Lesson 5: The Bernoulli equation

The Bernoulli equation is the following

y 0 + p(x)y = q(x)y n .
Bernoulli equation is reduced to a linear equation by dividing both sides to y n and
introducing a new variable
z = y 1−n .
1. Solve the equation
y 0 − 2xy = 2x3 y 2
and find a solution (curve) in point (0,1).
Solution. Let us divide both sides of equation to y 2 . We have
y0 2x
2
− = 2x3
y y
Now, let us set z = 1/y. Then −y 0 /y 2 = z 0 , and we obtain the linear equation
z 0 + 2zx = −2x3 .
R
This is a linear equation. The integrating factor is exp(2 xdx) = exp(2x2 ). There-
fore,
(z exp(2x2 ))0 = −2x3 exp(2x2 ).
The solution is
z = c exp(−x2 ) + 1 − x2 .
Returning to the initial variable y, we have
1
y= .
c exp(−x ) + 1 − x2
2

The partial solution y = 0. If x = 0 and y = 1 we have c = 0. Therefore

1
y= (|x| < 1).
1 − x2
2. Solve the equation
x √
y0 + 2
y = x y.
1−x
√ √
Solution. Dividing two parts of this equation to y, and then putting y = z,
we have
1 x 1
z0 + z = x.
2 1 − x2 2
This is a linear equation. Its integrating factor is
³1 Z ´ r
x 1 2 1
exp dx = exp(− log |1 − x |) = 4 .
2 1 − x2 4 1 − x2
Therefore, the solution is
p 1
1 − x2 − (1 − x2 ).
4
z=c
3
Finally,
√ p 1
1 − x2 − (1 − x2 ).
4
y=c
3
y = 0 is a partial solution.
1
2

3. Solve the equation

1 1
y0 − y= .
x 2y
Solution. Multiplying two sides to y we have
1 1
yy 0 − y 2 = .
x 2
Putting y 2 = z, we obtain
2
z 0 − z = 1,
x
and
z = Cx2 − x
is a solution. Finally,
y 2 = cx2 − x.
4. Solve the equation
(xy + x2 y 3 )y 0 = 1
Solution. Rewrite it
dx
= xy + x2 y 3 .
dy
This is a Bernoulli equation with unknown x. Let us divide to x2 . We have
1 0 y
x = + y3
x2 x
Put z = 1/x. Then
z 0 + zy = y 3 .
We have
2
z = ce−y /2 − y 2 + 2,
and finally,
1
x = −y2 /2 .
ce − y2 + 2
Home task. 5. Solve the differential equation
y 0 − y = xy 1/2 .
Solution. This is a Bernoulli equation with n = 0.5, p(x) = −1 and q(x) = x.
Therefore, the equation is equivalent to
2u0 − u = x,
or
u x
u0 − = .
2 2
Let us solve the last equation. Consider first
u
u0 − = 0.
2
x/2
Its solution is e . Therefore, for the nonhomogeneous equation
u = ex/2 v,
1
u0 = ex/2 v + v 0 ex/2 .
2
Then,
x
v 0 ex/2 = ,
2
 3

x −x/2
v0 = e .
2
By integrating we have
Z Z
x −x/2 −x/2
v =c+ e dx = c − xe + 2 e−x/2 d(x/2)
2
= c − xe−x/2 − 2e−x/2 .
Next,
u = cex/2 − x − 2.
Returning to the initial variable y, we obtain
y = (cex/2 − x − 2)2 .
6. Prove that the substitution
u = y 1−n
reduces the Bernoulli equation
y 0 + p(x)y = q(x)y n (n 6= 1)
to the linear equation
1
u0 + p(x)u = q(x).
1−n
Solution. Multiplying the differential equation to y −n we obtain
y 0 y −n + p(x)y −n = q(x).
Next,
u = y 1−n ,
u = (1 − n)y −n y 0
0

Therefore it reduces to
1
u0 + p(x)u = q(x).
1−n
which is the linear equation.

7. Solve the Riccati equation

y 0 = −y 2 + 1 + x2
Solution. Obviously, that y1 = x is a partial solution. Assuming that y = x + 1/z,
we obtain
z 0 − 2xz = 1.
Therefore, Z
2 2
z = ex (c + e−x dx).
Hence,
2
e−x
y =x+ R .
c + e−x2 dx
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