Author Ian Craw

University of Aberdeen Date 4.10.04

Department of Mathematical Sciences Code mth203-105447-6

EG1006 Engineering Mathematics 1

Algebra Sheet 6: Solving Differential Equations

1. The following differential equations are all separable. Solve them.

(a)

dy x2
= given that y = 2 when x = 0.
dx y

(b)

dy y
= 2 given that y = 1 when x = 1.
dx x
(c)

dy
= (y + 1) sin x given that y = 0 when x = 0.
dx
(d)

dy
= (y + 1)x sin x given that y = 0 when x = 0.
dx
(e)

dy
x3 = y 2 + 3xy 2 given that y = 1 when x = 1.
dx

2. Use integrating factors to solve each of the following differential equations:

(a)
dy
x2 + xy = ln x given that y = 1 when x = 1
dx
(b)
dy
x2 xy = 2 given that y = 2 when x = 1
dx
(c)
dy
x(x + 1) y = 3x4 given that y = 0 when x = 1
dx
(d)
dy
tan x + 2y = x cosec x given that y = when x =
dx 2 2
(e)
dy
+ y = x2 given that y = 3 when x = 0
dx
 Algebra Sheet 6: Solving Differential Equations 4.10.04 page 2

3. Solve the following differential equations:

(a)
dy
x4 = 2x + 3 given that y = 0 when x = 1
dx
(b)
dy p
= 1 + y given that y = 0 when x = 1
dx
(c)
dy
(2x + 1) = 2(x y) given that y = 1 when x = 0
dx
(d)
dy p
1 x2 = 1 + y 2 given that y = 1 when x = 1
dx

4. Find the general solution of the differential equation

d2 y dy
2
+6 + 8y = 0.
dx dx
Hence find a solution y of this equation which satisfies y(0) = 3, y 0 (0) = 8. What happens
to y as x becomes large?

5. Find the general solution of the differential equation

d2 y dy
2
+2 3y = 0.
dx dx
Hence find a solution y of this equation which satisfies y(0) = 0, y 0 (0) = 4. What happens
to y as x becomes large?

6. Find the general solution of the differential equation

d2 y dy
2
+2 + y = 0.
dx dx

7. Find the general solution of the differential equation

d2 y dy
2
+2 + 5y = 0.
dx dx
Hence find a solution y of this equation which satisfies y(0) = 0, y 0 (0) = 2. What happens
to y as x becomes large?

8. Find the general solution of the equation

d2 y dy
2
+2 + 5y = 26x2 + 3x.
dx dx

9. Find the general solution of the differential equation

d2 y dy
2 9 35y = sin 2x .
dx2 dx
 Author Ian Craw
University of Aberdeen Date 4.10.04
Department of Mathematical Sciences Code mth203-105448-9

EG1006 Engineering Mathematics 1

Solutions to Algebra Sheet 6: Solving Differential Equations

Z Z
1. (a) Separating the variables, we have y dy = x2 dx and so 12 y 2 = 13 x3 + C. Putting in
the given conditions shows that C = 2.
Z Z
dy dx 1
(b) Separating the variables, we have = 2
and so ln y = C . Putting in the
y x x
1
given conditions gives C = 1. So y = exp 1 .
x
Z Z
dy
(c) Separating the variables, we have = sin x dx and so ln(y + 1) = C cos x.
y+1
Putting in the given conditions gives C = 1. So y = exp(1 cos x) 1.
(d) Separating the variables, we have
Z Z
dy
= x sin x dx and so ln(y + 1) = C x cos x + sin x
y+1
(Use parts to deal with the right hand integral.) Putting y = 0 and x = 0 shows that C = 0.
So y = exp(sin x x cos x) 1.
(e) Separating the variables, we have
Z Z
dy 1 + 3x 1 1 3
2
= dx and so = 2 +C
y x3 y 2x x
Putting in the given conditions shows that C = 5/2. From this we get
2x2
y=
1 + 6x 5x2

2. (a) Divide through by x2 to get the equation into its standard form. This shows the integ-
rating factor to be
Z 
dx
exp = exp(ln x) = x.
x
Multiplying through the standard form of the equation by this produces
dy ln x
x +y = ,
dx x
and hence
d ln x
(xy) = .
dx x
So
Z
ln x
xy = dx.
x
 Solutions to Algebra Sheet 6: Solving Differential Equations 4.10.04 page 2

Use the substitution u = ln x

1
xy = (ln x)2 + C.
2
Now put in the given condition that y = 1 when x = 1 to get C = 1, and divide through by
x to get y.
(b) Divide through by x2 to get the standard form. The integrating factor is
 Z 
dx
exp = exp( ln x) = exp(ln(x1 )) = x1 .
x

So the differential equation becomes

d y  2
= 3.
dx x x
y 1
And this leads to = 2 + C. Since C turns out to be 3, we have y = 3x x1 .
x x
(c) This time finding the integrating factor leaves you faced with
Z Z Z  
dx dx dx x+1
= = ln(x + 1) ln x = ln .
x(x + 1) x+1 x x

So the integrating factor is (x + 1)/x. Using it gives

    
d x+1 x+1
y = 3x2 and hence y = x3 + C.
dx x x

x(x3 1)
Since C turns out to be 1, the final answer is y = .
x+1
(d) To find the integrating factor you have to integrate 2 cot x. This is 2 ln(sin x), which
equals ln(sin2 x). So the integrating factor is sin2 x, and we have

d

y sin2 x = x cos x
dx
What then emerges is y sin2 x = x sin x + cos x + C, and C is 0.
(e) The integrating factor is ex producing

d
(y ex ) = x2 ex
dx
and the final answer y = x2 2x + 2 + ex .

1 1
3. (a) This is separable and the integrals are easy. The answer is y = 2 2 3 .
x x

(b) Again separable. Integrating gives 2 y + 1 = x + C, and C turns out to be 1.
(c) An easy one for an integrating factor, assuming that is that you dont notice that once
you have taken the 2y over to the left hand side the equation is already in the form you need.
d
(y(2x + 1)) = 2x
dx
 Solutions to Algebra Sheet 6: Solving Differential Equations 4.10.04 page 3

The integration and putting in of the given values produces (2x + 1)y = x2 + 1.
(d) This separates to give
dy dx
=
1 + y2 1 x2
Therefore arctan y = arcsin x + C. arctan(1) = /4, and arcsin(1) = /2, and so C = /4.
Now take tangents to get  
y = tan arcsin(x)
4
.

4. We seek a solution of the form y = emx . Then y 0 = memx and y 00 = m2 em x. Thus (m2 +
6m + 8)em x = 0 and since em x 6= 0 we must have m2 + 6m + 8 = 0. Solving we see that
(m + 4)(m + 2) = 0 and so m = 4 or m = 2. This gives solutions of the form

y = Ae4x + Be2x

for arbitrary constants A and B. Since this is a second order equation and we have a solution
with two arbitrary constants, it must be the general solution.
Since y(0) = A + B = 3 and y 0 (0) = 4A 2B = 8 we have A = 1 and so B = 2. Thus the
required solution is y = e4x + 2e2x .
We see that y(x) 0 as x .

5. We seek a solution of the form y = emx . Then y 0 = memx and y 00 = m2 em x. Thus (m2 +
2m 3)em x = 0 and since em x 6= 0 we must have m2 + 2m 3 = 0. Solving we see that
(m 1)(m + 3) = 0 and so m = 1 or m = 3. This gives solutions of the form

y = Aex + Be3x

for arbitrary constants A and B. Since this is a second order equation and we have a solution
with two arbitrary constants, it must be the general solution.
Since y(0) = A + B = 0 and y 0 (0) = A 3B = 4 we have A = 1 and so B = 1. Thus the
required solution is y = ex e3x .
We see that y(x) as x .

6. We seek a solution of the form y = emx . Then y 0 = memx and y 00 = m2 em x. Thus (m2 +
2m + 1)em x = 0 and since em x 6= 0 we must have m2 + 2m + 1 = 0. Solving we see that
(m + 1)(m + 1) = 0 and so m = 1. This is the equal roots case and so we know the
gerneral solution is of the form

y = (A + Bx)ex

for arbitrary constants A and B. Since this is a second order equation and we have a solution
with two arbitrary constants, it must be the general solution.
 Solutions to Algebra Sheet 6: Solving Differential Equations 4.10.04 page 4

7. We seek a solution of the form y = emx . Then y 0 = memx and y 00 = m2 em x. Thus (m2 + 2m +
5)em x = 0 and since em x 6= 0 we must have m2 + 2m + 5 = 0. Solving using the quadratic
formula we have complex roots 1 2j. This gives solutions of the form

y = Aex(1+2j) + Bex(12j) = ex (Ae2jx + Be2jx )

for arbitrary constants A and B. Since this is a second order equation and we have a solution
with two arbitrary constants, it must be the general solution. We rewrite in a more useful
form, obseving that e2j = cos 2x + j sin 2x while e2jx = cos 2x j sin 2x.
Thus the general solution is of the form

y = ex (A(cos 2x + j sin 2x) + B(cos 2x j sin 2x)) = ex (C cos 2x + D sin 2x)

where we have written C = A + B and D = j(A B). Note we can also write this in the
form

y = Aex cos(2x + )

for some ampliture A and phase shift .

Since y(0) = C = 0 and y 0 (x) = Dex sin 2x + Dex .2 cos 2x if follows that y 0 (0) = 2D so
D = 1 and the required solution is y = ex sin 2x.
We see that y(x) 0 as x .

8. We seek a solution of the assocaited homegeneous equation of the form y = emx . In this case,
y 0 = memx and so y 00 = m2 emx . Thus since emx 6= 0, we must have

2 4 16 4.13
m + 4m + 13 = 0, m= = 2 3j.
2
We thus obtain a general solution y = A exp(2x + 3jx) + B exp(2x 3jx). Combining the
sine and cosine terms together, this can be rewritten (with different values of A and B) as
y = e2x (A cos 3x + B sin 3x). Since it has two arbitrary constants, this is the general solution.
Now seek a solution of the form y = ax2 + bx + c of the inhomogeneous equation

d2 y dy
2
+4 + 13y = 5x2 x.
dx dx
Then y 0 = 2ax + b and so y 00 = 2a. Thus

2a + 8ax + 4b + 13ax2 + 13bx + 13c = 26x2 + 3x

Equating the coefficients of x2 , x and the constant terms, we see that

13a = 26, 8a + 13b = 3 2a + 4b + 13c = 0.

These have a solution with a = 2, b = 1 and c = 0 and we have found a particular integral.
Thus the general solution of the inhomogeneous equations is

y = ex (A cos 2x + B sin 2x) + 2x2 x.

 Algebra Sheet 6: Solving Differential Equations 4.10.04 page 5

9. First find the complementary function by solving

d2 y dy
2 2
9 35y = 0 .
dx dx
The auxiliary equation is 2m2 9m 35 = 0. This has roots
r r
81 + 280 361 9 19
m=9 =9 = = 7 or 2.5
4 4 4

So the complementary function is y = Ae7x + Be2.5x .

The function on the right is not part of this complementary function, and so for the trial
function we can just take something of the form C sin 2x + D cos 2x. To complete the process
we have to calculate the particular values of C and D that will work. This is a matter of
putting our trial function into the equation and doing the sums.

y = C sin 2x + D cos 2x

Therefore

dy
= 2C cos 2x 2D sin 2x
dx

and

d2 y
= 4C sin 2x 4D cos 2x
dx2

Therefore

d2 y dy
2 9 35y = 8C sin 2x 8D cos 2x 18C cos 2x + 18D sin 2x 35C sin 2x 35D cos 2x
dx2 dx

Therefore

sin 2x = (8C + 18D 35C) sin 2x + (8D 18C 35D) cos 2x

Equating coefficients tells us that

43C + 18D = 1 18C 43D = 0

So
43 18
C= and D=
2173 2173
Therefore the general solution of the given equation is
1 1
y = Ae7x + Be2.5x + sin 2x + cos 2x .
39 26