Integration Factors Using Linear Equation Form

Review

What is Integration Factor by Inspection?

Consider an ordinary differential equation (o.d.e.) that we wish to solve to find
out how the variable y depends on the variable x.
 If the equation is first order then the highest derivative involved is a first derivative.
If it is also a linear equation
dx then this means that each term can involve y either as the
derivative dy OR through a single factor of y .
Any such linear first order o.d.e. can be re-arranged to give the following standard
dy
+ P(x)y = Q(x)
dx
form:

where P(x) and Q(x) are functions of x, and in some cases may be constants:

Example 1:

Solution
Example 2:

Solution

Example 3:

Solution
PROBLEMS

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)