M213 | DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

LECTURE 5
EXACT DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

5.1 Exact Differential Equation

When a differential equation 𝑀( 𝑥, 𝑦 )𝑑𝑥 + 𝑁(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = 0 ---- eqn. 1

Such that 𝑑𝐹 = 𝑀𝑑𝑥 + 𝑁𝑑𝑦

Then 𝑀 ( 𝑥, 𝑦 )𝑑𝑥 + 𝑁(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = 0 is an exact differential equation.

5.2 Solution of an Exact Differential Equation

The solution of an exact differential equation is:

𝐹 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝐶

The first order differential equation in the form 𝑀𝑑𝑥 + 𝑁𝑑𝑦 = 0 is exact if

𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑁
=
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥

5.3 Examples

Show that the following equations are exact and find the general solution.

1. (𝑥 + 2𝑦)𝑑𝑥 + (2𝑥 + 𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = 0

Check for exactness:

𝑀 = 𝑥 + 2𝑦 𝑁 = 2𝑥 + 𝑦
𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑁
=2 =2
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥
∴ 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡

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𝜕𝐹
Let: 𝑀 = 𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝐹
𝑀= = 𝑥 + 2𝑦
𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝐹
= 𝑥 + 2𝑦
𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝐹
Integrate 𝜕𝑥 = 𝑥 + 2𝑦

𝑥2
𝐹= + 2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑓(𝑦)
2

Differentiate F with respect to y:

𝜕𝐹
= 2𝑥 + 𝑓 ′(𝑦)
𝜕𝑦

𝜕𝐹
Let 𝜕𝑦 = 𝑁

𝜕𝐹
= 2𝑥 + 𝑓 ′(𝑦) = 𝑁 = 2𝑥 + 𝑦
𝜕𝑦

2𝑥 + 𝑓 ′ (𝑦) − 2𝑥 = 𝑦

𝑓 ′ (𝑦 ) = 𝑦

Integrate 𝑓 ′(𝑦) = 𝑦 to get the value of 𝑓 (𝑦)

𝑦2
𝑓 (𝑦 ) =
2

Substitute the value of 𝑓 (𝑦) in F equation:

𝑥2 𝑦2
𝐹= + 2𝑥𝑦 + 𝑓 (𝑦) ; 𝑓 (𝑦 ) =
2 2

𝑥2 𝑦2
𝐹= + 2𝑥𝑦 + =𝐶
2 2

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𝑥2 𝑦2
[ + 2𝑥𝑦 + = 𝐶 ] (2)
2 2

𝑥 2 + 4𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 2 = 2𝐶

Let 2C=C

𝑥 2 + 4𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 2 = 𝐶

2. (𝑦 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 6𝑥 )𝑑𝑥 − (𝑥 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 2)𝑑𝑦 = 0

Check for exactness:

𝑀 = 𝑦 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 6𝑥 𝑁 = −𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑦 − 2
𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑁
= 2𝑦 − 2𝑥 = −2𝑥 + 2𝑦 = 2𝑦 − 2𝑥
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥
∴ 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡

𝜕𝐹
Let: 𝑀 = 𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝐹
𝑀= = 𝑦 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 6𝑥
𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝐹
= 𝑦 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 6𝑥
𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝐹
Integrate = 𝑦 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 + 6𝑥
𝜕𝑥

𝐹 = 𝑥𝑦 2 − 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 3𝑥 2 + 𝑓(𝑦)

Differentiate F with respect to y

𝜕𝐹
= 2𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥 2 + 𝑓 ′(𝑦)
𝜕𝑦

𝜕𝐹
Let 𝜕𝑦 = 𝑁

𝜕𝐹
= 2𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥 2 + 𝑓 ′(𝑦) = 𝑁 = −𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑦 − 2
𝜕𝑦

2𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥 2 + 𝑓 ′(𝑦) + 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 = −2

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𝑓 ′(𝑦) = −2

Integrate 𝑓 ′(𝑦) = −2 to get the value of 𝑓 (𝑦)

𝑓 (𝑦) = −2𝑦

Substitute the value of 𝑓 (𝑦) in F equation:

𝐹 = 𝑥𝑦 2 − 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 3𝑥 2 + 𝑓 (𝑦) ; 𝑓(𝑦) = −2𝑦

𝐹 = 𝑥𝑦 2 − 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 3𝑥 2 − 2𝑦 = 𝐶

𝑥𝑦 2 − 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 3𝑥 2 − 2𝑦 = 𝐶

3. (2𝑥𝑦)𝑑𝑥 + (𝑦 2 + 𝑥 2 )𝑑𝑦 = 0

Check for exactness:

𝑀 = 2𝑥𝑦 𝑁 = 𝑦2 + 𝑥2
𝜕𝑀 𝜕𝑁
= 2𝑥 = 2𝑥
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥
∴ 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡

𝜕𝐹
Let: 𝑀 = 𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝐹
𝑀= = 2𝑥𝑦
𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝐹
= 2𝑥𝑦
𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝐹
Integrate 𝜕𝑥 = 2𝑥𝑦

𝐹 = 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 𝑓(𝑦)

Differentiate F with respect to y

𝜕𝐹
= 𝑥 2 + 𝑓′(𝑦)
𝜕𝑦

𝜕𝐹
Let 𝜕𝑦 = 𝑁

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𝜕𝐹
= 𝑥 2 + 𝑓 ′ (𝑦 ) = 𝑁 = 𝑦 2 + 𝑥 2
𝜕𝑦

𝑥 2 + 𝑓 ′ (𝑦 ) − 𝑥 2 = 𝑦 2
𝑓 ′ (𝑦 ) = 𝑦 2

Integrate 𝑓 ′(𝑦) = 𝑦 2 to get the value of 𝑓 (𝑦)

𝑦3
𝑓 (𝑦 ) =
3

Substitute the value of 𝑓 (𝑦) in F equation:

𝑦3
𝐹 = 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 𝑓 (𝑦 ) ; 𝑓 (𝑦 ) =
3

𝑦3
𝐹 = 𝑥2𝑦 + =𝐶
3
𝑦3
[ 𝑥2𝑦 + = 𝐶 ] (3)
3

3𝑥 2 𝑦 + 𝑦 3 = 3𝐶

Let 3C=C

3𝑥 2 𝑦 + 𝑦 3 = 𝐶

Reference

Rainville and Bedient, Elementary Differential Equations, Seventh Edition

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