# Can you study differential equations without finishing integral calcul

1. Jun 18, 2014

### thedailyshoe

I mean is it possible? would it be a problem?

2. Jun 18, 2014

### Matterwave

Yes. The most basic differential equations are the ones which you can just integrate to get the answer. If you didn't finish integral calculus, it will be very hard for you to understand those calculations.

As integration is the inverse of differentiation, there's really no way to rigorously study differential equations without understanding integrals.

3. Jun 18, 2014

### thedailyshoe

hey but i already finished differential calculus last sem and my grades were beautiful.. cant it help with differential equations? i mean both are "differential" so arent they similar?

4. Jun 18, 2014

### Matterwave

Sure it "helps", but it's not sufficient. Literally the easiest differential equation is this one, which involves an integral:

$$\frac{df}{dx}=f$$

You solve this by basically splitting up the differential and integrating (slight abuse of notation):

$$\int \frac{df}{f} = \int dx$$

Giving you:

$$\ln(f)=x+C$$
$$f(x)=Ae^x$$

Solving differential equations very often involves integrating because integrating is the "inverse" so-to-speak of differentiation.