DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS We can express this equation either in the

𝑑𝑦
A Differential Equation is an equation involving form: (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) − 2𝑥𝑦 =0
derivatives of one or more dependent variables with 𝑑𝑥
respect to one or more independent variables. y is the DV, x is the IV.
𝑑𝑥
Or in the form: (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) − 2𝑥𝑦 = 0
𝑑𝑦

x is the DV, y is the IV.

Classification of DE
Ex. Which one is a DE/Algebra?
1. Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE):
dy - a DE involve only ONE independent
1. = 7 ------------------ DE
dx variable.
2. 3𝑦 = 7 ----------------- Algebra - a DE involving ordinary derivatives of one
3. x 2 + 𝑦 2 = 9 ---------- Algebra or more dependent variables.
𝜕2 𝑦 𝜕2 𝑦 2. Partial Differential Equation (PDE):
4. + = 0 -------- DE
𝜕𝑡 2 𝜕𝑠 2 - a DE that involve two or more
𝑑𝑦 independent variables.
5. 𝑥𝑦 = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ---- DE
𝑑𝑥 - a DE involving partial derivatives of one or
more dependent variables with respect to
more than one independent variable.
An INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (IV) is a quantity that
varies independently, i.e., it is not controlled by (or Ex. Which one is ODE/PDE?
depend on) other variables. It is found in the
d2 y 𝑑𝑦
denominator of the derivative. 1. + 3𝑥 + 𝑒 𝑥 = 0 --------- ODE
dx2 𝑑𝑥
DEPENDENT VARIABLE (DV) if its value depends on 𝜕2 Ω 𝜕2 Ω 𝜕2 Ω
2. 2
+ = -------------- PDE
the independent variable and its dependence is 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 2
considered to be unknown. It is found in the numerator 𝜕2 f 𝜕𝑓
3. 𝑥 + = 𝑘 ----------------- PDE
of the derivative. 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑦
4. cos 𝑥 𝑑𝑦 − 𝑥𝑑𝑥 = 0 ---------- ODE
When a differential equation involves one or more
dy 𝑑𝑥
derivatives with respect to a particular variable, that 5. − = 𝑥 --------------------- ODE
dt 𝑑𝑡
variable is called the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE. A
variable is called dependent if a derivative of that ORDER
variable occurs. Definition: The order of a DE is the order of
𝐷𝑉: 𝑥 the highest derivative appearing in the
equation.
𝑑𝑦
= 2𝑥𝑦 DEGREE
𝑑𝑥
Definition: The degree of a DE is given by
𝐼𝑉: 𝑦 the exponent that is raised the highest
derivative that occurs in the equation.
Ex. Find IV/DV of the following DE.
𝑑2𝑖 𝑑𝑖 1
1. 𝐿 2
+𝑅 + 𝑖 = 𝐸 cos(𝑡)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑐
 i is the DV, t is the IV, L,R,E,c are
constants.
Ex. Find the order and the degree of the
𝜕2 𝑊 𝜕2 𝑊 following DE.
2. + =0 3
𝜕𝑢2 𝜕𝑣 2 d3 y d2 y 𝑑𝑦
 W is the DV, u and v are the IV. 1. 3
+ 3( ) − 2 𝑑𝑥 − 𝑦 = 0
dx dx2
- 3rd order, 1st degree
3. (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )𝑑𝑥 − 2𝑥𝑦𝑑𝑦 = 0
1
 3
d2 y 𝑑𝑦 5 e. hyperbolic function – sinh 𝑦 , cosh 2𝑦
2. ( 2 ) + 2𝑏 ( ) + 𝑦 = 0
dx 𝑑𝑥 Definition: Equations that not satisfy the above conditions are
nd rd
- 2 order, 3 degree called nonlinear.
𝜕Ω 𝜕2 Ω
3. + =0
𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑢𝜕𝑣
- 2nd order, 1st degree
4. (𝑥 + 𝑦 2 )𝑑𝑦 − 𝑥𝑦𝑑𝑥 = 0 Ex. Which one is linear/nonlinear?
𝑑𝑦
(𝑥 + 𝑦 2 ) − 𝑥𝑦 = 0 d3 y d2 y
𝑑𝑥 1. 3
+ 5𝑥 + 𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥 = 0 ------- linear
dx dx2
- 1st order, 1st degree 2. 𝑦 + 𝑒 𝑦 = 𝑥------------------------ nonlinear
′

𝑑𝑦 3 𝑑𝑦 2 - 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑦 (𝑒 𝑦 )
5. ( ) = √1 + ( )
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
2
3. x 2 𝑦 ′′ + 𝑥𝑦 ′ + 𝑦 = cos 𝑥 ------- linear
3 2 2 d2 y 𝑑𝑦 3
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 4. + ( ) + 7𝑦 = 0----------- nonlinear
(( ) ) = (√1 + ( ) ) dx2 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 - The degree of the derivative of the
𝑑𝑦 3
𝑑𝑦 6 𝑑𝑦 2 dependent variable is 3, not 1. ( )
𝑑𝑥
( ) =1+( )
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 5. cos 𝑥 𝑦 ′′ + 𝑒 𝑥 𝑦 ′ − 𝑦 = sin 𝑥-- linear
st th
- 1 order, 6 degree 𝜕2 Ω 𝜕2 Ω
1 5 6. 2
+ = 0--------------------- linear
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 2
𝑑3𝑦 3 𝑑𝑦 2 2 2 2
𝜕 Ω𝜕 Ω 𝜕2 Ω
6. ( 3 ) = 𝐾 [1 + ( ) ] 7. = ------------------- nonlinear
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝜕𝑢2 𝜕𝑣 2 𝜕𝑢𝜕𝑣
1 6 5 6 𝜕2 Ω 𝜕2 Ω
2 2 − 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝐷𝐸.
𝑑3𝑦 3 𝑑𝑦 𝜕𝑢2 𝜕𝑣 2
[( 3 ) ] = {𝐾 [1 + ( ) ] } 8. 𝑦𝑑𝑦 + 𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑥 = 0 -------------- nonlinear
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
− 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒.
2 15 − 𝑦𝑑𝑦
𝑑3𝑦 6
𝑑𝑦 2
( 3 ) = 𝐾 [1 + ( ) ]
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 General Solution: Solutions obtained from
rd nd integrating the differential equations are called
- 3 order, 2 degree
general solutions. The general solution of
7. (𝑦′′)3 + (𝑦′)7 = 0 a order ordinary differential equation
- 2nd order, 3rd degree contains arbitrary constants resulting from
integrating times.

Ex. Find the general solution of the DE

LINEAR OR NONLINEAR EQUATION 𝑑𝑦
𝑒 𝑦 − 3𝑥 = 0 .
Definition: A linear ODE of order n, in the 𝑑𝑥

independent variable x and the dependent 𝑑𝑦

𝑒𝑦 − 3𝑥 = 0
𝑑𝑥
variable y is an equation that can be [𝑒 𝑦
𝑑𝑦
− 3𝑥 = 0] (𝑑𝑥)
𝑑𝑥
expressed in the form: 𝑒 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 − 3𝑥𝑑𝑥 = 0
𝑒 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 = 3𝑥𝑑𝑥
𝑎0 (𝑥)𝑦 (𝑛) + 𝑎1 (𝑥)𝑦 (𝑛−1) +. . . +𝑎𝑛−1 (𝑥)𝑦 ′ + 𝑎𝑛 (𝑥)𝑦 = 𝑏(𝑥)
∫ 𝑒 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 = ∫ 3𝑥𝑑𝑥
Where 𝑎0 (𝑥) ≠ 0.

Notice that a linear ODE satisfies the following conditions: 3 2

𝑒𝑦 = 𝑥 +𝐶
2
1. The dependent variable 𝑦 and its derivatives occur to the
first degree only.
2. No products of 𝑦 and/or any of its derivatives appear in Particular Solution: Particular solutions are the
the equation. solutions obtained by assigning specific values to
3. No transcendental functions of 𝑦 and/or its derivatives the arbitrary constants in the general solutions.
occur.
Transcendental functions: Ex. Obtain the particular solution of the DE
a. trigonometric functions – 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑦, tan 𝑦 2𝑦𝑑𝑥 = 3𝑥𝑑𝑦; when 𝑥 = 2, 𝑦 = 1.
b. inverse trigonometric functions – sin−1 𝑦 , arccot 3𝑦
c. exponential function – 𝑒 𝑦 , 2𝑦 2𝑦𝑑𝑥 = 3𝑥𝑑𝑦
d. logarithmic function – ln 𝑦 , log 𝑦

2
 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦
∫ =∫
3𝑥 2𝑦
1 1 1
ln 𝑥 = ln 𝑦 + ln 𝑐
3 2 3
1 1 1
ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑐 = ln 𝑦
3 3 2

1 1 1
( ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑐 = 2 ln 𝑦) (2)
3 3
2 2
ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑐 = ln 𝑦
3 3
2
(ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑐) = ln 𝑦
3
2
ln(𝑥/𝑐) = ln 𝑦
3
2
ln(𝑥/𝑐)3 = ln 𝑦
2
𝑒 ln(𝑥/𝑐)3 = 𝑒 ln 𝑦
2
(𝑥/𝑐)3 = 𝑦
𝑥 = 2, 𝑦 = 1
2
(𝑥/𝑐)3 = 𝑦
2
(2/𝑐)3 = 1
3
2 2 3
[(2/𝑐)3 ] = 12
2
=1
𝑐
𝑐=2
Particular solution:
2
(𝑥/𝑐)3 = 𝑦

2
(𝑥/2)3 = 𝑦

Problem Set 1
Name:_______________________________ Date: _________________
DE Independent Dependent ORDER DEGREE ORDINARY DE LINEAR DE (LDE)or
Variable (IV) Variable (ODE) or NONLINEAR DE (NLDE)
(DV) PARTIAL DE (PDE)
dy
1. = 5𝑦
dx
𝑑𝑦 2 3𝑥
2. ( ) =
𝑑𝑥 4𝑦
7
𝑑3 𝑦 4 𝑑𝑦 2
3. ( 3 ) = √1 + ( )
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑2 𝑦 𝑑𝑦
4. 𝑑𝑥 2
= 3 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑥
𝑑𝑥
5. 𝑥 ln 𝑦 ln 𝑥 + 𝑑𝑦 = 0
𝑥
6. 𝑒 + y′sin 𝑥 + √𝑥𝑦 =
cos 𝑥
7. 𝑦" + 𝑦𝑦′ = 0
8. 𝑦" + (𝑦′)2 + 2𝑦 3 = 0
𝜕2 Ω 𝜕2 Ω
9. 2
+ =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 2
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦
10. 𝑣 +𝑢 =0
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣