DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION (DE) is an equation that contains derivatives.

Example:

a) (2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑥 2 )𝑑𝑥 + 2𝑦 𝑑𝑦 = 0
2 3
ⅆ3 𝑦 ⅆ2 𝑦
b) ( ) −𝑥( ) + 𝑥3 = 0
ⅆ𝑥 3 ⅆ𝑥 2

c) (𝑥 − 1)𝑦 ′′ + 𝑥𝑦 ′ + 𝑦 = 0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥
d) + 2𝑦 =3
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

Types of Differential Equations

Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) – an equation containing only one

independent variable, thus having only ordinary derivatives in an equation

Partial Differential Equation (PDE) – an equation containing two or more

independent variables, thus having partial derivatives in the equation.

At the example above, determine the type of DE.

ORDER OF DE is the order of the highest derivative that is on the equation

Example: Determine the order of the following DEs

ⅆ𝑦
a) = 2𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 3
ⅆ𝑥

ⅆ2 𝑦
b) = 5𝑥 2 + 10𝑥 + 3
ⅆ𝑥 2

ⅆ3 𝑦
c) = 3𝑥 2 + 6𝑥 + 2
ⅆ𝑥 3

DEGREE OF DE whose terms are polynomials in the derivative is defined as the

highest power of the highest order derivative

Example: Determine the degree of the following DEs

ⅆ2 𝑦 ⅆ𝑦
a) 𝑥 + = 15
ⅆ𝑥 2 ⅆ𝑥
2
ⅆ2 𝑦 ⅆ𝑦 3
b) 𝑥 ( ) + ( ) = 15
ⅆ𝑥 2 ⅆ𝑥

Sample Problems: Determine the type, order, and degree of DE.

• 𝑥 3 𝑦 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑥𝑦 2 𝑑𝑦 = 0

• 𝑦 ′′ − 5𝑥𝑦 ′ = 2𝑥
ⅆ3 𝑦 ⅆ𝑦
• + 𝑡 =3
ⅆ𝑥 3 ⅆ𝑡

ⅆ𝑦
• = 5𝑥 + 6
ⅆ𝑥

ⅆ𝑦 2
• ( ) = 5𝑥 + 6
ⅆ𝑥

3
ⅆ2 𝑦 ⅆ𝑦
• ( ) − +9=0
ⅆ𝑥 2 ⅆ𝑥

ⅆ2 𝑦 ⅆ𝑦
• − +9=0
ⅆ𝑥 2 ⅆ𝑥
7
ⅆ2 𝑦 ⅆ𝑦 20
• ( ) −( )
ⅆ𝑥 2 ⅆ𝑥

𝜕2 𝑢
• 𝑥 + 3𝑥 = 0
𝜕𝑥

ⅆ3 𝑦 ⅆ𝑦
• 𝑠𝑖𝑛 ( ) = +𝑥
ⅆ𝑥 3 ⅆ𝑥

2 2𝑦
• √(ⅆ𝑦) + 3𝑦 = ⅆ
ⅆ𝑥 ⅆ𝑥 2