Chapter 1.

Definitions, Elimination of Arbitrary Constants

In Physics, Engineering & Chemistry and in such subjects as Biology, Physiology & Economics, it
is necessary to build a mathematical model to represent certain problems. It is often the case that these
mathematical models involve the search for an unknown function that satisfies an equation in which the
derivatives of the unknown function play an important role.

Such equations are called DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS.

The objective is to find methods for solving differential equations; that is, to find the unknown
function or functions that satisfy the differential equation.

1. Examples of Differential equations

𝑑𝑦
(1)
𝑑𝑥
= cos 𝑥
𝑑2𝑦
(2) + 𝑘2𝑦 = 0
𝑑𝑥 2

(3) (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )𝑑𝑥 − 2𝑥𝑦𝑑𝑦 = 0

𝜕𝑢 𝜕2 𝑢 𝜕2 𝑢
(4) = ℎ2 (𝜕𝑥 2 + )
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑦 2

𝑑2𝑖 𝑑𝑖 1
(5) 𝐿 𝑑𝑡 2 + 𝑅 𝑑𝑡 + 𝑖 = 𝐸𝜔 cos 𝜔𝑡
𝐶
𝜕2 𝑉 𝜕2 𝑉
2 +
(6) =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 2
3
𝑑2𝑤 𝑑𝑤
(7) ( 𝑑𝑥 2 ) − 𝑥𝑦 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑤 = 0
𝑑3𝑥 𝑑𝑥
(8) + 𝑥 𝑑𝑦 − 4𝑥𝑦 = 0
𝑑𝑦 3

𝑑2𝑦 𝑑𝑦 3
(9) + 7 (𝑑𝑥 ) − 8𝑦 = 0
𝑑𝑥 2
𝑑2𝑦 𝑑2𝑥
(10) + =𝑥
𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 2
𝜕𝑓 𝜕𝑓
(11) 𝑥 𝜕𝑥 + 𝑦 𝜕𝑦 = 𝑛𝑓
 When an equation involves one or more derivatives with respect to (w.r.t.) a particular
variable, that variable is called an independent variable. A variable is called dependent if a
derivative of that variable occurs.

In equation (5) above, i is the dependent variable, t the independent variable, and L, R,
C, E, and ω are called parameters. In equation (6), there is one dependent variable V and two
independent variables.

Since equation (3) may be written as

𝑑𝑦
𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 𝑑𝑥 = 0,
or
𝑑𝑥
(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) − 2𝑥𝑦 = 0,
𝑑𝑦

we may consider either variable to be dependent, the other being the independent one.

EXERCISES

Identify the independent variables, the dependent variables, and the parameters in the
equations given as examples in this section.