1.1
1.1
Textbook:
A first Course in Differential Equations with Modeling Applications (9th edition), Dennis G. Zill
Contents:
(or dependent variables), with respect to one or more independent variables, is said to be a
differential equation (DE).
In other words, an equation relating an unknown function and one or more of its derivatives is called
a differential equation.
Example:
3. + 5y = , 2.
4.
Definition 2: The order of a differential equation (either ODE or PDE) is the order of the highest
derivative in the equation.
Example:
2. is a second order partial differential equation with two independent variables and .
2. Normal form of an ODE: and are called the normal form of the first-order and
second-order ordinary differential equations, respectively.
or
or
1. the dependent variable y and its derivatives are of the first degree (the power of each term is
1).
2. the coefficients depend at most on the
independent variable .
• An ordinary differential equation which is not linear is called a nonlinear ordinary differential
equation.
Any function , defined on an interval I and possessing at least derivatives that are continuous on
I, which when substituted into an th-order ordinary differential equation reduces the equation to
an identity, is said to be a solution of the equation on the interval.
Examples: Verify that the given function is a solution of the ODE on the interval (-).
1. ,
2. .
In symbols, we can express an nth-order ordinary differential equation in one dependent variable
by the general form .
Then we get, , which is the given differential equation. Hence, the circle is
the implicit solution of the differential equation.
Remark: A solution of a differential equation that is free of parameters is called a particular
solution.
where c is a constant in
Hence,
Therefore, .
2. Given that , then
.
Thus, = 0.
Hence, y = is a solution of .
A system of ordinary differential equations is two or more equations involving the derivatives of
two or more unknown functions of a single independent variable.
Example: (2)
Examples:
a) b)
2. Verify that the indicated pair of functions is a solution of the given system of
differential equations on the interval ( ).