Math 320 Midterm 1 Information and Review

• Midterm 1 will be on Wednesday, October 11th at 5:45pm. (see Canvas for Room information). It
will cover Sections 1.1-1.5, 2.1-2.2, 2.4-2.5, 3.1-3.3 in your textbook (Unit 1 on Canvas).

• Midterm 1 is a 90-minute exam consisting of True/False questions and free response questions.

• The only permitted materials are: pencil/pen. Any other materials/resources are prohibited.

• This review is intended to give you extra practice with connecting the concepts covered in these
sections. The problems on the exam are not guaranteed to be similar to these problems.

• For additional practice, I recommend going through your homework problems (Make sure you do all
the practice problems), discussion worksheets, and lecture examples.

You should...
• Be able to set up a differential equation for a described situation

• Be able to verify if a function is a solution to a differential equation

• Be able to solve first-order differential equations via the following methods1 : direct integration,
separation of variables, and the integrating factor

• Be able to apply the Existence and Uniqueness of Solutions Theorems to an initial value problem

• Understand what a slope field represents for a differential equation

• Be able to sketch a solution curve on a slope field through selected points

• Know how to build and analyze a population model for a described situation

• Be able to find and analyze the stability of critical points of a first-order equation

• Be able to carry out Euler’s Method and the Improved Euler’s Method by hand for two steps

• Be able to analyze the results of Euler’s Method given a table/graph

• Be able to solve small (2 × 2 or 3 × 3) linear systems using the method of elimination

• Be able to determine if a linear system is consistent

• Be able to give a linear system’s unique solution or describe its solution set via a parameter t

• Be able to set up an augmented matrix for a linear system of equations AND be able to interpret an
augmented matrix as a linear system of equations

• Be able to perform elementary row (column) operations to a matrix

• Know how to find an echelon form and the reduced echelon form for a matrix

• Be able to solve a small (2 × 2 or 3 × 3) linear system using the method of Gaussian Elimination and
back substitution or using Gauss-Jordan Elimination
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For exams, you are expected to know how to do u-substitution and integration by parts
Terms to know: differential equation, mathematical model, order (of a differential equation), nth
order differential equation, solution of a differential equation on an interval I, ordinary vs. partial differ-
ential equation, initial value problem, initial condition, general vs. particular solution, position function,
velocity function, acceleration function, solution curve, slope/direction field, separable equation, implicit
solution, general vs. singular solution, decay/growth constant, exponential/natural growth equation, half
life, integrating factor, linear first-order equation, general population equation, logistic equation, limiting
population, carrying capacity, threshold population, autonomous first-order differential equation, critical
points, equilibrium solution, phase diagram, stable vs. unstable critical points, bifurcation point, bifur-
cation diagram, Euler’s method, error, Improved Euler’s method, linear equation, linear system, solution
of a linear system, consistent vs. inconsistent linear system, unique solution, parameter, elementary row
operations, matrix, entries/elements, size of a matrix, row, column, coefficient matrix, column vector,
augmented coefficient matrix, row equivalent, echelon matrix, leading entry, leading variables, free vari-
ables, back substitution, Gaussian elimination, reduced echelon matrix/form, Gauss-Jordan elimination,
homogeneous system, trivial solution, square matrix,principal diagonal, identity matrix,

Review Problems:
1. Solve each ODE. If it is an initial value problem, solve for the particular solution.

a. x3 + 3y − xy ′ = 0
b. xy 2 + 3y 2 − x2 y ′ = 0
c. 3y + x4 y ′ = 2xy, y(1) = 4
d. 2xy 2 + x2 y ′ = y 2
e. 2x2 y + x3 y ′ = 1, y(1) = 3
f. y ′ = 1 + x2 + y 2 + x2 y 2
g. 4xy 2 + y ′ = 5x4 y 2 , y(0) = −3
h. 3x5 y 2 + x3 y ′ = 2y 2
i. xy ′ + 3y = 3x−3/2
j. (x2 − 1)y ′ + (x − 1)y = 1
k. 9x2 y 2 + x3/2 y ′ = y 2
l. 2y + (x + 1)y ′ = 3x + 3
m. y + xy ′ = 2e2x
n. (2x + 1)y ′ + y = (2x + 1)3/2
o. (x2 + 1)y ′ = 4x, y(0) = 6

2. True or False?

a. y ′ + y 3 = x is a 3rd order differential equation.

3
b. y = 4ex + 2 is a solution to the differential equation y ′ + 6x2 = 3x2 y.
c. If a linear system has two or more solutions, then it is inconsistent.
dx
d. x = 3 is a critical point of the differential equation = x4 − 10x2 + 9.
dt
dy
e. The initial value problem x = 3y, y(3) = 0 has solution y(x) = x3 .
dx
 f. If the time rate of change of a population P is proportional to the square of P , then the
dP
differential equation modeling this situation is = kP 2 .
dt

dy
3. Consider the differential equation = y 3 + 2y 2 − 8y.
dx
a. Find the critical points of the differential equation.
b. Using a phase diagram, determine if each critical point is stable or unstable.

4. Consider the initial value problem (IVP)

dy
(y − 2) = 3x, y(0) = 3.
dx
Does this IVP have a unique solution near the point (0, 3)? Justify your answer completely.
dx
5. Consider the differential equation = x2 − k with parameter k. Analyze the dependence of critical
dt
values on the parameter k. In particular, determine the number and nature of critical values depend-
ing on the value of k (hint: there should be three different situations for k). Sketch a representative
slope field for each situation.

6. Match each slope field to its differential equation. Additionally, which ODEs are guaranteed to have
a unique solution near (1, 0) with initial condition y(1) = 0?
dy
1. = 3x − 2y
dx
dy x
2. =
dx y
dy
3. = y 2 + 2y
dx
dy
4. = x2 − 4
dx
Slope Field A
Slope Field B
 Slope Field C Slope Field D

7. Solve each linear system using Gauss-Jordan elimination (i.e. find the reduced echelon form of the
augmented matrix). If it has infinitely many solutions, represent the solution set using parameter t.

a. {3 x + 2 z = −8, 2 x + 3 y − z = 4, 4 x + 6 y − 2 z = 4}
b. {−x + 7 z = 5, −3 x − 5 y + 36 z = 10, x + y − 10 z = −4}
c. {x + y + z = 5, 2 x − y + 3 z = 20, 3 x + 4 y + z = 5}

8. A squirrel population P (t) (t is in years) is modeled by the ODE

dP
= (0.6P − 120)P, P (0) = 300.
dt
a. What is the birth rate? What is the death rate?
b. Find and analyze the critical points of this ODE.
c. Suppose P (0) = 150. What would happen to the squirrel population?

9. Consider the second-order differential equation

y ′′ − 16y = 0.

a. One of the following is the general solution y(x) for this ODE. Determine the correct solution.
y1 (x) = A cos(4x) + B sin(4x) y2 (x) = Ae−4x + Be4x y3 (x) = Ax4 − Bx2
b. Using your answer to part (a), determine constants A and B that satisfy the initial conditions
y(0) = 16, y ′ (0) = 16.

10. In the following system, determine all values of a for which the resulting linear system has: (a) no
solution, (b) a unique solution, (c) infinitely many solutions.

x+y−z =2
x + 2y + z = 3
x + y + (a2 − 5)z = a

11. Apply Euler’s method and the Improved Euler’s Method to approximate the solution to the initial
value problem
dy
= x + 2y, y(0) = 4
dx
 with step size h = 1 on the interval [0, 2] (i.e., only compute y1 and y2 ). You do not need to simplify
your answer for y2 .

12. Sketch the solution curve through the indicated point on the slope field below.

dy y
13. Consider the initial value problem + = ex , y(1) = −3
dx x
a. Find the largest interval for x over which this IVP is guaranteed to have a unique solution y(x).
b. Solve this initial value problem.