kt
y t ky t g t
e y t ky t e g t
d
e y t e g t
dt
d e y t e g t dt
e y t e g t dt c
y t e e g t dt ce

+
+

+
+

The function u(t) is the so-called integrating factor.

Practice: Solve ( ) 2
t
y t y e

+
using this technique, given the initial condition y(0) = 0.75.
Calc 2 Lecture Notes Section 7.2 Page 8 of 8
For the more general linear first-order equation:
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) y t p t y t g t +
, we still want to find an integrating factor u(t) which turns the left-hand
side of the equation into a perfect differential. So, we want
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
d
u t y t p t y t u t y t
dt
u t y t u t p t y t u t y t u t y t
+ 1
]
+ +
Equating y(t) terms, we get ( ) ( ) ( ) u t p t u t
, which means
( )
( )
( )
u t
p t
u t

.
This has a solution for u(t):
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( )
ln
exp
du
p t dt
u
u t p t dt
u t p t dt

Thus the solution of the original differential equation is:

( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
1
y t p t y t g t
d
u t y t u t g t
dt
u t y t u t g t dt c
y t u t g t dt c
u t
+
1
]
+
+

Practice: Solve ( ) 2 y t ty t
using this technique, given the initial condition y(0) = 0.