Eugene's question via Facebook about a Differential Equation

In summary, a differential equation is a mathematical equation used to describe the relationship between a function and its derivatives. It is used to model various physical phenomena in fields such as physics, engineering, and economics. Its purpose is to predict the behavior of a function over time. Differential equations can be solved using various methods such as separation of variables and numerical methods. They have many real-world applications, including population growth, disease spread, chemical reactions, and electrical circuits. Differential equations are closely related to calculus and linear algebra, and they are also used in advanced areas of math such as dynamical systems and chaos theory.
  • #1
Prove It
Gold Member
MHB
1,465
24
Solve $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x} = 3\,\sqrt{4 - y^2} \end{align*}$ given that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} y\left( 0 \right) = 2 \end{align*}$

This equation is separable...

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x}&= 3\,\sqrt{4 - y^2} \\ \frac{1}{\sqrt{4 - y^2}}\,\frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x} &= 3 \\ \int{ \frac{1}{\sqrt{4 - y^2}}\,\frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x} \,\mathrm{d}x} &= \int{ 3\,\mathrm{d}x} \\ \int{ \frac{1}{\sqrt{4 - y^2}}\,\mathrm{d}y} &= 3\,x + C_1 \end{align*}$

Now let $\displaystyle \begin{align*} y =2\sin{(t)} \implies \mathrm{d}y = 2\cos{(t)}\,\mathrm{d}t \end{align*}$

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{\frac{1}{\sqrt{ 4 - \left[ 2\sin{(t)} \right] ^2} } \,2\cos{(t)} \, \mathrm{d}t } &= 3\,x + C_1 \\ \int{ \frac{ 2\cos{(t)} }{ \sqrt{4 - 4\sin^2{(t)} } }\,\mathrm{d}t} &= 3\,x + C_1 \\ \int{ \frac{2\cos{(t)}}{\sqrt{4\left[ 1 - \sin^2{(t)} \right] } } \,\mathrm{d}t} &= 3\,x + C_1 \\ \int{ \frac{2\cos{(t)}}{\sqrt{4\cos^2{(t)} }}\,\mathrm{d}t} &= 3\,x + C_1 \\ \int{ \frac{2\cos{(t)}}{2\cos{(t)}}\,\mathrm{d}t} &= 3\,x + C_1 \\ \int{1\,\mathrm{d}t} &= 3\,x + C_1 \\ t + C_2 &= 3\,x + C_1 \\ t &= 3\,x + C, \textrm{ where } C = C_1 - C_2 \\ \arcsin{ \left( \frac{y}{2} \right) } &= 3\,x + C \\ \frac{y}{2} &= \sin{ \left( 3\,x + C \right) } \\ y &= 2\sin{ \left( 3\,x + C \right) } \end{align*}$

and since $\displaystyle \begin{align*} y \left( 0 \right) = 2 \end{align*}$

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} 2 &= \sin{ \left[ 3 \left( 0 \right) + C \right] } \\ 2 &= \sin{(C)} \\ C &= \arcsin{ \left( 2 \right) } \end{align*}$

Thus $\displaystyle \begin{align*} y = 2\sin{ \left[ 3\,x + \arcsin{ \left( 2 \right) } \right] } \end{align*}$
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Prove It said:
...and since $\displaystyle \begin{align*} y \left( 0 \right) = 2 \end{align*}$

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} 2 &= \sin{ \left[ 3 \left( 0 \right) + C \right] } \\ 2 &= \sin{(C)} \\ C &= \arcsin{ \left( 2 \right) } \end{align*}$

Thus $\displaystyle \begin{align*} y = 2\sin{ \left[ 3\,x + \arcsin{ \left( 2 \right) } \right] } \end{align*}$

Just a minor quibble...you want:

\(\displaystyle 2=2\sin(3(0)+C)\implies C=\arcsin(1)\)

Hence:

\(\displaystyle y(x)=2\sin\left(3x+\arcsin(1)\right)\)
 
  • #3
MarkFL said:
Just a minor quibble...you want:

\(\displaystyle 2=2\sin(3(0)+C)\implies C=\arcsin(1)\)

Hence:

\(\displaystyle y(x)=2\sin\left(3x+\arcsin(1)\right)\)

This is why I shouldn't tutor at 1am hahaha. And of course, $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \arcsin{(1)} = \frac{\pi}{2} \end{align*}$ :)
 

1. What is a differential equation?

A differential equation is a mathematical equation that describes the relationship between a function and its derivatives. It is used to model various physical phenomena in fields such as physics, engineering, and economics.

2. What is the purpose of a differential equation?

The purpose of a differential equation is to express a relationship between a function and its derivatives, which can then be used to predict the behavior of the function over time. This allows scientists to model and understand complex systems and phenomena.

3. How is a differential equation solved?

Differential equations can be solved using a variety of methods, depending on the type of equation. Some common methods include separation of variables, substitution, and using numerical methods such as Euler's method.

4. What are some real-world applications of differential equations?

Differential equations are used in many fields to model and understand a wide range of phenomena. Some common applications include modeling population growth, predicting the spread of diseases, analyzing chemical reactions, and understanding the behavior of electrical circuits.

5. How do differential equations relate to other areas of math?

Differential equations are closely related to calculus, as they involve derivatives of functions. They also have connections to linear algebra, as many differential equations can be solved using matrix methods. Additionally, differential equations are used in the study of dynamical systems, chaos theory, and other areas of advanced math.

Similar threads

  • General Math
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
10K
Replies
1
Views
9K
Replies
0
Views
9K
Replies
1
Views
10K
Replies
1
Views
9K
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
4
Views
10K
Replies
1
Views
10K
Replies
1
Views
10K
Back
Top