Linear Differential Equations

1. Consider a simple first-order linear equation, y 0 + y = ex .

(a) The general form of a first-order linear equation is y 0 + a(x)y = k(x). What are
a(x) and k(x) in this example?

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(b) Let A(x) = a(x)dx. What is A(x) in this example?
Note: There is no need to put +C in this integral. If you do, it will cancel out in
the end.

(c) The integrating factor is the quantity m(x) = eA(x) . What is m(x) in this exam-
ple?

(d) Multiply both sides of the original equation by m(x). What do you get?

(e) What is the derivative of m(x)y with respect to x?(Remember the product and
chain rules.) Does this look familiar?

(f) Take your equation from part (d), and integrate both sides with respect to x.
Your result from part (c) should take care of the left side for you.
Note: You DO need +C this time.

(g) Take your equation from part (f), and solve for y to obtain the general solution
to your differential equation.

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 y
2. Use the same steps above to find the general solution of y 0 + x
= sin x.

3. Find the solutions of y 0 − y sin x = sin x. This is a linear and separable equation. Try
to use two methods to solve it.

4. y 0 = 2y + x2 , y(0) = 0.

5. y 0 − cos(x)y = esin x , y(0) = A.

6. y 0 = y tan x + 1, y(0) = 0.

7. cos2 (x)y 0 = N − y, y(0) = 0.

dy
8. dx
+ (1 + 3x2 )y = 0, y(1) = 1.

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Solutions:
1. (a) a(x) = 1, k(x) = ex
(b) A(x) = x
(c) m(x) = ex
(d) ex y 0 + ex y = e2x
(e) (ex y)0 = ex y + ex y 0
(f) ex y = 12 e2x + C
(g) y = 12 ex + Ce−x
sin x+C
2. y = − cos x + x

3. y = −1 + Ce− cos x
4. y = − 12 x2 − 21 x − 14 + Ce2x and C = 14 , so the solution is y = − 12 x2 − 12 x − 41 + 14 e2x .
5. y = xesin x + Aesin x
sin x
6. y = cos x

7. y = e− tan x (N etanx − N )
3 −x+2
8. y = e−x