Homogeneous Functions

Polynomials in which all terms are of the same degree, such as

x 2  5 xy  7 y 2
x3  y 3
2x 4 y  y 5
are called homogeneous polynomials.

Definition: The function (x,y) is said to be homogeneous of degree k in x and y if and only if,
f  x, y    k f  x , y 
The definition is easily extended to functions of more than two variables.
y
x4
For function f  x, y  of equation f  x, y   2 y 3e x  , the formal definition of homogeneity
x  3y
leads us to consider
y
4 x4
f  x, y   23 y 3e x 
x  3y
But we see at one that
f   x,  y    3 f  x , y 
hence f  x, y  is homogeneous of degree 3 in x and y, as stated previously.
M  x, y 
Theorem 1. If M  x, y  and N  x, y  are homogeneous and of the same degree, the function is
N  x, y 
homogeneous of degree zero.
y
Theorem 2. If f  x, y  is homogeneous of degree zero in x and y, f  x, y  is a function of
alone.
x
Example: Determine in each of the following whether or not the function is homogeneous. If is
homogeneous, state the degree of the function.
3
1. 4 x  3xy  y
2 2

11. u  v 2 2 2

x
2. 2 y  x 2  y 2 12. y 2 tan
y
a  4b
3. e x 13.
a  4b
x

4. e y
14. x ln x  y ln y
y x
5. x3  xy  y 3 15. x sin  y sin
x y
x5
6. x y 16.
x2  2 y 2
1
 

7. tan x 17. u 2  4v2 2

8. tan
3y
18.
 x2  y 2  2

1
x
x 2
 y2  2

2x


9. x  y e 2 2
 y
 4 xy 19. ln
x
y
x 2  3xy
10. 20. x ln x  x ln y
x  2y

1|MATH 120 -Differential Eq uations

Equations with homogeneous coefficients
Suppose that the coefficients M and N in an equation of order one,
M  x, y  dx  N  x, y  dy  0 , (1)
are both homogeneous functions and are of the same degree in x and y. By Theorems 1 and 2 stated
previously, the ratio M/N is a function of y/x alone. Hence the equation (1) mat be put in the form
dy  y
 g   0. (2)
dx x
This suggests the introduction of a new variable v by putting y=vx. Then (2) becomes
dv
x  v  g v  0 (3)
dx
in which the variables are separable.
The above method would have been equally successful if we also use x  vy to obtain from (1) an
equation in y and v. However, it is sometimes easier to substitute for the variable whose differential has the
simpler coefficients.

Example 1: Solve the equation

 x  y  dx  xdy  0

Using the alternate solution,

2|MATH 120 -Differential Eq uations

Example 2: Solve the equation
x 2

 xy  y 2 dx  xydy  0

Example 3: Solve the equation

 
xydx  x 2  y 2 dy  0

Example 4: Solve the equation

x 2 y '  4 x 2  7 xy  2 y 2

3|MATH 120 -Differential Eq uations

Example 5: Solve the equation
 1  y   1  y 
 x  y tan  x   dx  x tan  x  dy  0
    

Exercises
 y
1.  2 x  y  dy   x  2 y  dx  0  
ans. ln x 2  y 2  4 tan 1    c
x
2. 2  2 x 2  y 2  dx  xydy  0 ans. x 4  c  4 x 2  y 2 

3. 3xydx   x 2  y 2  dy  0  
3
ans. y 2 4 x 2  y 2 c

4.  x  y  4 x  y  dx  x  5 x  y  dy  0 ans. x  x  y   c  y  2 x 
2

5.  5v  u  du   3v  7u  dv  0 ans.  3v  u   c  v  u 
2

6.  x 2  2 xy  4 y 2  dx   x 2  8 xy  4 y 2  dy  0 ans. x 2  4 y 2  c  x  y 
7. v 2 dx  x  x  v   0 ans. xv 2  c  x  2v 
8.  3 x 2  2 y 2  y '  2 xy; when x  0; y  1 ans. x 2  2 y 2  y  1
9. v  3x  2v  dx  x 2 dv  0; when x  1 and v  2 ans. 2 x 2  v  x   3v  0

 
10. y 2 x 2  xy  y 2 dx  x 2  2 x  y  dy  0; when x  0 and y 
1
2
ans. y 2 ln x  2 y 2  xy  x 2

4|MATH 120 -Differential Eq uations