MA 2300 AA – Differential Equations

Spring 2019
Homework Problem Set #4
Due: No later than 11:00 am 2/14/2019

Questions in Section A are for your practice only, and not to be submitted. The answers are
provided for you to check your work. For Section B, answer all questions, do your work on
separate paper, and include all steps where appropriate. Submitted homework must follow the
formatting rules posted on Blackboard.

Section A

1. For each of the following, find d 2 y/dx2 . Express the answer in terms of only x and y.

dy dy dy
(a) = 3x − y (b) = x 3 y4 (c) = e x + sin(y)
dx dx dx
2. Determine if the solution to the following differential equation that passes through (1, −2) is increas-
ing/decreasing and concave up/down at that point.

dy
= x + y − 2e y+2
dx

3. Which of the following DEs is autonomous? Explain.

dy
q
(a) = x 2 + y2
dx
dy
(b) = sin(y) + e y
dx
4. Find all equilibrium solutions, if any, of each DE.
dy 1
(a) =
dx y
dy
(b) = 3y − 5
dx
dy
(c) = e2 y − 4
dx
5. Consider the following DE.
dy
= (y + 1)(2 − y)2
dx
(a) Determine all equilibrium solutions of the DE.
(b) Construct a one-dimensional phase portrait including typical non-equilibrium solution curves.
(c) Classify each equilibrium solution as asymptotically stable, asymptotically unstable, or semi-
stable.
(d) Suppose y(x) is a solution of the DE passing through (5, 3), find lim y(x).
x→∞
(e) Suppose y(x) is a solution of the DE passing through (0, 0), find lim y(x).
x→∞
(f) Suppose y(x) is a solution of the DE passing through (100, −3), find lim y(x).
x→∞

Section A Answers
1. (a) Differentiating w.r.t. x gives
d2 y dy
= 3− .
dx2 dx
To get d 2 y/dx2 in terms of x and y, replace d y/dx with 3x − y:

d2 y dy
= 3− = 3 − (3x − y) = 3 − 3x + y.
dx2 dx

(b) Differentiating w.r.t. x, using the product and chain rules gives

d2 y dy
2
= 3x2 · y4 + x3 · 4y3 .
dx dx

To get d 2 y/dx2 in terms of x and y, replace d y/dx with x3 y4 :

d2 y dy
2
= 3x2 · y4 + x3 · 4y3 = 3x2 y4 + x3 · 4y3 · x3 y4 = 3x2 y4 + 4x6 y7
dx dx

(c) Differentiating w.r.t. x, using the chain rule gives

d2 y dy
2
= e x + cos(y) · .
dx dx

To get d 2 y/dx2 in terms of x and y, replace d y/dx with e x + sin(y):

d2 y dy
2
= e x + cos(y) · = e x + cos(y)(e x + sin(y)) = e x + e x cos(y) + cos(y) sin(y)
dx dx

2. To determine if the solution is increasing or decreasing, evaluate d y/dx at (1, −2):

¯
d y ¯¯
= 1 + (−2) − 2e0 = 1 − 2 − 2 = −3
dx ¯(1,−2)

At (1, −2), the solution to the differential equation is decreasing since the derivative is negative. To
determine if the solution is concave up or concave down at (1, −2), we first need to find d 2 y/dx2 :

d2 y dy dy
2
= 1+ − 2e y+2 · = 1 + (x + y − 2e y+2 ) − 2e y+2 (x + y − 2e y+2 )
dx dx dx

Evaluating d 2 y/dx2 at (1, −2) gives:

1 + 1 + (−2) − 2e0 − 2e0 · (1 + (−2) − 2e0 ) = 4

So, in summary, at (1, −2), the solution to this DE is decreasing and concave up.

3. (a) Since d y/dx depends on both the independent and dependent variables, the DE is not au-
tonomous.
(b) Since d y/dx depends on only the dependent variable, the DE is autonomous.

4. (a) Solving d y/dx = 0, 1/y = 0 has no solution. So, this DE has no equilibrium solutions.
(b) Solving d y/dx = 0, 3y − 5 = 0 gives y = 5/3. So, the constant function y = 5/3 is the only equilib-
rium solution of this DE.
(c) Solving d y/dx = 0, e2 y − 4 = 0 gives y = ln(2). So, the constant function y = ln(2) is the only
equilibrium solution of this DE.
 5. (a) y = 1 and y = 2 are the only equilibrium solutions.
y

2
y=2

(b)
−1
y = −1

(c) y = 2 is semi-stable and y = −1 is asymptotically unstable.

(d) ∞
(e) 2
(f) −∞

Section B

1. For each DE, find d 2 y/dx2 . Write the answers in terms of only x and y.

dy dy
(a) = x2 − y3 (b) = x ln(y)
dx dx
2. Determine if the solution to the following differential equation that passes through (1, 3) is increas-
ing/decreasing and concave up/down at that point. Justify your answer.

dy
= e− x (y − 4)
dx

3. Which of the following DEs is autonomous? Explain.

dy dy p dy 1
(a) = cos(x y + 4) (b) = x (c) =
dx dx dx 2 − y − y2
dy
4. The slope field for = 2x − y2 + 1 is given on the last page of this document. Let y(x) be the solution
dx
of this DE passing through the point (0, −1/2).

(a) Print the slope field and sketch y(x).

(b) Does y(x) have a relative minimum and/or relative maximum for −2 < x < 2? If so, use your
sketch to estimate the relative extrema.

5. Find all equilibrium solutions, if any, of each DE.

dy dy dy
(a) = y2 − y (b) = e− y − 5 (c) = y2 + 4
dx dx dx
6. Consider the following DE.
dy
= (2y + 3)(y − 1)2 (4 − y)
dx
(a) Determine all equilibrium solutions of the DE.
(b) Construct a one-dimensional phase portrait including typical non-equilibrium solution curves.
 (c) Classify each equilibrium solution as asymptotically stable, asymptotically unstable, or semi-
stable.
(d) Suppose y(x) is a solution of the DE passing through (−4, 5), find lim y(x).
x→∞
(e) Suppose y(x) is a solution of the DE passing through (0.25, 2), find lim y(x).
x→∞
(f) Suppose y(x) is a solution of the DE passing through (π, −3), find lim y(x).
x→−∞

7. Construct an autonomous first-order DE whose phase portrait is consistent with the given one-
dimensional phase portrait.

y
y
1
2
3

2
(a) (b)
1 0

0
− 41
 2

−2 −1 1 2

−1

−2