How do you rewrite this equation in standard form?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the rewriting of a differential equation in standard form, specifically the equation y dx - 4(x+y^6) dy = 0. Participants explore the legality of manipulating the equation, the nature of the equation (exactness and linearity), and the methods for solving it, including the use of integrating factors.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether it is legal to add or divide by differentials (dx or dy) in the equation.
  • Others assert that the equation is already in differential form and discuss the need to determine if it is exact or requires an integrating factor.
  • One participant presents a method for finding an integrating factor and discusses the implications of the equation being inexact.
  • Another participant expresses confusion regarding the solution process and the reasoning behind solving for x instead of y.
  • Some participants clarify that the equation cannot be treated as linear due to the dependence of P on both x and y.
  • There is a discussion about the conditions under which the equation can be made exact and the steps involved in finding an integrating factor.
  • One participant summarizes the process of determining exactness and finding an integrating factor, seeking confirmation of their understanding.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the legality of certain manipulations of the equation, the classification of the equation as linear or nonlinear, and the appropriate methods for solving it. Multiple competing views remain regarding the interpretation and solution strategies.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the standard form of the equation and the implications of exactness. There are also unresolved questions about the steps taken in the solution process and the definitions of linearity in the context of the equation.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in differential equations, particularly those studying methods for solving first-order ODEs and the concepts of exactness and integrating factors.

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[math]y dx-4(x+y^6)dy=0[/math]

so is it legal to add [math]4(x+y^6)dy[/math] to both sides of the equation? I thought it's bad to add integrands (i.e. dx or dy).

Or is it legal to divide both sides of the equation by dx? Would this result in
[math]y-4(x+y^6)\frac{dy}{dx}=0[/math] or [math]y-\frac{4(x+y^6)}{dx}\frac{dy}{dx}=0[/math]
 
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The given ODE is already written in differential form. To solve it, you need to determine if it is exact, and if not, to compute an integrating factor to make it exact.
 
find_the_fun said:
[math]y dx-4(x+y^6)dy=0[/math]

so is it legal to add [math]4(x+y^6)dy[/math] to both sides of the equation? I thought it's bad to add integrands (i.e. dx or dy).

Or is it legal to divide both sides of the equation by dx? Would this result in
[math]y-4(x+y^6)\frac{dy}{dx}=0[/math] or [math]y-\frac{4(x+y^6)}{dx}\frac{dy}{dx}=0[/math]
I don't think that there is really a "standard" form to these. But typically they are written in both formats.

One problem: You have too many "dx"s in that last equation. The first form on that line is correct.

-Dan
 
I'm still stuck. I'm getting the wrong answer.

[math]ydx-4(x+y^6)dy=0[/math]
[math]y-4(x+y^6)\frac{dy}{dx}=0[/math]
[math]\frac{dy}{dx}-\frac{y}{4(x+y^6)}=0[/math] (1)
therefore [math]P(x)=\frac{-1}{4(x+y^6)}[/math]

let [math]\mu = e^{\int P(x) dx} = e^{\frac{-1}{4(x+y^6)}}dx = e^{\ln{|(x+y^6)^{\frac{1}{4}}|}}+C[/math] choose [math]C=0[/math]

multiply both sides of (1) by integrating factor
[math]\frac{dy}{dx} \frac{1}{(x+y^6)^{\frac{1}{4}}}-\frac{y}{4(x+y^6)} \frac{1}{(x+y^6)^{\frac{1}{4}}}=0[/math]
[math]\frac{d}{dx}[\mu(x)y]=\frac{d}{dx}(x+y^6)^{\frac{-1}{4}}y=0[/math]
[math]\int \frac{d}{dx}[(x+y^6)^{\frac{-1}{4}}y]dx = \int 0 dx[/math]
[math]\frac{(x+y^6)^{-3}}{-3}+C=\frac{-1}{3(x+y^6)^3}+C[/math]
from this equation I can solve for y and get [math]y=\sqrt[3]{\frac{-1}{3C}-x}[/math] and solving for x gives [math]x=\frac{-1-3Cy^3}{3C}[/math]

The back of book gives
[math]x=2y^6+cy^4[/math]
First of all I don't get that answer. Second, why do they solve for x and not y?
 
Last edited:
You cannot treat this equation as linear, since we cannot write in the form:

$$\frac{dy}{dx}+P(x)y=Q(x)$$

We can however, use an integrating factor to get an equivalent exact equation.

We are given:

$$y\,dx-4\left(x+y^6 \right)\,dy=0$$

We see that:

$$\frac{\partial}{\partial y}(y)=1$$

$$\frac{\partial}{\partial x}\left(-4\left(x+y^6 \right) \right)=-4$$

Thus, the equation is inexact. So we consider:

$$\frac{\frac{\partial}{\partial x}\left(-4\left(x+y^6 \right) \right)-\frac{\partial}{\partial y}(y)}{y}=-\frac{5}{y}$$

So our integrating factor is:

$$\mu(y)=e^{\int -\frac{5}{y}\,dy}=y^{-5}$$

And thus our ODE becomes (observing that we are eliminating the trivial solution $y\equiv0$):

$$y^{-4}\,dx-4\left(xy^{-5}+y \right)\,dy=0$$

And we can easily see that this equation is exact. We know that the solution must therefore be given implicitly by:

$$F(x,y)=C$$

And because the equation is exact, we know:

$$\frac{\partial F}{\partial x}=y^{-4}$$

$$\frac{\partial F}{\partial y}=-4\left(xy^{-5}+y \right)$$

And so we take:

$$\frac{\partial F}{\partial x}=y^{-4}$$

Now, what you need to do to get the solution is:

(a) Integrate this with respect to $x$, where the constant of integration is a function of $y$:

$$F(x,y)=\int y^{-4}\,dx+g(y)$$

(b) Then to determine $g(y)$, take the partials of both sides and then solve for $g'(y)$.

(c) Integrate $g'(y)$, omitting the constant of integration (as the implicit solution already contains an arbitrary constant).

(d) Replace $g(y)$ in the implicit solution you found in part(a).

Solving this for $x$ will give you an explicit solution (the one given by your textbook).
 
MarkFL said:
You cannot treat this equation as linear, since we cannot write in the form:

$$\frac{dy}{dx}+P(x)y=Q(x)$$

...

Sorry I don't follow. I rewrote the equation [math]\frac{dy}{dx} - \frac{y}{4(x+y^6)} = 0[/math] which is in the form and [math]P(x)=\frac{-1}{4(x+y^6)}[/math] and [math]Q(x)=0[/math] so isn't this equation in linear form?
 
Your function $P$ is a function of both $x$ and $y$. So the ODE is non-linear. :D
 
MarkFL said:
You cannot treat this equation as linear, since we cannot write in the form:

$$\frac{dy}{dx}+P(x)y=Q(x)$$

We can however, use an integrating factor to get an equivalent exact equation.

We are given:

$$y\,dx-4\left(x+y^6 \right)\,dy=0$$

We see that:

$$\frac{\partial}{\partial y}(y)=1$$

$$\frac{\partial}{\partial x}\left(-4\left(x+y^6 \right) \right)=-4$$

Thus, the equation is inexact. So we consider:

$$\frac{\frac{\partial}{\partial x}\left(-4\left(x+y^6 \right) \right)-\frac{\partial}{\partial y}(y)}{y}=-\frac{5}{y}$$

So our integrating factor is:

$$\mu(y)=e^{\int -\frac{5}{y}\,dy}=y^{-5}$$

And thus our ODE becomes (observing that we are eliminating the trivial solution $y\equiv0$):

$$y^{-4}\,dx-4\left(xy^{-5}+y \right)\,dy=0$$

And we can easily see that this equation is exact. We know that the solution must therefore be given implicitly by:

$$F(x,y)=C$$

And because the equation is exact, we know:

$$\frac{\partial F}{\partial x}=y^{-4}$$

$$\frac{\partial F}{\partial y}=-4\left(xy^{-5}+y \right)$$

And so we take:

$$\frac{\partial F}{\partial x}=y^{-4}$$

Now, what you need to do to get the solution is:

(a) Integrate this with respect to $x$, where the constant of integration is a function of $y$:

$$F(x,y)=\int y^{-4}\,dx+g(y)$$

(b) Then to determine $g(y)$, take the partials of both sides and then solve for $g'(y)$.

(c) Integrate $g'(y)$, omitting the constant of integration (as the implicit solution already contains an arbitrary constant).

(d) Replace $g(y)$ in the implicit solution you found in part(a).

Solving this for $x$ will give you an explicit solution (the one given by your textbook).

The procedure You used to find an integrating factor is very interesting and I want to realize if I have understood correctly. A differential expression like $\displaystyle A(x,y)\ dx + B(x,y)\ dy$ is 'exact' if $\displaystyle A_{y} (x,y) = B_{x} (x,y)$. In the OP is $\displaystyle A(x,y)= y$ and $B(x,y)= - 4\ (x + y^{6})$ so that the differential expression isn't exact. The idea is to make it exact by multiplying A and B by an unknown function $\displaystyle \mu(x,y)$ so that is exact the expression...

$\displaystyle A(x,y)\ \mu(x,y)\ dx + B (x,y)\ \mu (x,y)\ dy\ (1)$

... and that conducts to the PDE...

$\displaystyle A_{y} \ \mu + A\ \mu_{y} = B_{x}\ \mu + B\ \mu_{x} \implies \mu + y\ \mu_{y} = - 4\ \mu - 4\ (x+y^{6})\ \mu_{x}\ (2)$

The (2) seems not very comfortable, but if we suppose that $\mu$ is function of the y alone [i.e. $\displaystyle \mu_{x}=0$...] the (2) becomes the ODE...

$\displaystyle y\ \mu^{\ '} = -5\ \mu\ (3)$

... one solution of which is $\displaystyle \mu(y) = \frac{1}{y^{5}}$ that the integrating factor we searched...

It that 'all right'?...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
chisigma said:
The procedure You used to find an integrating factor is very interesting and I want to realize if I have understood correctly. A differential expression like $\displaystyle A(x,y)\ dx + B(x,y)\ dy$ is 'exact' if $\displaystyle A_{y} (x,y) = B_{x} (x,y)$. In the OP is $\displaystyle A(x,y)= y$ and $B(x,y)= - 4\ (x + y^{6})$ so that the differential expression isn't exact. The idea is to make it exact by multiplying A and B by an unknown function $\displaystyle \mu(x,y)$ so that is exact the expression...

$\displaystyle A(x,y)\ \mu(x,y)\ dx + B (x,y)\ \mu (x,y)\ dy\ (1)$

... and that conducts to the PDE...

$\displaystyle A_{y} \ \mu + A\ \mu_{y} = B_{x}\ \mu + B\ \mu_{x} \implies \mu + y\ \mu_{y} = - 4\ \mu - 4\ (x+y^{6})\ \mu_{x}\ (2)$

The (2) seems not very comfortable, but if we suppose that $\mu$ is function of the y alone [i.e. $\displaystyle \mu_{x}=0$...] the (2) becomes the ODE...

$\displaystyle y\ \mu^{\ '} = -5\ \mu\ (3)$

... one solution of which is $\displaystyle \mu(y) = \frac{1}{y^{5}}$ that the integrating factor we searched...

It that 'all right'?...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$

Hello chisigma,

It looks like you have the gist of it quite well. :D

I will paraphrase from my old ODE textbook (Fundamentals of Differential Equations, 3rd Edition, by Nagle/Saff), the following information regarding integrating factors of inexact equations...

If the equation:

(1) $$M(x,y)dx+N(x,y)dy=0$$

is not exact, but the equation:

(2) $$\mu(x,y)M(x,y)dx+\mu(x,y)N(x,y)dy=0$$

which results from multiplying equation (1) by the function $\mu(x,y)$, is exact, then $\mu(x,y)$ is called an integrating factor of the equation (1).

How do we find an integrating factor? If $\mu(x,y)$ is an integrating factor of (1) with continuous first partial derivatives, then testing (2) for exactness, we must have:

$$\frac{\partial}{\partial y}\left(\mu(x,y)M(x,y) \right)=\frac{\partial}{\partial x}\left(\mu(x,y)N(x,y) \right)$$

By use of the product rule, this reduces to the equation:

(3) $$M\frac{\partial \mu}{\partial y}-N\frac{\partial \mu}{\partial x}=\left(\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}-\frac{\partial M}{\partial y} \right)\mu$$

But solving the partial differential equation (3) for $\mu$ is usually more difficult than solving the original equation (1). There are, however, two important exceptions.

Let's assume equation (1) has an integrating factor that depends only on $x$, that is, $\mu=\mu(x)$. In this case, equation (3) reduces to the separable equation:

(4) $$\frac{d\mu}{dx}=\left(\frac{\frac{\partial M}{\partial y}-\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}}{N} \right)\mu$$

where $$\frac{\frac{\partial M}{\partial y}-\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}}{N}$$ is just a function of $x$.

In a similar fashion, if equation (1) has an integrating factor that depends only on $y$, then equation (3) reduces to the separable equation:

(5) $$\frac{d\mu}{dx}=\left(\frac{\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}-\frac{\partial M}{\partial y}}{M} \right)\mu$$

where $$\frac{\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}-\frac{\partial M}{\partial y}}{M}$$ is just a function of $y$.

We can solve these separable equations (4) and (5) to obtain for (1) the integrating factors:

If $$\frac{\frac{\partial M}{\partial y}-\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}}{N}$$ is continuous and depends only on $x$, then:

(6) $$\mu(x)=\exp\left(\int\left(\frac{\frac{\partial M}{\partial y}-\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}}{N} \right)\,dx \right)$$

is an integrating factor for (1).

If $$\frac{\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}-\frac{\partial M}{\partial y}}{M}$$ is continuous and depends only on $y$, then:

(7) $$\mu(y)=\exp\left(\int\left(\frac{\frac{\partial N}{\partial x}-\frac{\partial M}{\partial y}}{M} \right)\,dy \right)$$

is an integrating factor for (1).

There are many differential equations that are not covered by this method, but for which an integrating factor nevertheless exists. The major difficulty, however, is in finding an explicit formula for these integrating factors, which in general will depend on both $x$ and $y$.
 

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