# Differentiation help

1. Oct 27, 2014

### suma

hi,

is it possible to solve the following equation,

dy = dx/dt

for relation between y and x?

thanks

2. Oct 27, 2014

### Staff: Mentor

You'll have to tell us more. Where did you find that equation? In what context does this problem come up? What else do you know about x and y?

3. Oct 27, 2014

### Staff: Mentor

I've never seen an equation like this, with a differential on one side and a derivative on the other.

4. Oct 27, 2014

### HallsofIvy

Staff Emeritus
In fact, you can't have an equation of that form. In terms of "non-standard analysis" a differential and "ordinary" function are different orders of objects and cannot be equal.

(You can say that $dy= \frac{dy}{dx}\frac{dx}{dt} dt$ because there are differentials on both sides.)

5. Oct 28, 2014

### suma

let's take dy = k dx/dt where k is a constant, can then the value of y in terms of x or vice versa be solved?

i think it is possible to solve this, asking the physics and mathematicians who have encountered such problem

mathematicians help out here!!

thanks

6. Oct 28, 2014

### HallsofIvy

Staff Emeritus
You have already been told by the "physics and mathematicians" out there that such a combination of symbols is meaningless- the two sides of the purported "equation" are different types of objects and so cannot be equal. That would be asking to solve "green= C sharp".

What reason do you have, after being told that the "equation" is meaningless, to "think it is possible to solve this"?

7. Oct 28, 2014

### suma

i think that any two quantities x and y once appears with equality equation like that should have solution

8. Oct 28, 2014