What is the difference between these types of differential equations?

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In summary, the difference between the differential equations of the form dy/dx = exp(x) and dy/dx = 1/x is that the former is linear while the latter is not. Both equations have different solutions and the solution has nothing to do with the linearity of the equation. It is important to specify the independent variable when solving a differential equation.
  • #1
Jhenrique
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Which the difference between diff equations of kind: [tex]\frac{dy}{dx} = \exp(x)[/tex] [tex]\frac{dy}{dx} = 1/x[/tex]
and diff equations of kind:
[tex]\frac{dy}{dx} = y[/tex] [tex]\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{1}{\exp(y)}[/tex] ?
 
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  • #2
Nothing.
Well... apart from the obvious.

You can call the variables anything you like.
Try solving them and see what you get.
 
  • #3
A general linear diff equation of 1st order have a form: [tex]f(x)y'(x)+g(x)y(x)=h(x)[/tex] The 3 first equations fits into this definition, but the last no. However, the last equation is linear too. This is a contradiction?
 
  • #4
Nothing,
As already mentioned both are the same.
What do you mean by that?
 
  • #5
Jhenrique said:
A general linear diff equation of 1st order have a form: [tex]f(x)y'(x)+g(x)y(x)=h(x)[/tex] The 3 first equations fits into this definition, but the last no. However, the last equation is linear too. This is a contradiction?

Note that when you want solve an equation you must specify the independent variable , first tell us what variable your are assuming as independent one,
 
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  • #6
Jhenrique said:
A general linear diff equation of 1st order have a form: [tex]f(x)y'(x)+g(x)y(x)=h(x)[/tex] The 3 first equations fits into this definition, but the last no. However, the last equation is linear too. This is a contradiction?
No, the last equation is not linear. In a linear differential equation y, y', y'', ... occur to the first power only, but can be multiplied by functions of the independent variable. With the right side being e-y, the equation is not linear.
 
  • #7
Jhenrique said:
A general linear diff equation of 1st order have a form: [tex]f(x)y'(x)+g(x)y(x)=h(x)[/tex] The 3 first equations fits into this definition, but the last no. However, the last equation is linear too. This is a contradiction?

justawebuser said:
Note that when you want solve an equation you must specify the independent variable , first tell us what variable your are assuming as independent one,
I'm assuming that the independent variable is x, and y is the dependent variable. That seems fairly clear from what Jhenrique wrote.
 
  • #8
Mark44 said:
No, the last equation is not linear. In a linear differential equation y, y', y'', ... occur to the first power only, but can be multiplied by functions of the independent variable. With the right side being e-y, the equation is not linear.

But the antiderivative's solution of ##\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{1}{x}## is log(x) and the antiderivative's solution of ##\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{1}{\exp(y)}## is log(x) too. So why the first is linear and the second no?
 
  • #9
Jhenrique said:
But the antiderivative's solution of ##\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{1}{x}## is log(x) and the antiderivative's solution of ##\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{1}{\exp(y)}## is log(x) too. So why the first is linear and the second no?
Two things:
1. The solution of a differential equation has nothing to do with whether the equation is linear or not.
2. The two equations do NOT have the same solution.

## \frac{dy}{dx} = e^{-y}##
##\Rightarrow e^y dy = dx##
##\Rightarrow \int e^y dy = \int dx##
##\Rightarrow e^y = x + C##
##\Rightarrow y = ln(x + C)##
This solution is different from the one for dy/dx = 1/x.
 
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1. What is the difference between ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and partial differential equations (PDEs)?

ODEs involve only one independent variable and describe the behavior of a system over time. PDEs involve multiple independent variables and are used to describe the behavior of a system over both space and time.

2. How do autonomous and non-autonomous differential equations differ?

Autonomous differential equations do not explicitly depend on the independent variable, while non-autonomous differential equations do. This means that the solution to an autonomous differential equation does not change over time, while the solution to a non-autonomous differential equation may depend on the value of the independent variable.

3. What is the difference between linear and nonlinear differential equations?

Linear differential equations have solutions that can be expressed as a linear combination of functions, while nonlinear differential equations do not. This means that nonlinear differential equations are more difficult to solve and often require numerical methods.

4. How are ordinary differential equations classified?

ODEs can be classified based on their order, which is determined by the highest derivative present in the equation. They can also be classified as initial value problems (IVPs) or boundary value problems (BVPs), depending on the type of conditions given for the solution.

5. What types of problems can be solved using differential equations?

Differential equations are used to describe the behavior of many natural phenomena, such as population growth, weather patterns, and chemical reactions. They are also commonly used in engineering and physics to model systems and predict their behavior.

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