1 DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION A differential equation is an equation which involves derivatives of a dependent variable with respect to an independent variable, i.e.

it is a relation between x, y and derivatives of y w .r .t x. Some examples of differential equations are: (i)

dy dx

4x

(ii)

d2 y dx2
(v)

9y
dy

(iii)

dy dx

1/ 2

d2 y dx 2

(iv)

x2

dy d2y dx dx2

dy dx

x2

dx

(vi)

dy dx

sin y .

Order and Degree of a Differential Equation The order of the highest differential coefficient appearing in the differential equation is said to be the order of the differential equation. The highest power of the highest order differential coefficient appearing in the polynomial form of the differential equation is called the degree of the differential equation. Solution of Differential Equations A function y = f (x) is a solution of a differential equation, if the substitution of f (x) and its derivative(s) in the differential equation reduces it to an identity. A solution of a differential equation is also called an integral of the differential equation. In order to obtain the solution of a differential equation, we integrate it as many times as the order of the differential equation. If we have a differential equation of order n then by solving a differential equation we mean to get a family of curves with n parameters whose differential equation is the given differential equation. Note: Not all differential equations that we come across have solutions.) First order differential equations with separable variables. dy The differential equation be of the form = f (x, y) where f(x, y) denotes a function in x dx Mx and y. Above equation is separable if it can be expressed in the form f x, y Ny where M(x), N(y) are real valued functions of x and y respectively.Then, we have dy M x N(y) dy = M(x) dx. Integrating both sides we get the solution dx N y viz. N y dy

M x dx c .

Note: The constant of integration is introduced immediately after the integration is carried out. Otherwise, a part of the solution may be lost. Differential Equations Reducible to the Separable Variable Type Sometimes differential equation of the first order cannot be solved directly by variable separation. By some substitution we can reduce it to a differential equation with separable variables. First Order Differential Equations of Homogeneous Nature

The differential equation of the form

dy dx

f(x, y)

y x

is said to be homogeneous v (x) is a

differential equation. These equations are solved by putting y = vx, where v function of x, so that

dy dx

v x

dv g(v) v

log x logc

dv and the differential equation becomes dx y logcx . After integrating, we replace v by and obtain the x

general solution. Equations Reducible to the Homogenous Form Equations of the form

dy dx

ax by c (aB Ax By C

Ab) can be reduced to a homogenous

form by changing the variables x, y to X, Y by writing x = X + h, y = Y + k; where h, k are constants to be chosen so as to make the given equation homogenous. We have

dt dx

bt Bc t C

(A b)t AC Bc .After integrating, we replace t by Ax + By and t C

obtain the general solution. First Order Linear Differential Equation The differential equation of the form

dy dx

Py

Q, where P, Q are functions of x alone,

is called a linear differential equation. Multiplying by e P dx on both sides, we get

y.e
Pdx

c , where
Pdx

(x) = Q e

Pdx

or y = e

Pdx

Q e

Pdx

dx c e

Pdx

which is the required solution of the given differential equation. The factor e is called the integrating factor. Note: The importance of introducing arbitrary constant c, immediately after integration. Otherwise, the term c e would be lost. Extended Form of Linear Differential Equations Sometimes a differential equation is not linear but it can be converted into a linear differential equation by some suitable substitution. Bernoulli's equation
Pdx

d dx

1 n .P

Q(1 n) . It is a linear differential equation.

General Form of Linear Differential Equation:

dy + P(x) f(y) = Q(x). dx dt P(x)t Q(x) . Here, we write f(y) = t . The differential equation becomes dx
A general form of the linear differential equation is f (y) General Form of Variable Separation If we can write the differential equation as

3 f1(f2(x)) d(f 2(x)) + f3 (f4(x)) d(f4(x)) + + f 2n - 1 (f2n (x)) d (f2n (x)) = 0, where f 1, f2, ,f2n are real valued functions, then each term can be easily integrated separately. For this the following derivatives must be remembered: (i) d(x + y) = dx + dy (ii) d(xy) = y dx + x dy (iii) d

x y

y dx-x dy y
2

(iv)

y x

x dy-y dx x2

(v) (vii) (ix)

d(ln xy) =

ydx xy

xdy

(vi)

d ln
(viii)

y x

xdy ydx

d
d

1 ln 2
x2

x y x y
y2

xdy ydx x2 y2 xdx ydy

x2 y2

xy y x dy-y dx d tan 1 x x2 y2

A special type of second order differential equation The differential equation y = order differential equation. Orthogonal Trajectory Any curve which cuts every member of a given family of curves at right angle is called an orthogonal trajectory of the family. Procedure for finding the orthogonal trajectory (i) Let f(x, y, c) = 0 be the equation of the given family of curves, where c is an arbitrary parameter. (ii) Differentiate (1), w.r.t.x and then eliminate c i.e form a differential equation. (iii) Substitute

F(x)dx Ax B

= F1 (x) + Ax + Bis called second

dx dy for in the above differential equation. This will give the differential dy dx

equation of orthogonal trajectories. (iv) By solving this differential equation we get the required orthogonal trajectories. Application of Differential Equations In solving Rate of Change Problems Geometrical Applications: We also use differential equations for finding family of curves for which some conditions involving the derivatives are given. Equation of tangent at a point (x, y) on the curve y =

dy dy (X x) .At the Xaxis, Y = 0, so that X = x y/ and at the dx dx dy Y-axis, X = 0, so that Y = y x .Hence the length of intercept of tangent on the X-axis dx dy dy is x y/ and on the Y-axis is y x . Similarly we can find the intercepts made by dx dx
f(x) is given by Y y = normals.