Review Article Journal of

Volume 9:1, 2020

DOI: 10.37421/jacm.2020.9.456 Applied & Computational Mathematics
ISSN: 2168-9679 Open Access

Revised Methods for Solving Nonlinear Second Order

Differential Equations
Lemi Moges Mengesha*, Solomon Amsalu Denekew
Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, College of Natural and Computational Science, Ethiopia

Abstract
In this paper, it has been tried to revise the solvability of nonlinear second order Differential equations and introduce revised methods for finding the solution of nonlinear
second order Differential equations. The revised methods for solving nonlinear second order Differential equations are obtained by combining the basic ideas of
nonlinear second order Differential equations with the methods of solving first and second order linear constant coefficient ordinary differential equation. In addition to
this we use the property of super posability and Taylor series. The result yielded that the revised methods for second order Differential equation can be used for solving
nonlinear second order differential equations as supplemental method.
Keywords: Solvability • Differential equations • Highest order derivatives

Introduction Some Preliminary Concepts

Most problems in mathematical physics, engineering, astrophysics and Differential equation is an equation involving derivatives or differential of
many physical phenomena are governed by differential equations. The exact one or more dependent variables with respect to one or more independent
analytical solutions of such problems, except a few, are difficult to obtain. variables.
Many researchers have made attempts to rectify this problem and are
Example:
able to develop new techniques for obtaining solutions which convincingly
approximate the exact solution the difficulties that surround higher-order a) e)
nonlinear differential equations and the few methods that yield analytic
solutions [1-4]. Two of the solution methods considered in this section b) f)
employ a change of variable to reduce a nonlinear second-order differential
equations to a first-order differential equations by omitting the dependent c) g)
and independent variable and these equations and more equations that can
be easily solved by this method can be found in [5-10]. Nonlinear differential
d) h)
equations do not possess the property of super posability that is the solution
is not also a solution. We can find general solutions of linear first-order
i) k)
differential equations and higher-order equations with constant coefficients
even when we can solve a nonlinear first-order differential equation in the
form of a one-parameter family, this family does not, as a rule, represent j)
a general solution. Stated another way, nonlinear first-order differential
Note: ,
equations can possess singular solutions, whereas linear equations cannot.
But the major difference between linear and nonlinear equations of orders Notation: prime notation or
two or higher lies in the realm of solvability. Given a linear equation, there
is a chance that we can find some form of a solution that we can look at Leibniz notation ,
an explicit solution or perhaps a solution in the form of an infinite series.
To talk about them, Differential Equations are classified according to type,
On the other hand, nonlinear higher-order differential equations virtually
order, degree and linearity [12-14].
challenge solution by analytical methods [11]. Although this might sound
disheartening, there are still things that can be done. A nonlinear differential Classification by type
equation can be analyzing qualitatively and numerically. Let us make it clear
at the outset that nonlinear higher-order differential equations are important Ordinary differential equation: is a differential equation involving derivatives
even more important than linear equations because it is used to model a with respect to single independent variables. Example:
physical system, we also increase the possibility that this higher-resolution Partial differential equation: is a differential equation involving partial
model will be nonlinear. derivatives with respect to more than one independent variables. Example:

Classification by Order
*Address for Correspondence: Lemi Moges Mengesha, Lecturer, Department
of Mathematics, College of Natural and Computational Science, Ethiopia, E-mail: The order of a differential equation (either ODE or PDE) defined as the order
[email protected] of the highest order derivative which appears in the equation.
Copyright: © 2020 Mengesha LM, et al. This is an open-access article distributed Example: are order one whereas are order of two and
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
is order of four.
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original author and source are credited. Classification by Degree
Received 29 August 2020; Accepted 24 October 2020; Published 10 November 2020 The degree of a differential equation is the degree of the highest order
Mengesha LM, et al. J Appl Computat Math, Volume 9:1, 2020

derivatives which occurs in it after the differential equation has been made i) Nonlinear second-order differential equations of the form
free from radicals and fractions as far as the derivatives are concerned. where is the function of x and . If
Note that: the above definition of degree does not require variables , then we can solve the differential equation for u, we can find y by integration.
etc to be free from fractions and radicals. Example: are Since we are solving a second-order equation, its solution will contain two
of first degree and are of second degree. arbitrary constants.
Example: solve
Linear and non-linear differential equation
a)
The order linear ODE is
Two important special cases of are linear first order and Solution: let then after substituting this second order
equation reduces to a first order equation with a separable variable, x is the
linear second order DEs: and independent variable and u is the dependent variable.
. In the additive combination on or
the left hand side of equation we see that characteristic two properties
by the method of separation of variable
of a linear ODE are as follows:
 The dependent variable y and all its derivatives
are of the first degree.
or
 The coefficients of depend at most
on the independent variable .
b)
A non-linear ODE is simply one that is not linear. Non-linear functions of the
dependent variable or its derivative, such as or cannot appear in Let then after substituting this second order equation
the linear equation. reduces to a first order equation with a separable variable, x is the
Example: independent variable and u is the dependent variable.

i) The equations and

are in turn, linear first-, second-, and third-
order ODEs. We have just demonstrated that the first equation it is a Bernoulli differential equation …………(*)

is linear in the variable by writing it in the alternative form Let , then

.
ii) The equations (non-linear term that is the Implies ......... (**)
coefficient depends on), (non-linear term that is non-linear Now substituting equation (**) into equation (*) yields

functions of y) and (non-linear term that is the power is not

one) are examples of non-linear first-, second-,and fourth-order ODEs
respectively.
The principle of superposition
…linear first order differential equations. The general
If is a solution of the linear second order differential equation
standard form of linear first order differential equations is .
and is a solution of the linear second
Now using the working rule of linear first order differential equations
order differential equation (with the same
Here and and let be the Integrating factor, then
left hand side), then the function Where
and are any constants, is a solution of the differential equation
[15-16].
Definition: a solution of a differential equation in the unknown function y and
the independent variable x on the interval I is a function y(x) that satisfies
the differential equation identically for all x in I.
Then, , where c is arbitrary constant
Note: A particular solution of a DE is any one solution and the general
solution of a differential equation is the set of all solutions.

Results of the Methods

We illustrated revised methods enables us to find explicit/implicit solutions Now
of special kinds of nonlinear second-order differential equations.
Method 1: substitution method ii) Nonlinear second-order differential equations of the form
We apply substitution method for nonlinear second order differential where the dependent variable omitting. If
equations of the form and . and the independent variable x is missing, we use this substitution

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Mengesha LM, et al. J Appl Computat Math, Volume 9:1, 2020

to transform the differential equation into one in which the independent any expression of the form
variable is y and the dependent variable is u. To this end we use the Chain
Rule to compute the second derivative of y that is . is called the Taylor series of the function f at a.
In this case the first-order equation that we must now solve is If , then is called
the Maclaurin series representation of and a function is said to
be analytic at appoint a if f is differentiable at a and at every point in some
Example: solve neighborhood of a [19].
a) Now let us approximate the solution of the initial value problem in the case of
nonlinear second order ordinary differential equation using Taylor’s series.
Let then or integrating the last equation
gives Example: solve the following IVP using Taylor’s series.

Solution: a) suppose the solution y(x) of the problem is analytic at 0 .then

y(x) is represented by a Taylor’s series centered at 0.
We now resubstitute
by the method of separation of variable
The first and second terms of the series are known from the initial
conditions that is . Since the differential
equation defines the values of the second derivative at 0 that is

Method 2: Using Methods Applied for Finding the Now we can find etc.by calculating the successive derivative of
Solutions of Linear Second Order Differential Equations the differential equation:
The explicit solutions of some nonlinear second order ordinary differential
equation of the form can be found by using methods applied
for finding the solutions of linear second order differential equations.
Example: solve

Solution:

Case 1: if etc.
Implies , by using the method of linear second order differential Therefore the first six terms of a series solution of the given IVP are
equation with constant coefficients [17-18].
The auxiliary /characteristics equations for this differential equations is
or Conclusion
Implies
In this paper, the methods for solving nonlinear second order differential
Therefore the solution of this differential equation is equations are illustrated and revised methods for solving nonlinear second
Case 2: if order differential equations is formulated. This revised methods for solving
nonlinear second order differential equations is investigated by starting with
Implies , by using the method of linear second order differential basic ideas of nonlinear second order differential equations and combining
equation with constant coefficients with the the second order linear differential equations.
The auxiliary /characteristics equations for this differential equations is
or References
Implies
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Therefore the solution of this differential equation is IVPs by homotopy-perturbation method." Phys Lett A 365 (2007): 439-
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3. Rana MA, Siddiqui AM, Ghori QK and Qamar R. "Application of He’s
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How to cite this article: Lemi Moges Mengesha, Solomon Amsalu Denekew.
12. Boyce WE, Prima RC. "Elementary differential equations and boundary Revised Methods for Solving Nonlinear Second Order Differential Equations.
valueproblems." 7thed. John Wiley & Sons INC.(2001). J Appl Computat Math 9 (2020) doi: 10.37421/jacm.2020.9.456

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