[First Order Differential Equation]

2.0 First Order Differential Equation

 The general form of the ordinary differential equations of first order can be written
dy
as = f (x, y) where f (x, y) is a function of x and y .
dx

 As examples, and .

2.1 Methods of solution: Separating the variables, homogenous, linear and exact.

2.1.1 Separable equations

dy u(x)
 The differential equation = f (x, y) = is called a separable equation if it can be
dx v( y)
written in the form of v( y)dy = u(x)dx .

 Method for solving separable equation:

Step 1: Separate dy and dx

v( y)dy = u(x)dx .

Step 2: Integrate both sides

.

Example 2.1
Solve the following equations

dy x
a) = Ans: 1
y 2  12 x2  C
dx y 2

dy
b) = (1+ x)(1+ y) Ans: ln 1  y  x  12 x  C
2

dx

dy 1
c) e
x
+ xy 2 = 0 Ans: = C - (x +1)e- x
dx y

dy x + xy 2
d) = , y(1) = 0 Ans: 2 ln 1  y 2  12 x 2  12
dx 4y

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2.1.2 Homogeneous equations

dy
 The differential equation = f (x, y) is homogeneous if f x, y   f x, y  .
dx

 Method for solving homogeneous equation:

Step 1: Check for the homogeneity.

dy dv
Step 2: Make a substitution y = vx Þ =v+x .
dx dx

dy dy dv
Step 3: Express in term of x and v , where y = vx Þ =v+x .
dx dx dx

Step 4: Separate the variables x and v , then integrate both sides.

Example 2.2
Determine whether the following equations are homogeneous or not.

a) xdy = ( y - x)dx Ans: Homogeneous

dy x4
b) = 2 Ans: Not homogeneous
dx x + y 2

c) (xy + y 2 + x 2 )dx - x 2 dy = 0 Ans: Homogeneous

dy x
d) = -2 Ans: Homogeneous
dx y

Example 2.3
Solve the following differential equations

dy x + 3y 3
a) = Ans: y  Ax  x 2
dx 2x

dy
b) xy = x2 + y2 Ans: y 2 = x 2 [2ln x + C]
dx

æ yö
c) xy ¢ = y + x sec ç ÷ , y(1) = p
è xø
Ans: sin    ln x
y
x

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d)
dy x + y
= Ans: x + y = Ae
2 2 ( )
2tan-1 y
x

dx x - y

2.1.3 Linear equations

dy
 The general form of linear differential equation is a(x) + b(x) y = c(x) .
dx

 Method for solving homogeneous equation:

dy
Step 1: Rearrange the differential equation so that the coefficient of is 1. Then the
dx
𝑑𝑦 𝑏 𝑐
equation becomes + 𝑦= .
𝑑𝑥 𝑎 𝑎

𝑏 𝑐
Step 2: Take 𝜌 = 𝑒 ∫ 𝑝 𝑑𝑥
. (𝑝 = 𝑎 , 𝑞 = 𝑎)

𝑑
Step 3: Write the equation in the form of (𝜌 𝑦) = 𝜌 𝑞.
𝑑𝑥

Step 4: Integrate with respect to x .

Step 5: Solve for y .

Example 2.4
Solve the differential equations.

dy 1 x
a) + 5y = e2 x Ans: y  e  ce5 x
dx 7

dy
b) +y=x Ans: y  x  1  ce  x
dx

dy 1 7
c) x - 5y = x 7 Ans: y = x + cx 5
dx 2

dy y = (C - ln cos x )cos x
d) + y tan x = sin x Ans:
dx = (C + ln sec x )cos x

2.1.4 Exact equations

 An equation M(x, y)dx + N(x, y)dy = 0 is called an exact equation if and only if
𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑁
= .
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥

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 Method for solving homogeneous equation:

Assume 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝐴 is the solution, where

𝜕𝑢
=𝑀 (1)
𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑢
and = 𝑁. (2)
𝜕𝑦

Step 1: Write the equation in the form M(x, y)dx + N(x, y)dy = 0 and prove it is an
𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑁
exact equation by showing = .
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥

Step 2: Integrate M(x, y) with respect to x .

𝑢 = ∫ 𝑀 𝑑𝑥 + ∅(𝑦) (3)

Step 3: Differentiate equation (3) with respect to y and then compare with equation (2).

Step 4: Write the solution in the form of 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝐶 , where C is constant.

Example 2.5
Determine whether each of the equation is an exact equation or not.

æy 2ö
æ x3 ö
a) ç + 3x ÷ dx + ç 1+ ÷ dy = 0 Ans: Not exact
èx ø è yø

(
b) e
-y
) ( )
+ cos(x - y) + 2x dx + -xe- y - cos(x - y) -1 dy = 0 Ans: Exact

Example 2.6
Determine whether each of the equation is an exact equation or not.

a) ( y  e x )dx   xdy Ans: xy  e x  C

( 2
) (
b) 6x -10xy + 3y dx + -5x + 6xy - 3y dy = 0
2 2 2
) Ans: 2x 3 - 5x 2 y + 3xy 2 - y 3 = C

c) ( 2xy - sec x ) dx + ( x + 2 y ) dy = 0 Ans: x 2 y + y 2 - tan x = C

2 2

æpö p
( ) (
d) 2x sin y - y sin x dx + x 2 cos y + cos x dy = 0, ) yç ÷ =
è 2ø 6
p2
Ans: x sin y + ycos x =
2

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 [First Order Differential Equation]

2.2 Application of first order differential equation:

2.2.1 Newton’s Law of cooling.

 The Newton’s Law of Cooling states that the rate at which the temperature T (t )
changes in a cooling body is proportional to the difference between the temperature in the
body and the constant temperature T0 of the surrounding medium.
dT
 T  T0
dt
dT
 k T  T0 
dt
k may be a positive or negative constant. If k is positive the temperature increases. Otherwise
the temperature decreases.

Example 2.7
Cooling off a body from 800C to 500C takes 20 minutes. If the room temperature is100C, how
long will it take to reach 300C?

1 2
Ans: T  10  70e0.02798t , t   ln  44.77 minutes .
0.02798 7

Example 2.8
Suppose you turn off the heat in your home at night 2 hours before you go to bed; call this time
t  0 . If the temperature T at t  0 is 660F and at the time you go to bed ( t  2 ) has dropped to
630F, what temperature can you expect in the morning, say, 8 hours later ( t  10 )? Here we
assume the room temperature is 320F.

Ans: T  32  34e0.04619t , T  53.420 F

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