DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS 1 (MATH 350) NOTES

Dr Chisara Peace Ogbogbo

Contents
Homogeneous D.E.s 1

Homogeneous D.E.s
A function f (x, y) is said to be homogeneous of degree m if
f (kx, ky) = k m f (x, y) ∀k where k is an integral constant
Examples

1. f (x, y) = x3 + 4xy 2 − 3y 3
f (kx, ky) = (kx)3 + 4(kx)(ky)2 − 3(ky)3 = k 3 x3 + 4k 3 xy 2 − 3k 3 y 3
= k 3 (x3 + 4xy 2 − 3y 3 )
= k 3 f (x, y)
∴ f (x, y) is homogeneous of degree 3
2.
g(x, y) = x3 y 2 − 3x5
g(tx, ty) = (tx)3 (ty)2 − 3(tx)5
= t3 x3 t2 y 2 − 3t5 x5
= t5 (x3 y 2 − 3x5 )
Hence the function is homogeneous of degree 5 (in x and y)

3. Consider the function

x2 + y 2
 
y x
f (x, y) = − sin
4xy x y

(kx)2 + (ky)2
 
ky kx
f (kx, ky) = − sin
4kxky kx ky
2 2 2
 
k (x + y ) y x
= 2
− sin
k (4xy) x y
x2 + y 2
 
y x
= − sin
4xy x y

1
Function f (x, y) is homogeneous with degree zero

Homogeneous DE

An equation in differential form

M (x, y)dx + N (x, y)dy = 0
is said to be homogeneous, if when written in derivative form
dy y
= f (x, y) = g
dx x
Example

Identify whether the following differential equations are homogeneous or not.

1.
(x − y)dx + xdy = 0
Solution

Dividing through by dx,

dy
x − y = −x
dx
x−y dy
− =
x dx

y
dy x−y y y
=− = −1 + = − xy +
dx x x x x

Thus there exists a function g such that

y
f (x, y) = g
x

Therefore the D.E. is homogeneous

2.
(x2 + xy)dx − y 2 dy = 0 (Students to try)
3.
(x2 + xy − y 2 )dx − (y 2 + x)dy = 0 (Students to try)
4.
(x2 + xy + y 2 )dx − (y 3 + x2 y)dy = 0
Solution

 
y x
dy 2
x + xy + y 2 + xy
1 + x y
= =  2 
dx y 3 + x2 y y
x2 y x2 + 1
1 y!
1 xy + 1 + x
= y 2
x


x +1

2 Chisara P. Ogbogbo
Since the DE cannot be written as a function g xy , we conclude that the DE is not homogeneous.

Alternatively,
A D.E. is said to be homogeneous if it can be expressed as

dy P (x, y)
=
dx Q(x, y)

where P and Q are homogeneous functions of the same degree (in x and y)
Recall form of a first order D.E
dy
= F (x, y) (ϕ)
dx
Suppose rhs of equation ϕ can be written as

P (x, y)
F (x, y) =
Q(x, y)

P (x, y) and Q(x, y) are homogeneous of same degree.

The first order D.E. ϕ becomes
y


dy P (x, y) xn f x

y
= = n y =h
dx Q(x, y) x g x
x
i.e.
dy y
=h (ϕ ϕ)
dx x
We obtain solution by changing variable as follows:
Let v = xy

dy dv
Then y = vx ⇒ =v+x
dx dx
Example

Solve the equation

dy x2 + y 2
=
dx xy
Both x2 + y 2 and xy are homogeneous of degree 2.

f (x, y) = x2 + y 2
f (kx, ky) = k 2 x2 + k 2 y 2
= k 2 (x2 + y 2 )

g(x, y) = xy
g(kx, ky) = kxky = k 2 (xy)

Numerator and denominator are homogeneous of degree 2.

Let v = xy , then
y = vx (α)
replace y with vx in the given equation

dy x2 + v 2 x2 x2 (1 + v 2 ) 1 + v2
∴ = = 2
= (αα)
dx x(vx) x v v
dy dv
from equation α =v+x (ααα)
dx dx

3 Chisara P. Ogbogbo
equating ααα to αα we have

dy dv 1 + v2
=v+x =
dx dx v
dv 1 + v2
x = −v
dx v
2 2
dv 1+v −v 1
x = =
dx v v
dx
vdv =
Z Z x
dx
vdv =
x
v2
= lnx + lnA = lnAx
2
v 2 = 2lnAx = ln(Ax)2 = lnA2 x2
v 2 = lnCx2 (C = A2 )
from α y = vx
y 2 = v 2 x2 ⇒ y 2 = x2 lnCx2
 y 2
v2 = = lnCx2
x
y 2 = x2 lnCx2

Example

Solve the following D.E.

y
y + xe− x
y′ =
x
Solution

We use the transformation

y
v= and y = vx
x
Substitute y = vx in the given D.E., we have
−vx
′ dv vx + xe x
v x+v =x +v = = v + e−v
dx x
We separate variables for
v ′ x + v = v + e−v ⇒ v ′ x = e−v
dv
x = e−v
dx
dv dx dx
−v
= = ev dv =
e x x
Integrating we have
ev = ln|x| + c
v = ln(ln|x| + c)
Since y = vx
y = xln(ln|x| + c)

Example

Solve the DE
(x2 − y 2 )dx + xydy = 0

4 Chisara P. Ogbogbo
Solution

The transformation is used, and dy can also be substituted in terms of dy in the equation. We use some
substitution
y = vx (β)
and
dy dv
=v+x (ββ)
dx dx
from equation ββ
dy = xdv + vdx
Substitute into the given equation

(x2 − y 2 )dx + xydy = 0 we have

[x2 − (xv)2 ]dx + [x(xv)](xdv + vdx) = 0
(x2 − x2 v 2 )dx + x3 vdv + x2 v 2 dx = 0 Dividing through by x, we have
dx + xvdv = 0
dx = −xvdv by separation of variables
dx
− = vdv
x
Integrating on both sides, we have
1 2 c
v = −ln|x| + c1 = ln , c1 = lnc
2 x
y2
but v 2 = 2
x
From equation β
1  y 2 c c
∴ = ln ⇒ y 2 = 2x2 ln
2 x x x

5 Chisara P. Ogbogbo
Exercise

Solve the following D.E.

1.
(2x + y)dx − xdy = 0
2. y
xy ′ = yln
x
3.
(x2 + y 2 )dx + 2xydy = 0
4.
(xy + y 2 + x2 )dx − x2 dy = 0
5. Solve the IVP
2(x + 2y)dx + (y − x)dy = 0 y(1) = 0

6 Chisara P. Ogbogbo