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Transforming Instruction in Undergraduate
Differential Equations Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources
(TRIUMPHS)

Summer 2020

Solving First-Order Linear Differential Equations: Gottfried Leibniz'

"Intuition and Check" Method
Adam E. Parker
Wittenberg University

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Recommended Citation
Parker, Adam E., "Solving First-Order Linear Differential Equations: Gottfried Leibniz' "Intuition and Check"
Method" (2020). Differential Equations. 1.
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/triumphs_differ/1

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 Solving First-Order Linear Differential Equations:
Gottfried Leibniz’ “Intuition and Check” Method
Adam E. Parker*

January 10, 2021

1 Introduction
In 1926, British mathematician E. L. Ince (1891–1941) described the typical evolution of solution
techniques from calculus (and differential equations and science in general).1

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The early history of the infinitesimal calculus abounds in instances of problems solved through
the agency of what were virtually differential equations; it is even true to say that the problem
of integration, which may be regarded as the solution of the simplest of all types of differential
equations, was a practical problem even in the middle of the sixteenth century. Particular
cases of the inverse problem of tangents, that is the problem of determining a curve whose
tangents are subjected to a particular law, were successfully dealt with before the invention
of the calculus.
But the historical value of a science depends not upon the number of particular phenomena
it can present but rather upon the power it has of coordinating diverse facts and subjecting
them to one simple code. [Ince, 1926]

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*
Department of Math and Computer Science, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, 45504;
[email protected].
1
Ince himself is part of at least one such story within differential equations. He developed the so called Ince Equation
(in about 1923),
(1 + a cos (2t))y 00 (t) + (b sin (2t))y 0 (t) + (λ + d cos (2t))y(t) = 0,
which generalized at least two other well known equations from about 1868 and 1914, respectively. Letting a = b = 0
and d = −2q, we obtain Mathieu’s equation (which model elliptical drumheads),

y 00 (t) + (λ − 2q cos (2t))y(t) = 0,

and letting a = 0, b = −4q, and d = 4q(ν − 1), we obtain the Whittaker-Hill equation (with applications to lunar
stability and quantum mechanics)

y 00 (t) − 4q(sin (2t))y 0 (t) + (λ + 4q(ν − 1) cos (2t))y(t) = 0.

Ince’s equation then is itself a special case of generalized Ince equations (studied in [Moussa, 2014])

(1 + A(t))y 00 (t) + B(t)y 0 (t) + (λ + D(t))y(t) = 0.

1
 This is exactly the evolution of solution methods for first-order linear ordinary differential equa-
tions. First, particular problems were solved with “one-off” methods that didn’t have general appli-
cations beyond that specific problem. But then those results were combined and generalized until a
unified theory developed.

Task 1 In the above passage, Ince made a connection between “the solution of the simplest of all types
of differential equations” and “the problem of determining a curve whose tangents are subjected
to a particular law.” Connect these two statements. If the differential equation is

dy
= f (x, y),
dx
then what are the “curve,” the “‘tangents,” and the “‘particular law”?

Task 2 Recall that non-homogenous first-order linear ordinary differential equations have the following
form
dy
p(x) + q(x)y = f (x), (1)
dx
or if made monic
dy
+ P (x)y = Q(x). (2)
dx
Explain how to make Equation (1) monic like Equation (2). In particular, why can we assume
that p(x) isn’t identically zero? Write P (x) and Q(x) in terms of p(x), q(x) and f (x).

The theme of this project is the first “one-off” method for equations like those in Task 2, due to
Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716). As time progressed, solutions to differential equations came from more
general “coordinated” techniques such as variation of parameters and exact differential equations.2

2 Leibniz’ Check
On November 27, 1694, Gottfried Leibniz3 wrote a letter to his friend the Marquis de l’Hôpital4
(1661-1704), which is contained in the 1850 collection of Leibniz’ works edited by Carl Immanuel
Gerhardt (1816-1899). It contained a method for solving non-homogenous first-order linear differen-
tial equations.
The reader should be aware of two notations that appear in the original letter, [Leibniz, 1694].
dy
Firstly, dy : dx or dp : p simply means dx or dp
p , Rsimilar to how we use the colon for expressing
ratios and proportions today. Secondly, the symbol mpdx may look like a square root symbol but is

2
The stories of these more general methods can be found in the two other projects of this “Solving First-Order Linear
Differential Equations” series, which continue to follow the historical trail by examining works by Johann Bernoulli
(1667-1748) and Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), respectively. Each of the three projects in the series can be completed
individually or in any combination with the others. They are available at https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/
triumphs_differ/.
3
Leibniz was a German mathematician and philosopher who created (probably independently) the Calculus along
with the notation that we currently use.
4
Guillaume Francois Antoine, Marquis de l’Hôpital was a French mathematician credited with the first textbook on
differential calculus.

2
 R
actually two different symbols; the integral and the overline mp dx. The overline acts as parentheses
R R R
indicating what (today we would say) is the integrand. So mp dx = (mp dx) = mp dx.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

... Let m + ny + dy : dx = 0, where m and n signify rational or irrational formulas which

R
depend only on the indeterminate x; [then] I say that one can resolve it generally as mp dx +
R R
py = 0, I suppose that dp : p = n dx. For by finding differences, it becomes mp dx +
y dp + p dy = 0, but dp = pn dx, whence it becomes mp dx + npy dx + p dy = 0 or
m dx + ny dx + dy = 0, just as had been desired.5

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When reading the above passage, we find that Leibniz was working backwards. As is so often the
case, finding the solution to a differential equation, or any problem for that matter, is much harder
than checking that something is a solution. In this passage, Leibniz did the second. He asserted that
R
mp dx + py = 0 is a solution to m + ny + dy : dx = 0 if we were to define the function p by the
R R
equation dp : p = n dx.

R
Task 3 (a) Explain in your own words how Leibniz went from mp dx + py = 0 to
mp dx + y dp + p dy = 0.
R R
(b) Explain in your own words how Leibniz went from dp : p = n dx to dp = pn dx.
(c) Explain in your own words how Leibniz combined (a) and (b) above to obtain
m dx + ny dx + dy = 0.
(d) Leibniz concluded by saying “just as had been desired.”
Why exactly is this the “desired” result?
R
We also see that mp dx + py = 0 is an implicit solution to the differential equation. In general,
when a solution technique returns an implicit solution it will be impossible to solve for y to make it
an explicit solution. Luckily, this is not the case here.

Task 4 Turn the Leibniz implicit solution into an explicit one by solving for y.

Leibniz knew that his technique was an extension over what was known previously. Perhaps the
very first differential equation ever written was (essentially) a first-order linear differential equation!
In a 1638 letter to French philosopher and scientist René Descartes (1596-1650), French jurist and
mathematician Florimond de Beaune (1601-1652) asked for a geometric solution to an equation that
today we would write as

dy α
= (3)
dx (y − x)
which is not linear, but can be made linear following Task 5 [Lenoir, 1979].

5
Leibniz translations by Danny Otero of Xavier University, 2020.

3
Task 5 Consider Equation (3)

(a) Switch the variables x and y.

dy
(b) Solve for dx .
(c) Compare this to Equations (1) and (2). What is p(x), q(x), f (x) (respectively P (x), Q(x))?

Allowing m and n to be rational or irrational functions of x was certainly an improvement over

restricting them to be the values found in Task 5. But Leibniz was also well aware that his im-
provement was only one step towards more universal theories. The following statement immediately
proceeded his technique.

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I believe that with proper applications we may finally come to the inverse of tangents; I have
made some beginnings which seem all the more considerable as they encompass these [results]
in fairly general terms and can be extended further...

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3 Examples

Task 6 We will work through Leibniz’ technique, using

dy
x + y = 3x2 (4)
dx
as an example.

(a) Rewrite Equation (4) in the form that Leibniz used to begin his process.6 What are the
functions m and n?
(b) Leibniz then defined a new function p that satisfies the condition

dp
= n dx.
p

Using n from part (a), solve for p.

(c) With these functions, use Leibniz’ method to verify that
Z
mp dx + py = 0

solves the original differential equation for the form of the equation from part (a).
(d) At this point we know m, n, and p so the only unknown is y. Solve for y and show it
solves Equation (4).

6
Notice that Leibniz started with a monic equation, so if your given equation isn’t monic, you’ll need to make it so.

4
Task 7 Solve
dy
− y = xex
dx
using the above method.7

4 Leibniz’ Intuition
Similar “tricks” to solve specific differential equations proliferated in the literature for decades, and
as in the case of Leibniz, they often appeared to come from nowhere. In his work on the history of
differential equations, Dick Jardine has noted that mathematicians of the day spent hours and hours
of practice to gain the intuition to create those methods [Jardine, 2011]. It is that same intuition
that eventually allowed them to organize similar tricks into a general theory.

Students initially are bewildered at how anyone “observed” or “noted” such relationships.
My best explanation is that Leibniz, Bernoulli, and Euler spent many hours determining
those and many other useful results with the calculus. Because of their effort, they
developed useful mathematical intuition about such relationships.

Jardine concluded by then stating, “With similar effort, our students can obtain similar intu-
ition.” Perhaps you won’t quite develop Leibniz’ intuition if you put in Leibniz’ effort, but everyone
can develop intuition about what integrals might use integration by parts, which proofs might use
contradiction, or even what trick would allow you to solve a first-order linear non-homogenous dif-
ferential equation.
It is likely that your ODE class utilizes an integrating factor µ to solve first-order linear differential
equations
dy R
+ P (x)y = Q(x) µ = e P (x)dx . (5)
dx
While µ was not derived by Leibniz (remember that he technically only checked an answer), it is
interesting that his p function is our modern µ!8
Z Z
dp
m + ny + dy : dx = 0 = ndx. (6)
p

Task 8 Show that µ from Equation (5) is the same as p from Equation (6).

We may not know exactly where Leibniz’ trick came from, but we know where it ended up . . . in
your texts!

7
This example is not historically accurate as Leibniz did not deal with functions of the form ex .
8
It should be noted that this equivalency requires that the given differential equation is made monic, as that is the
form that Leibniz starts from.

5
References
C. I. Gerhardt, editor. Mathematische Schriften, Band II, Briefwechsel Zwischen Leibniz, Huygens
van Zulichem und dem Marquis de l’Hôspital (Mathematical Writings, Volume II, Correspondence
between Leibniz, Huygens of Zuilichem, and the Marquis de l’Hôspital. D. Nutt, London, 1850.
E. L. Ince. Ordinary Differential Equations. Dover Publications, New York, 1926. Republished 1944.
D. Jardine. The origins of integrating factors. In A. Shell-Gellasch, editor, Mathematical Time
Capsules: Historical Modules for the Mathematics Classroom, pages 261–290. Mathematical Asso-
ciation of America, 2011.
G.W. Leibniz. Letter to l’Hôpital, November 27. 1694. Published in [Gerhardt, 1850, p. 257].
T. Lenoir. Descartes and the geometrization of thought: The methodological background of
Descartes’ Géométrie. Hist. Math., 6:355–379, 1979.
R. Moussa. On the generalized Ince equation. PhD thesis, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI,
2014.

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Notes to Instructors
This set of notes accompanies the mini-Primary Source Project “Solving Linear First-Order Differen-
tial Equations: Gottfried Leibniz’ “Intuition and Check” Method” written as part of the TRIUMPHS
project. (See end of notes for details about TRIUMPHS).

PSP Content: Topics and Goals

This mini-Primary Source Project (mini-PSP) is one of a set of three mini-PSPs that share the
name “Solving Linear First Order Differential Equations,” designed to show three solutions to non-
homogenous first-order linear differential equations, each from a different context. Recall that a
non-homogenous first-order linear differential equation has the form

dy
a(x) + p(x)y = q(x).
dx
ˆ The mini-PSP subtitled “Gottfried Leibniz’ “Intuition and Check” Method” explains how in
1694 Leibniz solved these equations using one-off method applicable only to this specific prob-
lem. Strictly speaking, Leibniz didn’t solve the equation, but asserted a solution and then
showed it worked. Part of his proposed solution will be familiar to the students: it is the
standard integrating factor method we teach today.

ˆ The mini-PSP subtitled “Johann Bernoulli’s (Almost) Variation of Parameters Method” ex-
plains how in 1697, Bernoulli provided a method for solving Bernoulli differential equations
that reduces to variation of parameters when applied to first-order linear equations. This was
decades before Lagrange received credit for the technique. Again, part of Bernoulli’s solution
will be the standard integrating factor.

ˆ The mini-PSP subtitled “Leonard Euler’s Integrating Factor Method” explains how in 1763,
Euler solved these equations as a special case of exact differential equations by finding an
integrating factor. His integrating factor is the same as the one as the students would have
seen. This mini-PSP is a bit longer than the others, and may require a bit more time or
pre-preparation.

All three of these mini-PSPs are designed for use in an Ordinary Differential Equations course but
can be used in three different ways. They work best after at least presenting the standard integrating
method of solution found in modern textbooks.

ˆ Since the type of equation (first-order linear) has been introduced, all three projects can be
immediately done. This would require the instructor to “preview” techniques that will be intro-
duced more fully later. While this is somewhat awkward, it does mimic how these techniques
were actually developed.

ˆ The “Gottfried Leibniz’ “Intuition and Check” Method” project can be done immediately,
but the other projects done after the respective method of solution (variation of parameters,
exactness) are first introduced. Showing how those techniques can solve first-order linear
differential equations makes a great first example of each technique. This is typically the way
that I utilize the project.

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 ˆ With a bit of revision of the first section, each of these projects can stand on their own as
they don’t necessarily build on the others (though they do create a richer experience together).
Additionally, students gain confidence as they proceed through the three projects.

Student Prerequisites
This mini-PSP requires some algebraic manipulation of differentials along with differentiation up to
the product rule. It also needs knowledge of separable Differential Equations. The first fundamental
theorem of calculus makes an appearance but other techniques of integration needed are typically
dictated by the examples used. Finally, the project benefits from the students being aware of the
modern integrating factor method.

PSP Design, and Task Commentary

This PSP consists of four sections:
1. The first section contains a short introduction to what first-order linear differential equations
are, along with a description of the way that mathematics often evolves. Mathematicians might
first solve a specific problem using any tool at their disposal. They then attempt to see if they
could find a class of problems (of which the initial one belongs) that can also be attacked using
that technique. This closely mimics the evolution of how first-order linear differential equations
were solved.

2. The second section is devoted to Leibniz’ method of solution. A translation is provided along
with a few tasks to explain his method. Strictly speaking, students may notice that Leibniz
doesn’t “solve” the equation. Rather, he asserts a solution and then shows it “works”. Since
the solution isn’t derived, I refer to it as “one-off” or a “trick.”

3. The third section consists of two first-order linear differential equations to be solved with
Leibniz’ method. The first is broken into steps, while the second requires the student to solve
it on their own. These can be swapped with any examples you wish - in particular so that the
integrations utilize techniques your students are comfortable with.

4. The final section reiterates what we saw in the first section. These first solutions appear to
come “fully formed from the heads” of the great mathematicians. It is only with extensive
practice that they developed the necessary intuition to find those methods. While the origins
may be dependent on intuition, the future story is more satisfactory as there is a task to show
Leibniz’ trick utilizes the modern integrating factor method.

Suggestions for Classroom Implementation

Please see student requirements and implementation schedule for suggestions.
LATEX code of this entire PSP is available from the author by request to facilitate preparation of
advanced preparation / reading guides or ‘in-class worksheets’ based on tasks included in the project.
The PSP itself can also be modified by instructors as desired to better suit their goals for the course.

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Sample Implementation Schedule (based on a 50-minute class period)
The first section of this mini-PSP should be out of class homework. Tasks 3 and 5 shouldn’t be
skipped, but the remainder of the Tasks are stand-alone and what is covered can be dictated by the
interests of the instructor and time available. The Task 8 is useful to complete the integration of this
PSP into the material the student sees in their textbook. Also, the Task 6 can be assigned as home-
work after class. With these types of revisions, this is a doable activity in one 50-minute class period.
The actual number of class periods spent on each section naturally depends on the instructor’s
goals and on how the PSP is actually implemented with students. This project is typically done in
groups.9 One reviewer warned that, “The groups often want to take a divide and conquer approach,
which is just utterly useless for these documents, because the only person who is going to make any
progress is the person who is working on Intro/Section 1. These are all designed to be read top to
bottom in slow careful detail, and the later parts of the PSP rarely make any sense unless you’ve
seen the earlier parts.”

Connections to other Primary Source Projects

As mentioned above, this mini-PSP is part of a series of three, all which are intended for use in an
Ordinary Differential Equations course.

ˆ Solving Linear First-Order Differential Equations: Gottfried Leibniz’ “Intuition and Check”
Method.

ˆ Solving Linear First-Order Differential Equations: Johann Bernoulli’s (Almost) Variation of

Parameters Method.

ˆ Solving Linear First-Order Differential Equations: Leonard Euler’s Integrating Factor Method.

Additionally, the author has written a fourth mini-PSP for use in an Ordinary Differential Equations
course, based on works by Peano:

ˆ Wronskians and Linear Independence: A Theorem Misunderstood by Many.

All of the above projects can be found at https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/triumphs_differ/.

Acknowledgments
The development of this student project has been partially supported by the TRansforming Instruc-
tion in Undergraduate Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources (TRIUMPHS) Program with
funding from the National Science Foundation’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Pro-
gram under Grant Nos. 1523494, 1523561, 1523747, 1523753, 1523898, 1524065, and 1524098. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Science Foundation.
The author would like to thank Janet Barnett, Danny Otero, and Dominic Klyve for reaching out
to have me contribute to TRIUMPHS. They, along with Mike Dobranski, Kenneth Monks, Richard
Penn, Dave Ruch, and Victor Katz, provided essential help in improving this mini-PSP.

9
. . . though with COVID, who knows?!?!

9
 With the exception of excerpts taken from published translations of
the primary sources used in this project and any direct quotes from
published secondary sources, this work is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode). It allows
re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the conditions that the
creator is appropriately credited and that any derivative work is made
available under “the same, similar or a compatible license.”

For more information about TRIUMPHS, visit https://blogs.ursinus.edu/triumphs/.

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