Cauchy-Euler Equation

An equation of the form

a x y   a x y   a xy   a y  g ( x )
3
3

2
2

1 0

Is called the Cauchy Euler equation. In this equation, the

degree of coefficient is equal to the order of the
derivative involved. Thus third derivative term y  has
third power or degree term a x in its coefficient. The
3
3

second derivative term y  has second degree term a x in

2
2

its coefficient. And so on. The term without derivative

i.e., y has no x term in its coefficient.
Example
3 x y   5 x y   6 xy   7 y  sin x
3 2

2 x y   6 xy   y  0
2

Method of solution

This equation has solution of the form y  x We take

m

derivatives and then put them in given equation and

solve for m as
y   mx , y   m( m  1) x , y   m( m  1)( m  2) x
m 1 m2 m2
Example 1

Solve the ode: x y   2 xy   4 y  0

2

Solution

Let the solution will be y  x . Now we put it into the

m

given Eq. as
y  x , y   mx , y   m( m  1) x
m m1 m 2
x  m( m  1) x
2 m2
  2 x  mx   4 x
m 1 m
0
m( m  1) x  2mx  4 x  0
m m m

x  m( m  1)  2m  4   0
m

x  0,  m( m  1)  2m  4   0
m

m  m  2m  4  0
2

m  3m  4  0
2

m  m  4m  4  0
2

m( m  1)  4( m  1)  0
( m  1)( m  4)  0
m  1  0, m  4  0
m  1,4
y  Ax  Bx
1 4

( m  1)( m  4)  0
m  1  0, m  4  0
m  1,4
y  Ax  Bx
1 4
Example 2
x y   3 xy   3 y  0
2

Solution
y  x , y   mx , y   m( m  1) x
m m1 m 2

y  x , y   mx , y   m( m  1) x
m m 1 m 2

x  m( m  1) x
2 m 2
  3x  mx   3x
m 1 m
0
m( m  1) x  3mx  3 x  0
m m m

x  m( m  1)  3m  3  0
m

x  0,  m( m  1)  3m  3  0
m

m  m  3m  3  0
2

m  4m  3  0
2

m  m  3m  3  0
2

m( m  1)  3( m  1)  0
( m  1)( m  3)  0
m  1  0, m  3  0
m  1,3
y  Ax  Bx 1 3
Example 3
4 x y   8 xy   y  0
2

Solution
y  x , y   mx , y   m( m  1) x
m m1 m 2

4 x  m( m  1) x
2 m2
  8 x  mx   xm1 m
0
4m( m  1) x  8mx  x  0 m m m

x  4m( m  1)  8m  1  0
m

x  0,  4m( m  1)  8m  1  0
m

4m  4m  1  0
2

(2m  1)  0 2

2m  1  0,2m  1  0
1 1
m ,m 
2 2
1 1

y  Ax  Bx ln( x )
 
2 2

For repeated roots we write the solution as

x , x ln( x ), x ln( x ) , x ln( x ) ,....
m m m 2 m 3
Example 4
x y   5 xy   4 y  0
2

Solution
y  x , y   mx , y   m( m  1) x
m m1 m 2

x  m( m  1) x
2 m2
  5x  mx   4 x
m 1 m
0
m( m  1) x  5mx  4 x  0
m m m

x  m( m  1)  5m  4   0
m

x  0,  m( m  1)  5m  4   0
m

m  m  5m  4  0
2

m  4m  4  0
2

( m  2)  0 2

m  2  0, m  0
m  2, m  2
y  Ax  Bx ln( x )
2 2
Example 5
4 x y   17 y  0
2

Solution
y  x , y   mx , y   m( m  1) x
m m1 m 2

4 x  m( m  1) x
2 m 2
  17 x m
0
4m( m  1) x  17 x  0
m m

x  4m( m  1)  17   0
m

x  0,  4m( m  1)  17   0
m

4m  4m  17  0
2

4  16  4  4 17
m
8
4  16  16 17 4  4 1  17
m 
8 8
4  4 16
m
8

4  4(4i ) 1
m   2i
8 2
y  x  A cos(2ln x )  B sin(2 ln x )
1
2
Note that if the roots are complex as

m  a  ib
y  x  A cos(b ln x )  B sin(b ln x )
a

EX1 : Solve the ODE: 3 x y   11xy   3 y  0

2

EX2 : Solve the ODE: x y   5 xy   5 y  0

2

EX3 : Solve the ODE: x y   3 xy   5 y  0

2