Past Paper Questions, Differential Equations

1. Solve the differential equation

dy
x2 = y 2 + 3xy + 2 x 2
dx

given that y = –1 when x = 1. Give your answer in the form y = f(x).

(Total 11 marks)

dy y 2 + x 2
2. Consider the differential equation = for which y = –1 when x = 1.
dx 2x 2

(a) Use Euler’s method with a step length of 0.25 to find an estimate for the value
of y when x = 2.
(7)

(b) (i) Solve the differential equation giving your answer in the form y = f(x).

(ii) Find the value of y when x = 2.

(13)
(Total 20 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematics Higher Level 3rd edition 1

 dy xy
3. Consider the differential equation + = 1, where │x│ < 2 and y = 1 when x = 0.
dy 4 − x 2

(a) Use Euler’s method with h = 0.25, to find an approximate value of y when x = 1, giving
your answer to two decimal places.
(10)

(b) (i) By first finding an integrating factor, solve this differential equation.
Give your answer in the form y = f(x).

(ii) Calculate, correct to two decimal places, the value of y when x = 1.

(10)

(c) Sketch the graph of y = f(x) for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. Use your sketch to explain why your approximate
value of y is greater than the true value of y.
(4)
(Total 24 marks)

4. Solve the following differential equation

dy
(x + 1)(x + 2) +y =x+1
dx

giving your answer in the form y = f (x).

(Total 11 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematics Higher Level 3rd edition 2

 Solutions
dy dv
1. put y = vx so that = =v+x M1
dx dx
substituting, M1
dv v 2 x 2 + 3vx 2 + 2 x 2
v+ x = = (v2 + 3v + 2) (A1)
dx x2
dv
x = v2 + 2v + 2 A1
dx
dv dx
∫ 2
v + 2v + 2 ∫
=
x
M1

dv dx
∫ (v + 1) 2 + 1 ∫
=
x
(A1)

arctan (v + 1) = ln x + c A1

Note: Condone absence of c at this stage.

y
arctan( + 1) = ln x + c M1
x
When x = 1, y = –1 M1
c=0 A1
y
+ 1 = tan ln x
x
y = x(tan ln x – 1) A1
[11]

2. (a) Using an increment of 0.25 in the x-values A1

n xn yn f(xn, yn) hf(xn, yn) yn+1 = yn + hf(xn, yn)

0 1 –1 1 0.25 –0.75 (M1)A1
1 1.25 –0.75 0.68 0.17 –0.58 A1
2 1.5 –0.58 0.574756 0.143689 –0.4363... A1
3 1.75 –0.436311 0.531080 0.132770 –0.3035... A1

Note: The A1 marks are awarded for final column.

⇒ y(2) ≈ –0.304 A1

IB Questionbank Mathematics Higher Level 3rd edition 3

 (b) (i) let y = vx M1
dy dv
⇒ =v+x (A1)
dx dx
dv v 2 x 2 + x 2
⇒v+x = (M1)
dx 2x 2
dv 1 − 2v + v 2
⇒x = (A1)
dx 2
dv (1 − v) 2
⇒x = A1
dx 2
2 1
⇒ ∫ (1 − v) 2
dv =∫ x
dx M1

⇒ 2(1 – v)–1 = ln x + c A1A1

2
⇒ = ln x + c
y
1−
x
when x = 1, y = –1 ⇒ c = 1 M1A1
2x
⇒ = ln x + 1
x− y
2x  x ln x − x 
⇒ y = x− =  M1A1
1 + ln x  1 + ln x 

 4 
(ii) when x = 2, y = –0.362  accept 2 −  A1
 1 + ln 2 
[20]

dy xy
3. (a) = 1−
dx 4− x2

x y dy/dx h × dy/dx
0 1 1 0.25 A2
0.25 1.25 0.9206349206 0.2301587302 A2
0.5 1.48015873 0.8026455027 0.2006613757 A2
0.75 1.680820106 0.6332756132 0.1583189033 A2
1 1.839139009 A1

To two decimal places, when x = 1, y = 1.84. A1 N0

IB Questionbank Mathematics Higher Level 3rd edition 4

  x 
∫  4 − x 2  dx
(b) (i) Integrating factor = e (M1)
 1 2 
 − ln( 4− x ) 
 2 
= e A1
1
= A1
4 − x2
d  y 
= 1
It follows that (M1)

dx  4 − x 2 
 4 − x2
y  x
= arcsin  + C A1A1
4 − x2 2
1
Putting x = 0, y = 1, ⇒ =C A1
2
  x 1
Therefore, y = 4 − x 2  arcsin  +  A2 N0
  2 2

(ii) When x = 1, y = 1.77. A1 N1

(c)

A2
dy
Since is decreasing the value of y is over-estimated at each step. R1A1
dx
[24]

IB Questionbank Mathematics Higher Level 3rd edition 5

4. Rewrite the equation in the form

dy y 1
+ = M1
dx ( x + 1)( x + 2 ) x + 2

 dx 
Integrating factor = exp  ∫ 
 ( x + 1)(x + 2 ) 
A1

  1 1  
= exp    
 ∫ x + 1 x + 2  dx 
− M1A1
   

 x +1 
= exp ln   A1
 x+2

x +1
= A1
x+2

Multiplying by the integrating factor,

 x + 1  dy y x +1
  + = M1
 x + 2  dx ( x + 2) ( x + 2)
2 2

x+2 1
= − A1
(x + 2) 2
( x + 2 )2
Integrating,

 x +1  1
  y = ln (x + 2 ) + +C A1A1
 x+2 x+2

 x+2 1 
y =   ln ( x + 2) + + C A1
 x +1   x+2 
[11]

IB Questionbank Mathematics Higher Level 3rd edition 6