Lecture 1.

2: Plotting Solutions to Differential Equations

Matthew Macauley

Department of Mathematical Sciences

Clemson University
http://www.math.clemson.edu/~macaule/

Math 2080, Differential Equations

M. Macauley (Clemson) Lecture 1.2: Plotting slope fields Math 2080, ODEs 1/6
A motivating example
Consider the ODE involving a single-variable function y (t): y 0 = 2y + t.

We don’t know how to solve this (yet), but we can still visualize the “family of
solutions.”

M. Macauley (Clemson) Lecture 1.2: Plotting slope fields Math 2080, ODEs 2/6
Slope fields and isoclines

Consider the same ODE: y 0 = 2y + t.

Definition
An isocline is a line or curve on which y 0 is constant.

M. Macauley (Clemson) Lecture 1.2: Plotting slope fields Math 2080, ODEs 3/6
Isoclines
dy
Another example: = y 2.
dt

M. Macauley (Clemson) Lecture 1.2: Plotting slope fields Math 2080, ODEs 4/6
Autonomous ODEs
Definition
An ODE is autonomous if y 0 = f (y ) for some function f .

M. Macauley (Clemson) Lecture 1.2: Plotting slope fields Math 2080, ODEs 5/6
Autonomous ODEs
Example
Sketch the slope field of the autonomous ODE y 0 = (y + 1)(y − 2)(y − 4).

M. Macauley (Clemson) Lecture 1.2: Plotting slope fields Math 2080, ODEs 6/6