DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

A differential equation is an equation involving derivatives of an

unknown function and possibly the function itself as well as the
independent variable.

Example
4
y ′ = sin ( x ) , ( y ') − y 2 + 2 xy − x 2 = 0, y ′′ + y 3 + x = 0

1st order equations 2nd order equation

y is dependent variable and x is independent variable,

and these are ordinary differential equations.

The order of a differential equation is the highest order of the

derivatives of the unknown function appearing in the equation

Example

y ′ = sin ( x ) ⇒ y = − cos ( x ) + C

y ′′ = 6 x + e x ⇒ y ′ = 3 x 2 + e x + C1 ⇒ y = x 3 + e x + C1x + C2
Niel Arvin B. Galos
Example

∂ 2u ∂ 2u
2
+ 2 =0
∂x ∂y
u is dependent variable and x and y are independent
variables, and is partial differential equation.

A differential equation is linear, if

1. dependent variable and its derivatives are of degree one,
2. coefficients of a term does not depend upon dependent
variable.

Example
4
2
d y dy d 3 y  dy 
+ 3 + 9 y = 0. 3
+   + 6y = 3
dx 2
dx dx  dx 

is linear. is non - linear because in 2nd term is not of

degree one.
Niel Arvin B. Galos
1. Free falling stone

d 2s
2
= −g
dt
where : s is distance or height and
g is acceleration due to gravity.

2. Spring vertical displacement

d2y
m 2 = −ky
dt
where: y is displacement,
m is mass and
k is spring constant

Niel Arvin B. Galos

3. Newton’s Law of Cooling

dT
= κ (T − Ts )
dt
dT
where : is rate of cooling of the liquid,
dt

T − Ts is temperature difference between the

liquid ‘T’ and its surrounding Ts

4. Growth and Decay

dy
=κ y
dt
y is the quantity present at any time

Niel Arvin B. Galos