Differential equations of order 1

March 8, 2019

1 Theoretical results
1. Differential equations with separable variables
A differential equation of the form
(1.1) y 0 = f (x)g(y)
where f ∈ C(I), g ∈ C(J), I, J ⊆ R are intervals, is called equation
with separable variables. For y ∈ J1 ⊆ J, J1 interval with g(y) 6= 0,
the equation (1.1) is equivalent to
dy
= f (x)dx
g(y)
R dy R
and the solution follows by integration: g(y) = f (x)dx.
2. Homogeneous equations
A differential equation of the form
y
(1.2) y0 = f ( )
x
where f ∈ C(I), I ⊆ R is an interval such that 0 ∈
/ I and f (u) 6= u for
any u ∈ I, is called homogenous equation.
Let z : I → R be the function defined by z(x) = y(x)
x , x ∈ I. Then
y = xz and y 0 = xz 0 + z hence the equation becomes xz 0 = f (z) − z,
i.e.,
dz dx
=
f (z) − z x
which is an equation with separable variables.

1
3. Linear equations
A differential equation of the form

(1.3) y 0 + f (x)y = g(x)

where f, g ∈ C(I), I ⊆ R is an interval is called a linear differential

equation of order one.
Rx
Let F (x) = x0 f (t)dt, x0 ∈ I, be an antiderivative of f . Multiplying
the equation (1.3) by eF (x) we get

y 0 eF (x) + f (x)eF (x) y = g(x)eF (x)

or
(y · eF (x) )0 = g(x)eF (x)
and by integration with respect to x it follows
Z x 
y(x) = e−F (x) g(t)eF (t) dt + C , C ∈ R.
x0

The function eF is called the integrating factor of the above equation.

4. Bernoulli’s equation
A differential equation of the form

y 0 + f (x)y = g(x)y α , α ∈ R \ {0, 1}

where f, g ∈ C(I), I ⊆ R interval, is called Bernoulli’s equation. For

α > 0 the equation admits the solution y(x) = 0, x ∈ I. On an interval
I1 ⊆ I where y(x) 6= 0, x ∈ I1 the substitution z(x) = y 1−α (x), x ∈ I
leads to
z 0 + (1 − α)f (x)z = (1 − α)g(x)
which is a linear equation.

5. Riccati’s equations

A differential equation of the form

y 0 = f (x)y 2 + g(x)y + h(x)

2
 where f, g, h ∈ C(I), I ⊆ R interval, is called Riccati’s equation. Gen-
erally Riccati’s equations cannot be effectively integrated. But if y0 is
a particular solution of it, then the substitution y = y0 + z1 leads to
the linear differential equation

z 0 + (2f (x)y0 (x) + g(x))z + f (x) = 0.

6. Exact differential equations. Integrant factor

Let D ⊆ R be a rectangle D = (a, b) × (c, d), a < b, c < d and
P, Q ∈ C 1 (D). A differential equation of the form

(1.4) P (x, y)dx + Q(x, y)dy = 0

∂Q
where ∂P∂y (x, y) = ∂x (x, y) for all (x, y) ∈ D is called an exact differ-
ential equation. Under the previous conditions there exists a function
F ∈ C 1 (D) given by the relation
Z x Z y
F (x, y) = P (t, y)dt + Q(x0 , t)dt, (x0 , y0 ) ∈ D,
x0 y0

such that

dF (x, y) = P (x, y)dx + Q(x, y)dy, (x, y) ∈ D.

Since the exact differential equation is equivalent to dF (x, y) = 0 the

solutions are implicitly defined by

F (x, y) = C, C ∈ R.

The function F is called an antiderivative (primitive) of the differential

form P dx + Qdy.
If an equation of the form (1.4) is not an exact equation then a function
µ ∈ C 1 (D) with the property that the equation

(1.5) µ(x, y)P (x, y)dx + µ(x, y)Q(x, y)dy = 0

is an exact differential equation is called integrant factor.

3
 In practice, usually we are looking for integrant factors of the form
µ = µ(x) or µ = µ(y). If the equation
 
0 ∂P ∂Q
Qµ (x) = − µ(x)
∂y ∂x

depends only on x. then there exists µ = µ(x). If the equation

 
0 ∂P ∂Q
−P µ (y) = − µ(y)
∂y ∂x

depends only on y, then there exists µ = µ(y).

7. Clairaut’s differential equation

A differential equation of the form

y = xy 0 + g(y 0 )

where g ∈ C 1 (I), I ⊆ R interval, is called Clairaut’s equation. We

make the substitution y 0 = p to obtain the equation y = xp + g(p). By
differentiating we get

p = p + xp0 + g 0 (p)p0

hence (x+g 0 (p))p0 = 0. We obtain for x+g 0 (p) = 0 the singular solution
given by the parametric equations x = −g 0 (p), y = −pg 0 (p) + g(p).
From p0 = 0 we obtain p = C and the general solution is

y = Cx + g(C), C ∈ R.

8. Lagrange’s differential equation

A differential equation of the form

y = xf (y 0 ) + g(y 0 )

where f, g ∈ C 1 (I), I ⊆ R interval, with f (u) 6= u, u ∈ I , is called

Lagrange’s equation. The same substitution y 0 = p leads us to y =
xf (p) + g(p) hence, by differentiating we get

p = f (p) + xf 0 (p)p0 + g 0 (p)p0 .

4
 We obtain the equation

(p − f (p) = (xf 0 (p) + g 0 (p))p0 ,

which is equivalent with the linear equation

dx f 0 (p) g 0 (p)
− x=
dp p − f (p) p − f (p)

with the unknown x = x(p), which has a general solution x = h(p, C).
We obtain the parametric solutions of the Lagrange’s equation

x = h(p, C), y = h(p, C)f (p) + g(p), C ∈ R.

2 Exercices
Ex. 1 Integrate the following differential equations of order one:

a) xy(1 + x2 )y 0 = 1 + y 2 ;

b) y 0 = (x + y + 1)2 ;
p
c) 1 + y 2 dx = xydy;

d) 2x3 y 0 = y(3x2 y + y 2 ), x > 0;

e) x2 y 0 = y 2 − 2xy + 2x2 ;

f ) (3x − 7y − 3)dy + (7x − 3y − 7)dx = 0;

4x+6y+1
g) y 0 = 2x+3y+6 ;

h) y 0 + 2y = e−x ;

i) y 0 + y cos x = sin x cos x;

j) xy 2 y 0 = x2 + y 3 ;

k) y 0 + y tan x = y 2 ;

l) (1 + x3 )y 0 − y 2 − x2 y − 2x = 0, if y0 (x) = axn , a ∈ R;

5
 m) x2 (y 0 + y 2 ) − 2(xy − 1) = 0, if y0 (x) = xa , a ∈ R;

x4 3x2
n) y 0 + 2x
x5 −1
y2 − x5 −1
y − x5 −1
= 0, if y0 (x) = axn , a ∈ R;

o) (2x + 3x2 y)dx + (x3 − 3y 2 )dy = 0;

p) 2xydx + (x2 − y 2 )dy = 0;

 √   √ 
1 x x 1
q) 3 xy − x2 y
dx + √
y − xy 2
dy = 0.

Ex. 2 Integrate the following differential equation looking for an integrant

factor

a) (x2 + y)dx − xdy = 0;

b) (x − xy)dx + (y + x2 )dy = 0, µ = µ(x2 + y 2 );

c) (y + xy 2 )dx − xdy = 0;

d) (y + x3 y 2 )dx + (x + x2 y 3 )dy = 0, µ = µ(xy).

Ex. 3 Integrate the following differential equation:

a) y = xy 0 +
p
1 + (y 0 )2 ;

b) y = xy 0 − ln y;

c) y = xy 0 − y 04 ;

d) y = x(1 + y 0 ) + y 02 ;

e) y = 2xy 0 + sin y 0 ;

f ) y = 2xy 0 + 1 + y.

6
3 Solutions
dy ydy dx
Solutie Ex. 1 a) We have xy(1 + x2 ) dx = 1 + y 2 , hence 1+y 2
= x(1+x2 )
.
We integrate to obtain
Z Z
ydy dx
2
=
1+y x(1 + x2 )

. Equivalently
Z Z  
ydy 1 x
= − dx,
1 + y2 x 1 + x2

hence
1 1
ln(y 2 + 1) = ln |x| − ln(1 + x2 ) + C.
2 2
It follows that ln(y 2 + 1) = ln x2 − ln(1 + x2 ) + 2C. For 2C = ln k, k > 0
we obtain the solution

kx2
y2 + 1 = .
1 + x2

b) Let x + y + 1 = z, z = z(x). Then y = z − x − 1 and y 0 = z 0 − 1 hence

the equation becomes z 0 = 1 + z 2 , that is 1+z
dz
2 = dx. Integrating the
previous relation it follows
Z Z
dz
= dx
1 + z2
or
arctan z = x + C
so z = tan(x + C), hence the solution is

y(x) = tan(x + C) − x − 1.

c) We have dx
x =
√ydy . Integrating we obtain the general solution
1+y 2
p
2
y + 1 − ln |x| = C.

7
 2 3
d) We have y 0 = 3x 2xy+y
3 , that is y 0 = 23 xy + 12 ( xy )3 . The substitution
y 0 3 1 3 0 1 1 3
x = z, z = z(x) leads to xz + z = 2 z + 2 z , or xz = 2 z + 2 z . The
2dz dx
new equation becomes z(1+z 2 ) = x and by integration we get

Z   Z
1 z dx
2 − dz =
z 1 + z2 x
hence
ln z 2 − ln(1 + z 2 ) = ln |x| + ln |C|, C 6= 0.
q
z2 Cx Cx3
Therefor 1+z 2
= Cx or z 2 = 1−Cx . Finally y = ± 1−Cx , C ∈ R.

2
e) We have y 0 = xy − 2 xy + 2. The substitution xy = z(x) leads to
xz 0 q
= z 2 − 3z + 22. Consequently, the solution of the equations is
Cx3
y = 1−Cx , C ∈ R.
 
−7 3 
f ) We have    6= 0 and the simultaneous equations
3 −7
(
−7x + 3y + 7 = 0
has the solution (1, 0). By the substitution x =
3x − 7y − 3 = 0
t + 1 and y = u we get
−7t + 3u
u0 = ,
3t − 7u
u
which is an homogeneous equation. Now the substitution z(t) = t
transforms the above equation into
−7 + 3z
z0t + z = ,
3 − 7z
or equivalently, by separating the variables in
(3 − 7z)dz dt
= .
7(z − 1)(z + 1) t
Integrating both terms of the equation we obtain
2ln|u − 1| + 5ln|u + 1| = −7ln|t| + ln |C|, C 6= 0,
which gives
(y − x + 1)2 (y + x − 1)5 = C.

8
  
4 6
g) We have   = 0, and the simultaneous equations
2 3
(
4x + 6y + 1 = 0
consists of 2 parallel lines.
2x + 3y + 6 = 0
By the substitution z = 2x + 3y we get
8z + 15
z0 = ,
z+6
which is an equation with separable variables with the solution
1 33
z+ ln |8z + 15| = x + C
8 64
which in terms of x and y becomes
1 33
(2x + 3y) + ln |16x + 24y + 15| = x + C.
8 64

h) We obtain first an antiderivative of f (x), i.e., F (x) = 2dx = e2x , x ∈

R

R. By multiplication with e2x the equation becomes

y 0 e2x + 2e2x y = ex

or (ye2x )0 = ex , hence by integration we obtain

y(x) = e−2x (ex + C), C ∈ R.

i) We obtain first an antiderivative of f (x),

Z
F (x) = cos xdx = sin x.

By multiplication with esin x the equation becomes

y 0 esin x + cos xesin x y = (sin x · cos x)esin x

or (yesin x )0 = (sin x · cos x)esin x , hence by integration we obtain

y(x) = sin x − 1 + Ce− sin x , C ∈ R.

9
 j) We divide by y 2 to obtain the general form of the Bernoulli’s equation
and we use the substitution z = y 3 . Then z 0 = 3y 2 y 0 and by replacing
in the initial equation we get the linear equation x3 z 0 = x2 + z, or
equivalently by multiplying with x3 z 0 − x3 z = 3x. Now, multiplying by
x−3 we have (x−3 z)0 = 3x−2 , hence

z = Cx3 − 3x2 or y 3 = 3Cx3 − 3x2 , C ∈ R.

k) Dividing by y 2 we get y −2 y 0 + y −1 tan x = 1. Using the substitution

z = y −1 we get z 0 = −y −2 y 0 and by replacing in the initial equation
we obtain the linear equation z 0 − z tan x = −1 hence by integration we
cos x
get the general solution y(x) = C−sin x , C ∈ R. The equation admits
also the particular solution y(x) = 0.

l) Replacing y0 (x) = axn in the initial equation we get −a2 x2n + (na −
a)xn+2 + naxn−1 − 2x = 0, ∀x ∈ R. Consequently n = 2 and a = 1,
therefore the particular solution is y0 (x) = x2 . We use the substitution
y = x2 + z1 which leads to

z 0 (1 + x3 ) + 3x2 z = −1 or (z(1 + x3 ))0 = −1.

−x+C
So z(1 + x3 ) = −x + C hence z = 1+x3
. Finally

1 + x2 Cx2 + 1
y = x2 + = , C ∈ R.
−x + C C −x

m) Replacing y0 (x) = xa in the initial equation we obtain a = 1, therefore

the particular solution is y0 (x) = x1 . We use the substitution y = x1 + z1
we obtain the general solution
1 1
y= + , C ∈ R.
x x+C

n) Replacing y0 (x) = axn in the initial equation we obtain n = 3 and

a = −1, therefore the particular solution is y0 (x) = −x3 . We use the
substitution y = −x3 + z1 we obtain the general solution

Cx3 − 1
y= , C ∈ R.
x2 − C

10
 o) For P (x, y) = 2x + 3x2 y and Q(x, y) = x3 − 3y 2 it is easy to see that
∂P 2 ∂Q
∂y = 3x = ∂x , hence we have an exact differential equation. For
x0 = 0 and y0 = 0 we get
Z x Z y
2
F (x, y) = (2t + 3t y)dt + (−3t2 )dt = x2 + x3 y − y 3 ,
0 0

therefore the solution of the equation is x2 + x3 y − y 3 = C, C ∈ R.

∂P
p) For P (x, y) = 2xy and Q(x, y) = x2 − y 2 it is easy to see that ∂y =
2x = ∂Q
∂x , hence we have an exact differential equation. For x0 = 0
and y0 = 0 we get
x y
y3
Z Z
F (x, y) = (2ty)dt + (−t2 )dt = x2 y − ,
0 0 3

therefore the solution of the equation is 3x2 y − y 3 = C, C ∈ R.

q) This is an exact differential equation. The solution of the equation is

√ 1
2x xy + xy = C, C ∈ R.

Solutie Ex. 2 a) Let µ(x) be an integrant factor of the equation. Then

multiplying by µ(x) we get (x2 + y)µ(x)dx − xµ(x)dy = 0 and
∂ ∂
(x2 + y)µ(x) = − (xµ(x)) or µ(x) = −xµ0 (x) − µ(x).


∂y ∂x
The equation can be rewritten in the form

µ0 (x) 2
=− ,
µ(x) x

with the solution ln |µ(x)| = −2 ln |x| + ln |c| or µ(x) = xc2 . Choosing

µ(x) = x12 we get the exact differential equation (1 + xy2 )dx − x1 dy = 0.
For x0 = 1, y0 = 0 we obtain
Z x Z y
y y
F (x, y) = 1 + 2 dt − dt = x − − 1
1 t 0 x

and the solution of the equation is x − xy = C, or y = x2 − Cx, C ∈ R.

11
 b) Let µ(t) , where t = x2 +y 2 be an integrant factor of the equation. Then
multiplying by µ we get (x−xy)µ(x2 +y 2 )dx+(y+x2 )µ(x2 +y 2 )dy = 0,
which is an exact differential equation, therefore

µ0 (t) · 2y(x − xy) − xµ(t) = 2xµ(t) + (y + x2 )µ0 (t)2x,

or equivalently
−2tµ0 (t) = 3µ(t).
3
1
By integration we obtain µ(t) = t 2 or µ(x2 + y 2 ) = 3 . Hence
(x2 +y 2 ) 2
we obtain the exact differential equation

x − xy y + x2
3 dx + 3 dy = 0.
(x2 + y 2 ) 2 (x2 + y 2 ) 2
For x0 = 1 and y0 = 1 we obtain
!
x y
t(1 − y) y−1
Z Z
1
F (x, y) = 3 dt − dt = p
0 (t2 + y2) 2 1 t2 (x2 + y 2 )

and the solution of the equation is √ y−1 = C, C ∈ R.

2 (x +y 2 )

1
c) The integrating factor is µ = y2
. The solution of the equation is
y = √ 2x 2 , C ∈ R.
(C−x )

1
d) The integrating factor is µ = x2 y 2
. The solution of the equation is
x2 +y 2 1
y= 2 − xy = C, C ∈ R.

Solutie Ex. 3 a) For thepClairaut’s differential equation we denote y 0 =

p, so we get y = xp + 1 + p2 . Differentiating we obtain

2pp0
p = p + xp0 + p
2 1 + p2

hence
p
0 = p0 (x + p ).
1 + p2

12
 Either p0 = 0 which for p = C leads to the general solution
p
y = xC + 1 + C 2 ,

or x = − √ p which gives the singular solution

1+p2

p 1
x = −p , y=p , p ∈ R or x2 + y 2 = 1.
1 + p2 1+p2

b) For the Clairaut’s differential equation we use the substitution y 0 = p.

The general solution is y = Cx − ln C. The singural solution is given
by the parametric equations x = p1 ; y = 1 − ln p or equivalently by
y = 1 + ln x.

c) The general solution of Clairaut’s differential equation is y = xC −C 4 ,

C ∈ R. The particular solution is 27x4 − 256y 3 = 0.

d) Let y 0 = p then y = x(1 + p) + p2 and we differentiate to obtain

p = 1 + p + xp0 + 2pp0 , hence

dx
0 = 1 + p0 (x + 2p), = −x − 2p
dp

which is a linear equation with the unknown x = x(p).

We write this equation in the form x0 + x = −2p and we multiply this
equation by ep to obtain ep x0 + ep x = −2pep , that is (ep x)0 = −2pep .
Equivalently we get
Z
−p
x = −2e pep dp = −2e−p (pep − ep + C) = −2p + 2 − 2Ce−p .

Replacing x in the initial equation we get

y = (1 + p)(−2p + 2 − 2Ce−p ) + p2 .

So, the parametric equations are

x(p) = −2p+2−2Ce−p , y(p) = (1+p)(−2p+2−2Ce−p )+p2 , C ∈ R.

13
e) For the Lagrange’s differential equation we use the substitution y 0 = p,
we differentiate and we get p = 2p + 2xp0 + p0 cos p. The solution is
given by x(p) = C−p sinp2p−cos p ; y(p) = 2C−p sinpp−2 cos p .
(
C
x(p) = p2
− 12
f ) The general solution of Lagrange’s differential equation is 2C
y(p) = p +1
C ∈ R. The singular solution is y = 1.

14