Solve this partial diff. equation using substitution

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around solving a partial differential equation (PDE) using substitution methods. Participants are exploring the correct application of derivatives and variable transformations in the context of the equation provided.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are attempting to differentiate a substituted expression for z and are questioning the correctness of their derivatives. There is also discussion about the relevance of the chain rule in the context of the PDE. Some participants are exploring the implications of a specific change of variables and its effectiveness in solving the equation.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants raising questions about the clarity of the original problem and the correctness of the attempted solutions. Some guidance has been offered regarding the need for the chain rule and the interpretation of variables, but no consensus has been reached on the approach to take.

Contextual Notes

There are indications of potential typos in the expressions used, which may affect the understanding of the problem. Additionally, the original poster's understanding of the problem setup is being questioned, suggesting that further clarification may be needed.

Addez123
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Homework Statement
$$yx'_x - xz'_y = xyz$$
Solve by variable change:
$$u = x^2 + y^2$$
$$v = e ^{-x^2/2}$$
Relevant Equations
None.
I completely forgot how to solve these so here's my attempt:
$$z = au + bv$$
$$z = a(x^2 + y^2) + be ^{-x^2/2}$$
$$z'_x = 2ax - bxe ^{-x^2/2}$$
$$z'_y = 2ay$$
Put that into the original equation and you get
$$y * (2ax - bxe ^{-x^2/2}) -x * (2ay) = $$
$$-ybe^{-x^2/2} = xyz$$
$$z = -be^{-x^2/2}/x$$

But the solution should be
$$e^{-x^2/2} * f(x^2 + y^2)$$

Did I do everything wrong or just missed something here?
 
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What is ##x'_x##?
 
fresh_42 said:
What is ##x'_x##?
If I extract x from u = x^2 + y^2 I get:
$$x = sqrt(u - y^2)$$
and getting the derivative requires me to replace u, which leads to x = x so idk :/
 
Is the PDE [tex] y\frac{\partial z}{\partial x} - x \frac{\partial z}{\partial y} = xyz[/tex]

Your "relevant equations" is missing the chain rule: [tex] \frac{\partial z}{\partial x} = \frac{\partial z}{\partial u} \frac{\partial u}{\partial x} + \frac{\partial z}{\partial v} \frac{\partial v}{\partial x}[/tex]
 
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@Addez123 , Why do you think that particular change of variables is helpful for this equation?
I had more success writing the equation as ##\frac{z_x}x-\frac{z_y}y=z##, then reasoning that I needed solutions like ##\frac{z_x}x=Az## etc.
 
Last edited:
Addez has not answered the question asked (#2) which, put another way is: it is not clear what the question is and its formula looks to be a mistranscription so can we be informed/confirmed what our problem is?
 
epenguin said:
Addez has not answered the question asked (#2) which, put another way is: it is not clear what the question is and its formula looks to be a mistranscription so can we be informed/confirmed what our problem is?
It is obvious enough that ##x_x## is a typo for ##z_x##, and that the primes in ##z'_x## etc. are redundant. In post #1, @Addez123 differentiated the expression substituted for z partially wrt x and wrote the result as ##z'_x=...##.
 

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