Elimination of Arbitrary Constant

In general, a general solution (primitive) involving essential arbitrary

constants will give rise to a differential equation of order n, free arbitrary constants.
The equation is obtained by eliminating the n constants between the (n+1) equations
consisting of the primitive and the n equations obtained by differentiating the
primitive n times with respect to the independent variable.
In this lesson we will investigate some properties of such solutions. To
motivate our discussions, let us consider the following simple example:

EXAMPLE 1:
��2 + �� + � = �
2�� + � = �'
2� = �"
�"' = �

The rule is you need to differentiate the given equation based on the numbers of
arbitrary constants.

EXAMPLE 2:

��2 − 1 = ��
2��� + �2 �� = ���
1
→ � = ��2 −
�
� �
� �� + �� + � �� = �

EXAMPLE 3:

� = ���� �� + �
��
= ����� �� + �
��
�2 � 2
2 =− � ����
�� + �
��
→ � ��� �� + � = �
�2 � 2
2 =− � �
��
�� �
+ �� � = �
���
EXERCISE #1

(a) � = �1 ����� + �2 �����

(b) �3 − 3�2 y = c

(c) � = ��2� + ��3�

(d) � = c1 + c2 �−4�

(e) � = c1 �2� + c2 �3�

Family of Curves
An equation involving a parameter, as well as one or both of the coordinates of a
point in a plane, may represent a family of curves, one curve corresponding to each
value of the parameter. For instance, the equation
(� − �)2 + � + � 2
= 2�2 (1)
or
�2 + �2 − 2� � + � = 0, (2)
may be interpreted as the equation of a family of circles, each having its center on the
line y=x and each passing through the origin. Figure 1 shows several elements, or
members, of this family.

If the constant c in equation (1) or in equation (2) is treated as an arbitrary constant

and eliminated as in the preceding section, the result is called the differential equation
of the family represented by equation (1). In this example, the elimination of c is
easily performed by isolating c, then differentiating throughout the equation with
respect to x. Thus, from
�2 + �2
= 2�
�+�
we find that
� + � 2� �� + 2� �� − �2 + �2 (�� + ��)
=0
(� + �)2
Therefore,
(�2 + 2�� − �2 ) �� − �2 − 2�� − �2 �� = 0 (3)
is the differential equation of the family of circles represented by equation (1).
Note that equation (3) associates a definite slope with each point (x, y) in the plane

�� �2 +2��−�2
= (4)
�� �2 −2��−�2 '

except where the denominator on the right in equation (4) vanishes. When the
denominator vanishes, the curve passing through that point must have

a vertical tangent. From

�2 − 2�� − �2 = 0
We see that
y = (-1+√2) x (5)
or
y = (-1 - √2) x (6)
 In figure 2, the straight lines (5) and (6) appear along with the family (1). It is
seen that the lines (5) and (6) cut the members of the family of circles in precisely
those points of vertical tangency.
For a two-parameter family of curves, the differential equation will be of order
two, and such a simple geometric interpretations is not available.

Example 1:
Find a differential equation satisfied by the family of parabolas (figure 3), having their
vertices at the origin and their foci on the y-axis.
Solution
An equation of this family of parabolas is
y = a�2 (7)
y’ = 2ax (8)

xy’ – 2y = 0 (9)

Note that (9) is a first-order linear differential equation.

Example 2:
Find the differential equation of the family of circles (figure 4) having their centers on
the y-axis.
Solution
Because a member if the family of circles of this example may have its center
anywhere on the y-axis and its radius o any magnitude, we are dealing with the
two-parameter family.
�2 + (� − �)2 = �2 (10)
We shall eliminate both b and r and obtain a second-order differential equation for the
family (10)
x + (y – b)y’ = 0
� + ��'
=�
�'

�' [1 + ��'' + �' )2 − �'' (� + ��' )

=0
(�' )2
�
��'' − (�') − �' = �

Example 3:
Derive the differential equation for the family of plane curves defined by the equation
� = �2 − ��
Solution
� = 2� − �
� = �' − 2�
� = �2 − (�' − 2�)�
� = �2 − �' � − 2�2
�' � + � = ���
EXERCISE #2
Obtain the differential equation of the family of plane curves described.
(a) Straight lines through the origin
(b) Circles with center on the axis
(c) Write the corresponding differential equation for the family of plane curves
defined by the equation y = cot(x – C)
(d) Circles tangent to the x-axis
(e) Derive the differential equation for the family of two-parameter plane curves
� = �1 �2 + �2 �.