Chapter 2 3

Method for
for solving
solving First
First Order
Order

Differential Equations
Equations

Chapter 2 4
 Methods

Reducible
Reducible to
to variable
variable separable
separable
Variable
Variable Separable
Separable
Homogeneous
Homogeneous Equation
Equation
Integrating
Integrating Factor
Factor
Substitutions
Substitutions
Exact
Exact Differential
Differential Equation
Equation
Bernoulli
Bernoulli Differential
Differential Equation
Equation
 Separable Equation
Chapter 2

A first-order differential equation is separable if it is possible to arrange the terms

in the equations so that the dependent variables are separated from the
independent variable.
Differential Equation

The differential equation of the form

(x is independent variable and y is dependent variable)

is called separable if it can be written in the form .

or or
Variable Separable

These are separable forms of the differential equation.

Chapter 2 6
 Separation of Variables
Chapter 2

Definition A differential equation of the type y’ = f(x)g(y) is separable.

Differential Equation

x
Example y   xy and y   are separable
y
xy
but y   is not separable.
xy
Separable differential equations can often be solved with direct integration. This
may lead to an equation which defines the solution implicitly rather than directly.
Variable Separable

x   ydy   xdx
Example y 
y
y 2 x2
   C1  y 2  x 2  C
2 2
 How to solve a separable equation
To solve a separable equation, we perform the following steps:
Step 1:
For solutions we write the equation in the form. g(y)dy=f(x)dx
Step 2:
General solution can be solved by directly integrating both the sides

Where c is constant of integration

DO YOU REMEMBER INTEGRATION FORMULA?

to obtain a solution of the form G(y)=F(x)+C

Step3: If you are given an IVP, use the initial condition to find the particular
solution.

Chapter 2 8
 Variable Separable Differential Equation Chapter 2

EXAMPLE:

Chapter 2
9
 Variable Separable Differential Equation Chapter 2
EXAMPLE:

Chapter 2
10
Chapter 2

To find the particular solution, we apply the given initial

condition, when x =1, y = 3
Differential Equation
Variable Separable

is solution of initial value problem

Chapter 2 11
 Variable Separable Differential Equation Chapter 2

Chapter 2
12
 Variable Separable Differential Equation Chapter 2

Chapter 2
13
Note1: If we have  2 y  ln y  dy  2 xdx
  2 y  ln y  dy   2 xdx  ln ydy  y ln y  y
Integrating by parts

y 2   y ln y  y   x 2  c

 2 y  ye dy  2 xdx

y
Integrating by parts
ye dy  ye  e
y y y

  2 y  ye dy    2 xdx
Note.2. If we have y

y   ye  e   x  c
2 y y 2

 2 y  sin y dy  2 xdx

Note.3. If we have
1

  2 y  sin y dy   2 xdx

1  sin 1 ydy  y sin 1 y  1  y 2


y 2  y sin 1 y  1  y 2  x 2  c 
Chapter 2 14
Example :
dy 1
Solve the differential equation  1 2
dt y
Solution:
1. No constant solutions as the equation 1has no real
1 2  0
roots. y
2. For non-constant solutions, we separate the variables and
integrate
 dy
since 
 1  1/ y
2
  dt
Thus, 1 y2 1
  1 
1  1/ y 2 y 2  1 y2 1
So that  dy 1
  y  tan ( y)
 1  1 / y 2

y  tan 1 ( y )  t  C
15
3. Since there exist no constant solution, all solutions are
given by the implicit equation found in step 2.
4. This step is not required as no initial conditions are given.

16
 Variable Separable Differential Equation Chapter 2

Chapter 2
17
Chapter 2 18
Chapter 2 19
Example :Solve the initial value problem
dy
 1  t 2  y 2  t 2 y 2 , y( 0 )  1
dt
Solution:
Since 1  t 2
 y 2
 t 2 2
y  (1  t 2
)(1  y 2
)
dy
Therefore  (1  t 2 )(1  y 2 )
dt
1. No constant solution because there exist no real roots of the
equation 1  y 2  0.

2. For non-constant solutions we separate the variables and

integrate.
dy
 (1  t 2
) dt
1 y 2

 dy
   (1  t 2
) dt
 1 y
2

20
 3
t
tan 1 ( y )  t   C
3

This can be written as  t3 

y  tan t   C 
 3 
3. Since there exist no constant solutions, all solutions are given
by
the implicit or explicit equation.

y ( 0)  1 C  tan 1 (1) 
4. Using initial condition, we obtain 4

The solution to the initial value problem3 is

t 
tan 1 ( y )  t  
3 4
 t3  
y  tan  t   
 3 4 21
HOME WORK EXERCISES
A first course in Differential Equations By D. Zill [7th Edition]

Exercise # 2.2
3,6,8,9,10,13,14,19,20,24,27,30

Chapter 2 22
 Worksheet #2
• Problem
• (a) Find a solution to the differential equation
 
• b) Find a solution to the differential
equation 
• c) Find a solution to the differential equation

Chapter 2 23