Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Polytechnic University of The Philippines: Title: Introduction To Differential Equations
Polytechnic University of The Philippines: Title: Introduction To Differential Equations
Polytechnic University of The Philippines: Title: Introduction To Differential Equations
ASSIGNMENT NO. 1
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.
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
𝜕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
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.
𝜕2 𝑢 𝜕2 𝑢 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡
Examples: 1. + 𝜕𝑦 2 = 0 2. − 3 𝜕𝑦 = 4𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2
𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑥
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.
𝑦 ′ + 2𝑥𝑦 = 𝑥
Examples:
𝑥 2 𝑦 ′ = −2𝑦
𝑦 ′′ + 𝑦 ′ − 6𝑦 = 0
Examples:
4𝑦 ′′ + 12𝑦 ′ + 9𝑦 = 0
𝑦 ′′′ − 2𝑦 ′ ′ − 4𝑦 ′ + 8𝑦 = 0
Examples:
3𝑦 ′′′′ + 𝑦 ′ − 5𝑦 ′′′ = 15𝑦
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
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
𝑦 ′ + 𝑃(𝑥)𝑦 = 𝑄(𝑥)
𝑦′ + 𝑥 = 0
𝑦 ′′ = 2𝑥𝑦
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.
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.
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.