LECTURE 4

VARIABLE SEPARABLE

Standard Form:
𝑔(𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥

How to solve the differential equation.

1. ARRANGE all the variables into the standard form.

Example.
𝑑𝑦
1. Solve = 3𝑥 2 𝑒 −𝑦  𝑒 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 = 3𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥

Note: This may be already done for you (in which case you can just identify the various
parts), or you may have to do some algebra to get it into the correct form.

2. INTEGRATE both sides of the differential equation.

Integrating both sides of the example:

∫ 𝑒 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 = ∫ 3𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥

𝒆𝒚 = 𝒙 𝟑 + 𝑪 (where 𝐶 = arbitrary constant)

This gives us an implicit solution.

3. REWRITE the implicit solution to explicit solution (if possible) or particular solution (if
boundary conditions or initial values are given)
Recall…
𝑒𝑦 = 𝑥3 + 𝐶
𝟑
𝒚 = 𝒍𝒏(𝒙 + 𝑪)

This gives us the explicit solution.

Example. Find the particular solution of the original problem that satisfies the condition
𝑦(0) = 1.
Particular solution:

𝑦 = 1 when x = 0; 𝑒 𝑦 = 03 + 𝐶  𝐶 = e
So that,
𝒚 = 𝒍𝒏(𝒙𝟑 + 𝒆)

ES208 – DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
EXAMPLE:
𝑑𝑦 (y + 1)
1. Solve the equation = (𝑥−1) given the boundary condition: 𝒚 = 𝟏 at 𝒙 = 𝟎.
𝑑𝑥

Arranging the equation into the standard form, Note that 𝑙𝑛 𝐾 is still a
1 1 constant and will give
𝑑𝑦 = 𝑑𝑥
(𝑦 + 1) (𝑥 − 1) a zero value when
Integrate both sides, differentiated!
1 1
∫ 𝑑𝑦 = ∫ 𝑑𝑥
(𝑦 + 1) (𝑥 − 1)
𝑙𝑛(𝑦 + 1) = 𝑙𝑛(𝑥 − 1) + 𝐶 (let 𝐶 = 𝑙𝑛 𝐾)
𝑙𝑛(𝑦 + 1) = 𝑙𝑛(𝑥 − 1) + 𝑙𝑛 𝐾
𝑙𝑛(𝑦 + 1) = 𝑙𝑛[(𝑥 − 1) . 𝐾]
𝑒 𝑙𝑛(𝑦 + 1) = 𝑒 𝑙𝑛[(𝑥 − 1)(𝐾)]
(𝒚 + 𝟏) = (𝒙 − 𝟏)(𝑲) (Eq. 1)
Using the initial conditions and substituting to (Eq. 1) we get
(1 + 1) = (0 − 1)(𝐾)
𝐾 = −2
Therefore the particular solution is,

(𝑦 + 1) = (𝑥 − 1)(−2)

𝒚 = −𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏

3. Solve 𝑦 4 𝑦 ′ = 𝑥 + 1

This equation may be arranged in the differential form 𝑦 4 𝑑𝑦 = (𝑥 + 1)𝑑𝑥 which is

separable. The solution is
∫ 𝑦 4 𝑑𝑦 = ∫(𝑥 + 1)𝑑𝑥
1 5 1 2
𝑦 = 𝑥 +𝑥+𝐶
5 2
1 5 1 2
5( 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 𝐶)
5 2
5
𝑦 5 = 2 𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 5𝐶 let k = 5𝐶

Simplifying we get the explicit solution as,

𝟏
𝟓 𝟐 𝟓
𝒚 = (𝟐 𝒙 + 𝟓𝒙 + 𝒌) where k = 5𝐶

ES208 – DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 𝑑𝑠 𝑠2 +6𝑠+9
4. Solve 𝑑𝑡 = 𝑡2

𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑡
This equation may be rewritten in the differential form = which is separable.
(𝑠+3)2 𝑡2
The solution is
𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑡
∫ (𝑠+3)2 = ∫ 𝑡 2

1 1
Integrating term by term, we get − (𝑠+3) = − 𝑡 + 𝐶.

𝒕
Solving explicitly for s, we obtain 𝒔 = −𝟑 +
(𝟏−𝑪𝒕)

5. Solve 𝑑𝑦/𝑑𝑥 = 𝑦(𝑦 + 2).

Returning to the differential equation, we integrate it:

𝑑𝑦
∫ = ∫ 𝑑𝑥
𝑦(𝑦 + 2)

We can calculate the left integral by using the fractional decomposition (partial
fraction) of the integrand:
1 𝐴 𝐵
= +
𝑦(𝑦 + 2) 𝑦 𝑦 + 2
1 𝐴(𝑦 + 2) + 𝐵𝑦
=
𝑦(𝑦 + 2) 𝑦(𝑦 + 2)
Solving for 𝐴 & 𝐵,
1 ≡ 𝐴𝑦 + 2𝐴 + 𝐵𝑦
0(𝑦)+ 1 ≡ (𝐴 + 𝐵)𝑦 + 2𝐴

(𝐴 + 𝐵)𝑦 = 0 (𝑦) 2𝐴 = 1

1 1
𝐵=− 𝐴=
2 2

Thus, we get the following decomposition of the rational integrand:

1 1 1
= −
𝑦(𝑦 + 2) 2𝑦 2(𝑦 + 2)

ES208 – DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
 Hence,

1 1 1
∫( − ) 𝑑𝑦 = ∫ 𝑑𝑥 + 𝐶
2 𝑦 𝑦+2
1 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 Recall laws of logarithms!
(∫ −∫ ) = ∫ 𝑑𝑥 + 𝐶
2 𝑦 𝑦+2
1
(𝑙𝑛|𝑦| − 𝑙𝑛|𝑦 + 2|) = 𝑥 + 𝐶,
2
1 𝑦
𝑙𝑛 | |=𝑥+𝐶
2 𝑦+2
𝑦
𝑙𝑛 | | = 2𝑥 + 2𝐶
𝑦+2

We can rename the constant: 2𝐶 = 𝑘, so that

𝒚
𝒍𝒏 | | = 𝟐𝒙 + 𝒌
𝒚+𝟐

EXERCISES 4.1:
𝑑𝑦
1. Find the general solution of 𝑥 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝑦. = (𝑥 + 1)2 p.24 RAINVILLE
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
2. Find the solution of = 𝑒 3𝑥+2𝑦 .
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦 4𝑦
3. Solve = .
𝑑𝑥 𝑥(𝑦−3)
2 (𝑦
4. Solve 𝑥 + 1)𝑑𝑥 + 𝑦 2 (𝑥 − 1)𝑑𝑦 = 0.
2
5. Solve 𝑥𝑦 3 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑒 𝑥 𝑑𝑦 = 0.
6. Solve (1 − 𝑥)𝑦 ′ = 𝑦 2 .
3𝑥 2 +4𝑥−4
7. Solve 𝑦 ′ = ( ) 𝑦(1) = 0
2𝑦−4
𝑑𝑦
8. Solve 𝑑𝑥 − 𝑥 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 .
2 2

9. Solve (𝑥 2 + 4)𝑑𝑦 = 2𝑥𝑦𝑑𝑥.

ES208 – DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Engr. Dennis E. Ganas
Mechanical Engineering Department
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING