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Integrating Factors
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If a differential equation of the form

is not exact as written, then there exists a function ( x,y) such that the equivalent equation obtained by multiplying both sides of (*) by ,

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is exact. Such a function is called an integrating factor of the original equation and is guaranteed to exist if the given differential equation
actually has a solution. Integrating factors turn nonexact equations into exact ones. The question is, how do you nd an integrating factor?
Two special cases will be considered.
 Case 1:

Consider the differential equation M dx + N dy = 0. If this equation is not exact, then M y will not equal N x ; that is, M y N x 0.
However, if

is a function of x only, let it be denoted by ( x). Then

will be an integrating factor of the given differential equation.

Case 2:

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 Consider the differential equation M dx + N dy = 0. If this equation is not exact, then M y will not equal N x ; that is, M y N x 0. = 0.
However, if

is a function of y only, let it be denoted by ( y). Then

will be an integrating factor of the given differential equation.

Example 1: The equation

is not exact, since

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However, note that

is a function of x alone. Therefore, by Case 1,

will be an integrating factor of the differential equation. Multiplying both sides of the given equation by = x yields

which is exact because

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Solving this equivalent exact equation by the method described in the previous section, M is integrated with respect to x,

and N integrated with respect to y:

(with each constant of integration ignored, as usual). These calculations clearly give

as the general solution of the differential equation.

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Example 2: The equation


is not exact, since

However, note that

is a function of y alone (Case 2). Denote this function by ( y); since

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the given differential equation will have



as an integrating factor. Multiplying the differential equation through by = (sin y) 1 yields

which is exact because

To solve this exact equation, integrate M with respect to x and integrate N with respect to y, ignoring the constant of integration in each
case:

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These integrations imply that

is the general solution of the differential equation.

Example 3: Solve the IVP

The given differential equation is not exact, since

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However, note that

which can be interpreted to be, say, a function of x only; that is, this last equation can be written as ( x) 2. Case 1 then says that

will be an integrating factor. Multiplying both sides of the differential equation by ( x) = e 2 x yields

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which is exact because

Now, since

and

(with the constant of integration suppressed in each calculation), the general solution of the differential equation is

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The value of the constant c is now determined by applying the initial condition y(0) = 1:

Thus, the particular solution is

which can be expressed explicitly as

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Example 4: Given that the nonexact differential equation



has an integrating factor of the form ( x,y) = x a y b for some positive integers a and b, nd the general solution of the equation.

Since there exist positive integers a and b such that x a y b is an integrating factor, multiplying the differential equation through by this
expression must yield an exact equation. That is,

is exact for some a and b. Exactness of this equation means

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By equating like terms in this last equation, it must be the case that
The simultaneous solution of these equations is a = 3 and b = 1.

Thus the integrating factor x a y b is x 3 y, and the exact equation M dx + N dy = 0 reads

Now, since

and
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(ignoring the constant of integration in each case), the general solution of the differential equation (*)and hence the original differential
equationis clearly

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