Solving Differential Equation: y' = cos(x+y) with u = x+y

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der.physika
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Solve the following differential equation

[tex]y\prime=\cos(x+y)[/tex]

Here introduce the new variable:

[tex]x+y\equiv{u}[/tex]

Please show steps, or else I won't understand this
 
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LCKurtz said:
What do you get when you differentiate x + y = u with respect to x and plug it in?

Okay, but how do I differentiate

[tex] x+y\equiv{u}[/tex] ?

Do I get

[tex] 1+y\equiv{u}[/tex]

or do I have to rewrite it as

[tex] u-x\equiv{y}[/tex]

which then becomes

[tex] u-1\equiv{y\prime}[/tex]

and where do I plug that in?
 
der.physika said:
Okay, but how do I differentiate

[tex] x+y\equiv{u}[/tex] ?

Do I get

[tex] 1+y\equiv{u}[/tex]

or do I have to rewrite it as

[tex] u-x\equiv{y}[/tex]

which then becomes

[tex] u-1\equiv{y\prime}[/tex]

You differentiate an equation by differentiating both sides of it. Every term. Neither of your two attempts to differentiate above are correct.

and where do I plug that in?

Look at your original post. Where do you think you might plug the substitution in?
 
ok how about this

[tex] x+y\equiv{u}[/tex]

comes out to be

[tex] 1+y\prime\equiv{u\prime}[/tex]

and then plug the [tex]y\prime[/tex] into the equation?
 
LCKurtz said:
Yes. Your new equation should involve u and x.

ok, so I plugged it in and I got the following

[tex]u\prime-1=\cos(u)[/tex]

what do I do now? should I integrate both sides? and then rewrite u into y and x terms?
 
der.physika said:
ok, so I plugged it in and I got the following

[tex]u\prime-1=\cos(u)[/tex]

what do I do now? should I integrate both sides? and then rewrite u into y and x terms?

Well, you have a new differential equation. What methods have you learned to solve differential equations? Have you tried any of these methods? Show us what happens.
 
LCKurtz said:
And he is also violating forum rules by giving a complete solution.

Okay, but I still don't know how to find that integral, which is what I'm going to go find out now. In the end I still learn something, even though I got the answer, I need to show my work completely, what's an answer without an explanation? a meaningless number...
 
I figured out how to do that integral, the steps are as followed

(1) [tex]\int\frac{1}{1+\cos(u)}[/tex]

(2) use [tex]\cos(u)\equiv1-\cos^2(\frac{u}{2})[/tex]

and then it simplifies to

(3) [tex]\frac{1}{2}\sec^2(\frac{u}{2})[/tex]

which comes out to

(4) [tex]\frac{1}{2}tan(\frac{x+y}{2})=y[/tex]
 
Isn't there a way I can write the equation in terms of only [tex]X[/tex] values?