Verifying Differential Equations Solutions: ODEs on Intervals

[mathnerd15]

Hi! I think I have to ask this since I'm having health problems-

from Kreyszig, for xy'=-y how do you verify the solution y=h(x)=clnx by differentiating
y'=h'(x)=-clnx^2? I don't see how you get the x^2 term
also for ODEs the solution is on an open interval a<x<b but how does it include special cases of the intervals -inf<x<b, a<x<inf, -inf<x<inf; wouldn't the open interval a<x<b exclude -inf<x<b?
thanks very much!

 

[lurflurf]

That is not a solution.
It is a separable differential equation.

 

[mathnerd15]

thanks very much!
I separated leading to-
-ln|y|=ln|x|+C
so then you just find the substitution c/x? (I misread the text: l is /)

 

[HallsofIvy]

thanks very much!
I separated leading to-
-ln|y|=ln|x|+C
so then you just find the substitution c/x? (I misread the text: l is /)

Well, you don't just "find" a substitution. You always solve an equation of the form f(y)= F(x) for y by taking f^{-1} of both sides. The inverse function to ln(x) is, of course, e^x so take the exponential of both sides:
e^{-ln|y|}= e^{ln|x|+ C}

-ln|y|= ln|y^{-1}| so the left side is y^{-1}= 1/y. Because e^{a+ b}= e^ae^b the right side is e^{ln|x|}e^C= C&#039; |x| where C'= e^C.
That is, 1/|y|= C&#039;|x| or |y|= C&#039;/|x|. We can then "absorb" the absolute values into C' by allowing it to be positive or negative.