Engineering Analysis / Civil Eng. / 3rd Class Prepared by: Dr.

Ahmed Sagban Saadoon

Reducible to exact differential equations

The differential equation M ( x, y)dx  N ( x, y)dy  0 which is not exact (i.e.
M N
 ) can be reduced to exact DE by multiplying it by a suitable function
y x
 ( x, y) which is called integrating factor (I.F),
Mdx  Ndy  0 .
 
The above new DE is exact if ( M )  ( N ) ,
y x
M  N 
 M  N . ………….. (1)
y y x x
The integrating factor  ( x, y) may be a function of x only, function of y only , or a
function of both x and y.

There are two methods to find the integrating factor:

- 41 -
Engineering Analysis / Civil Eng. / 3rd Class Prepared by: Dr. Ahmed Sagban Saadoon

I) By equations
1  M N 
i- If    is a function of x only (  ( x, y) is a function of x only),
N  y x 
  d
  0 and  , then Eq.(1) becomes
y x dx
M N d  M N  d
  N       N ,
y x dx  y x  dx
d 1  M N  1  M N 
    dx  ln      dx
 N  y x  N  y x 
1  M N 
 N  y

x 
dx
  e .

Example 1: Solve ( x  3 y 2 )dx  2 xydy  0 .

Solution :
M
M ( x, y)  x  3 y 2   6y ,
y
N
N ( x, y)  2 xy   2y .
x
M N
Since  , then the given DE is not exact.
y x
1  M N  1
Check,     6 y  2 y   2 (function of x only)
N  y x  2 xy x
1  M N 

2

  e x
 dx
N  y x 
dx
  e   e 2 ln x  e ln x  x 2 .
2

Multiplying the given DE by the above integrating factor (I.F) gives

x 2 ( x  3 y 2 )dx  x 2 (2 xy )dy  0  ( x 3  3x 2 y 2 )dx  2 x 3 ydy  0 .

M
Check, M ( x, y)  x 3  3x 2 y 2   6x2 y ,
y
N
N ( x, y)  2 x 3 y   6x2 y .
x

- 41 -
Engineering Analysis / Civil Eng. / 3rd Class Prepared by: Dr. Ahmed Sagban Saadoon

M N
Since  , then the given DE is reduced to exact one.
y x

f x4
M  x 3  3x 2 y 2  f   x 3 y 2  g ( y) ,
x 4
f f
 2 x 3 y  g ( y ) , but N,
y y

 2 x 3 y  g ( y)  N  2 x 3 y  g ( y)  0  g ( y)  C ,
1

x4
f   x3 y 2  C , but f C ,
4 1 2

x4 x4
  x 3 y 2  C1  C2   x 3 y 2  C3 , [ C3  C2  C1 ]
4 4
or x 4  4x3 y 2  C . [ C  4C3 ] (G.S)

Example 2: Solve (sin y  x 2  2 x)dx  cos ydy .

Solution :

(sin y  x 2  2 x)dx  cos ydy  (sin y  x 2  2 x)dx  cos ydy  0 .

M
M ( x, y)  sin y  x 2  2 x   cos y ,
y
N
N ( x, y)   cos y  0.
x
M N
Since  , then the given DE is not exact.
y x
1  M N  1
Check,     cos y  0  1 (function of x only)
N  y x   cos y
1  M N 
 
  e
dx ( 1) dx
N  y x 
  e   ex .
Multiplying the given DE by the above integrating factor (I.F) gives

e  x (sin y  x 2  2 x)dx  e  x cos ydy  0 .

- 41 -
Engineering Analysis / Civil Eng. / 3rd Class Prepared by: Dr. Ahmed Sagban Saadoon

f
N  e  x cos y  f  e  x sin y  g ( x) ,
y
f f
 e  x sin y  g ( x) , but M,
x x

 e  x sin y  g ( x)  M  e  x (sin y  x 2  2 x)  g ( x)  x 2 e  x  2 xe  x ,

 g ( x)   x 2 e  x  2 xe  x  2e  x  2 xe  x  2e  x  g ( x)   x 2 e  x  4 xe  x  4e  x ,

 f  e  x sin y  x 2 e  x  4 xe  x  4e  x , but f C,

 e  x sin y  x 2 e  x  4 xe  x  4e  x  C1 ,

or x 2  4 x  4  sin y  Ce x . [ C  C1 ] (G.S)

Note;
u dv u dv
x2 + e x 2x + e x
2x -  e x 2 -  e x
2 e x 0 e x
+
0  e x  2 x(e  x )  2e  x
 x 2 (e  x )  2 xe  x  2(e  x )  2 xe  x  2e  x
  x 2 e  x  2 xe  x  2e  x

1  M N 
ii- If    is a function of y only (  ( x, y) is a function of y only),
M  y x 
  d
  0 and  , then Eq.(1) becomes
x y dy
M d N  M N  d
 M         M ,
y dy x  y x  dy
d  1  M N   1  M N 
    dy  ln      dy
 M  y x  M  y x 
1  M N 

 M  y

x 
dy
  e .
- 41 -
Engineering Analysis / Civil Eng. / 3rd Class Prepared by: Dr. Ahmed Sagban Saadoon

Example 1: Solve ( y  2 x)dx  x( y  x  1)dy  0 .

Solution :
M
M ( x, y)  y  2 x   1,
y
N
N ( x, y)  xy  x 2  x   y  2 x  1.
x
M N
Since  , then the given DE is not exact.
y x
1  M N  1  ( y  2 x  1)  ( y  2 x)
Check,     (is not function of x only)
N  y x  xy  x 2  x x( y  x  1)

1  M N  1  ( y  2 x  1)  ( y  2 x)
Check,      1 (function of y only)
M  y x  y  2x y  2x
1  M N 

 M  y

x 
dy

 ( 1) dy
  e   e  ey .
Multiplying the given DE by the above integrating factor (I.F) gives

e y ( y  2 x)dx  xe y ( y  x  1)dy  0 .
f
M  ye y  2 xe y  f  xye y  x 2 e y  g ( y) ,
x
f f
 xye y  xe y  x 2 e y  g ( y ) , but N,
y y

 xye y  xe y  x 2 e y  g ( y)  N  xye y  x 2 e y  xe y  g ( y)  0  g ( y)  C ,
1

 f  xye y  x 2 e y  C , but f C ,
1 2

 xye y  x 2 e y  C1  C2  xy  x 2  Ce  y . [ C  C2  C1 ] (G.S)

Example 2: Solve cos y.dx  (2 x sin y  cos3 y).dy  0 .

Solution :
M
M  cos y    sin y ,
y

- 41 -
Engineering Analysis / Civil Eng. / 3rd Class Prepared by: Dr. Ahmed Sagban Saadoon

N
N  2 x sin y  cos3 y   2 sin y .
x
M N
Since  , then the given DE is not exact.
y x
1  M N   sin y  2 sin y  3sin y
Check,      (is not function of x only)
N  y x  2 x sin y  cos3 y 2 x sin y  cos3 y

1  M N   sin y  2 sin y  3sin y

Check,     , (function of y only)
M  y x  cos y cos y
1  M N   3 sin y

 M  y

x 
dy 
 dy
1
  e   e cos y
 e 3 ln cos y  cos3 y  .
3
cos y
Multiplying the given DE by the above integrating factor (I.F) gives
1 1 1 2 x sin y
(cos y ).dx  (2 x sin y  cos3 y ).dy  0  .dx  (  1).dy  0
3 3 2 3
cos y cos y cos y cos y
f 1 x
M   f   g ( y) ,
x cos2 y cos y2

f 2 x sin y f
 2 x cos3 .( sin y )  g ( y )   g ( y ) , but N,
y cos y3 y

2 x sin y 2 x sin y
  g ( y )  N  1  g ( y)  1  g ( y)   y ,
3 3
cos y cos y
x
f   y, but f C,
2
cos y
x
  y C, or x  ( y  C ) cos2 y . (G.S)
2
cos y

iii- If  ( x, y) is a function of x and y, then a partial DE should be used.

- 41 -