Exact equations

Denition 1. A DE M (x, y)dx + N (x, y)dy = 0 is said to be an exact equation if there exists a function f (x, y) such that M (x, y) = f f , N (x, y) = . x y (1)

What is good about a DE being exact is that once we know that there exists such a function f (x, y), then the DE that we need to solve becomes df = which is equivalent to df = 0 f (x, y) = C. Therefore, once we check that a given DE is exact and we nd a function f (x, y), then an implicit solution is f (x, y) = C. Then how should we check if a given DE is exact? All we need to do is to check if M (x, y), N (x, y) are continuous and have continuous rst order derivatives and N M = . y x (2) f f dx + dy = M (x, y)dx + N (x, y)dy = 0, x y

The following are the steps to nd a function f . 1. If (2) is true, then we set up the following equations f x f y = = M, N. (3) (4)

2. By integrating (3) with respect to x, we obtain f (x, y) = M (x, y)dx. (5)

Please keep in mind that after integrating (5), you shouldnt have a constant, but a function (y) depending only on y. 1

3. Its time to solve (4). To solve this, we dierentiate (5) with respect to y and obtain f = y y M (x, y)dx. (6)

4. Compare (4) with (6) to determine (y) mentioned above in Step 2 by solving y M (x, y)dx = N.

5. Having found f (x, y), we know that f (x, y) = C is a solution. Note that we may begin integrating (4) rst with respect to y in Step 2. Once we have an exact equation, it is not hard to nd such a function f . Exercise 1. Solve (x3 + y 3 )dx + 3xy 2 dy = 0. Solution 1. Since M (x, y) = x3 + y 3 , N (x, y) = 3xy 2 and N M = 3y 2 = , y x this DE is exact. So we need to nd a function f (x, y) satisfying f x f y = = M = x3 + y 3 , N = 3xy 2 . (7) (8)

If we integrate (7) with respect to x, then we obtain f (x, y) = (x3 + y 3 )dx = 1 4 x + xy 3 + (y). 4 (9)

Keep in mind that we must have (y), not a constant C. Now we dierentiate (9) with respect to y and compare with (8). Then we have f = 3xy 2 + (y) = N (x, y) = 3xy 2 . y Therefore, we get (y) = 0, which means that (y) = C and f (x, y) = The implicit solution is 1 1 4 x + xy 3 + (y) = x4 + xy 3 + C. 4 4 1 4 x + xy 3 = C. 4

What if a given 1st order DE is not autonomous, not separable, not linear, not exact? Then we have a trick to transform the DE to an exact equation. However, this is NOT always succesful. Lets assume that (1) is not exact. Then we need to nd a function g(x) such that when multiplied by g, (1) becomes an exact equation g(x)M (x, y)dx + g(x)N (x, y)dy = 0, that is, g(x)M (x, y) = g(x)N (x, y) y x M N g = gx N + g y y N M = gx N g y y M N gx y x = N g gx M y Nx = N g
M N

(10)

Therefore, we need to check if yN x is a function of x alone. If it also depends on y, then there is no such function g. Then we need to take another action, which is to nd a function h(y) such that when multiplied by h, (1) becomes an exact equation h(y)M (x, y)dx + h(y)N (x, y)dy = 0, that is, in the similar fashion, Nx M y hy = . M h
N M

(11)

Therefore, we need to check again if xM y is a function of y alone. If it also depends on x, then there is no such function h and we cant solve the DE. To sum up, if a DE is not autonomous, not separable, not linear, not exact, then we need to see either M y Nx is a function of x alone, N or Nx M y is a function of y alone, M

If

My Nx N

is a function of x alone, then we know from (10) that ln g(x) = M y Nx dx. N

Similarly, if

Nx My M

is a function of y alone, then we know from (11) that ln h(y) = Nx M y dy. M

Exercise 2. Solve 6xydx + (4y + 9x2 )dy = 0. Solution 2. Notice that this is not autonomous, not separable, not linear. So we need to check if this is exact. Let M (x, y) = 6xy, N (x, y) = 4y + 9x2 . Then My = 6x = Nx = 18x. Now consider 6x 18x M y Nx = N 4y + 9x2 Since
My Nx N

and

Nx M y 18x 6x 2 = = . M 6xy y

= 2/y is a function of y, we know that 2 hy = ln h(y) = 2 ln y h(y) = y 2 . h y

Therefore, hM dx + hN dy = 0 6xy 3 dx + (4y 3 + 9x2 y 2 )dy = 0 is an exact equation and we solve this DE, i.e., we nd a function f satisfying f x f y By integrating
f x

= =

6xy 3 4y 3 + 9x2 y 2 .

= 6xy 3 , we obtain f (x, y) = 3x2 y 3 + (y).

From this, we know that f = 9x2 y 2 + (y) = 4y 3 + 9x2 y 2 . y 4

Therefore, (y) = 4y 3 , i.e., (y) = y 4 + C and f (x, y) = 3x2 y 3 + y 4 + C. The solution is 3x2 y 3 + y 4 = C.