Separable Equations
The next simplest case is when the rate of change
dydx can be factored in a way that separates the
dependance of x and y. In particular,
A differential
equation is called separable if it's of the form
dydx=f(x)g(y). |
If g≠0, we can cross-multiply to get dyg(y)=f(x)dx and then integrate both sides. This yields G(y)=F(x)+C, where F and G are anti-derivatives of f and
1/g, respectively. As always, we need to plug in the value of
one point to determine C.
Example: Find the
solutions of dydx=xy2+x.
Solution: The equation is separable, since the rate
of change dydx can be written as
f(x)g(y)=x(y2+1). Notice that y2+1≠0. Hence, dyy2+1=xdx We integrate both sides ∫dyy2+1=∫xdx to get arctan(y)=x22+C, or, y=tan(x22+C).
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