Differential Equations

MATH 251

F.A.Wireko, PhD

Email:fawireko.myclaz@gmail.com

Department of Mathematics

Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science and Technology

February 5, 2025

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 Lecture Four

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Method Of Separation of Variables

A FODE is said to be a separable differential equation if it is

algebraically reducible to a standard differential form, where each
non-zero term contains only one variable.

A first order differential equation is separable if it can be written in

the form;
dy
= f (x, y ) = A(x)B(y ) (1)
dx
or equivalent form:

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

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Cont...
If equation (2) is separable, then
M(x, y ) = g (x)s(y )
and (3)
N(x, y ) = h(x)r (y )
Then equation (2) is called a separable differential equation:
dy
g (x)s(y ) + h(x)r (y )
=0 (4)
dx
We then divide through by s(y )h(x), we get
g (x) r (y )
dx + dy = 0
h(x) s(y )

g (x) r (y ) dy
+ =0 (5)
h(x) s(y ) dx
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Cont...

Equation (2) has now been separated into each variable x and y .
Integrating both sides of equation (5) we get
Z Z
g (x) r (y )
dx + dy = c (6)
h(x) s(y )

where c is an arbitrary constant.

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Example

Solve the following differential equations by separation of variables:

(a).
dy x2
=
dx 1 + y2

(b).
dy x − e −x
=
dx y + ey

(c).
dy x2
=
dx y (1 + x 3 )

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Solution

(a)
Separating the variables,
(1 + y 2 )dy = x 2 dx
Integrating both sides we get,
Z Z
(1 + y )dy = x 2 dx
2

Z Z Z
2
1dy + y dy = x 2 dx

y3 x3
y+ = +c
3 3
3y + y 3 − x 3
=c
3
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Cont...

(b)
Separating variables
(y + e y )dy = (x − e −x )dx
(y + e y )dy − (x − e −x )dx = 0
Integrating both sides, we get
Z Z
(y + e )dy − (x − e −x )dx
y

y2 x2
+ ey − + e −x = c
2 2
y2 − x2
e y + e −x + =c
2
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Cont...

(c)
Separating of variables,
y (1 + x 3 )dy = x 2 dx
x2
=⇒ ydy = dx
1 + x3
Integrating both sides,
x2
Z Z
ydy = dx
1 + x3

y2 1
− ln(1 + x 3 ) = c
2 3
r
2
y =± ln(1 + x 3 ) + 2c
3
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Cont...

Hence
r
2
y =± ln(1 + x 3 ) + c
3

Since c is an arbitrary constant, any number multiplying it or dividing

will not have any effect, it will still be an arbitrary constant.

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Example

Solve the I.V.P

3x 2 − e x
y′ = , y (0) = 1
2y − 5

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Solution

Separating variables
dy 3x 2 − e x
=
dx 2y − 5
(2y − 5)dy = (3x 2 − e x )dx
Integrating both sides,
Z Z
(2y − 5)dy − (3x 2 − e x )dx = 0

y 2 − 5y − x 3 + e x = c

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Cont....

To solve for the arbitrary constant c, we substitute the initial

condition into the general solution

=⇒ 12 − 5(1) + 1 = c

c = −3
The particular solution becomes

y 2 + 5y − x 3 − e x + 3 = 0

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Example

Solve the IVP and find the interval of validity,

y ′ = e −y (2x − 4) y (5) = 0

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Solution

Separating variables,
e y dy = (2x − 4)dx
Integrating both sides
Z Z
y
e dy = (2x − 4)dx

e y = x 2 − 4x + c

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Cont...
Applying the initial conditions gives

1 = 25 − 20 + c, c = −4

=⇒ e y = x 2 − 4x − 4
y (x) = ln(x 2 − 4x − 4)
The interval of validity :

x 2 − 4x − 4 > 0
√
The quadratic will be zero at the points x = 2 ± 2 2.
Possible intervals of validity are
√ √
-∞ < x < 2 - 2 2, 2 + 2 2 < x < ∞.
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Example

Solve the IVP

dy
= e y −x sec(y )(1 + x 2 ), y (0) = 0
dx

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Solution

Rewriting the given differential equation

dy e y e −x (1 + x 2 )
=
dx cos(y )

Separating Variables

e −y cos(y )dy = e −x (1 + x 2 )dx

Integrating both sides,

Z Z
e cos(y )dy = e −x (1 + x 2 )dx
−y

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Cont...

e −y
(sin(y ) − cos(y )) = −e −x (x 2 + 2x + 3) + c
2

Applying the initial conditions gives,

1
(−1) = −3 + c (7)
2
5
c= (8)
2
Hence the particular solution is

e −y 5
(sin(y ) − cos(y )) = −e −x (x 2 + 2x + 3) + (9)
2 2

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Non-Separable Differential Equations

What if the Differential Equation is NOT Separable?

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Homogeneous Functions

A function of two variables f (x, y ) is said to be homogeneous of

degree n if there is constant n such that :
f (λx, λy ) = λn f (x, y ) (10)
for all λ, x and y for which both sides are defined.

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Example 1

2x + y
f (x, y ) =
x 2y 2
2(λx) + (λy ) 2λx + λy λ(2x + y )
f (λx, λy ) = 2 2
= 2 2 2 2 =
(λx) (λy ) λ x λ y λ4 x 2 y 2
 
2x + y
f (λx, λy ) = λ−3
x 2y 2
f (λx, λy ) = λ−3 f (x, y )
The function is homogeneous of degree -3

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Example 2

f (x, y ) = x 2 + sinx cos y

f (λx, λy ) = (λx)2 + sinλx cos λy
= λ2 x 2 + sin λx cos λy
1
=⇒ f (λx, λy ) = λ2 (x 2 + sin λx cos λy )
λ2
=⇒ f (λx, λy ) ̸= λ2 f (x, y )
The function is not homogeneous

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Example 3

y y
f (x, y ) = e x + tan
x
 
λy λy
=⇒ f (λx, λy ) = e λx + tan
λx
f (λx, λy ) = λ0 f (x, y )
The function is homogeneous of degree 0

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ODEs With Homogeneous Coefficients.

A differential equation of the form

M(x, y )dx + N(x, y )dy = 0 (11)

is homogeneous if M(x, y ) and N(x, y ) are both homogeneous

functions of the same degree.

To solve homogeneous equations, turn them into separable ones using

the substitution
y = xv (12)
where v is a function of x; also
dy dv
=v +x (13)
dx dx

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Example 4

Solve the differential equation

(x 2 + y 2 )dx − 2xydy = 0

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Solution

The function M(x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 and N(x, y ) = -2xy

are both homogeneous of degree 2, therefore, the differential
equation is homogeneous.

Substituting y = xv implies that dy = xdv + v dx and the equation

becomes  
x 2 + (xv )2 dx − 2x(xv )(xdv + vdx) = 0

After some little algebra, this becomes a separable equation:

1 2v
dx = dv
x 1 − v2

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Cont...

Integrating both sides, we get

ln |x| = − ln 1 − v 2 + ln |c| ,

c
ln |x| = ln
1 − v2

We then write the solution in terms of the original variables, x and y ,

and replace v by yx :
c
x=
1 − (y /x)2
x 2 − y 2 = cx

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Example 5.

Solve the differential equation

p
xdy − ydx − x 2 − y 2 dx = 0

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Solution

The above differential equation is a homogeneous equation of degree

one.

Class should explain why the above equation is homogeneous.

Using the transformation y = xv =⇒ dy = vdx + xdv and dividing

by x, we have:
p
vdx + xdv − vdx − 1 − v 2 dx = 0
p
=⇒ xdv − 1 − v 2 dx = 0
dv dx
=⇒ √ − =0
1 − v2 x

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Cont...

Integrating both sides

Z Z
dv dx
=⇒ √ =
1 − v2 x

We get
sin−1 v = lnx + lnc
Replacing the original variables, using v = y /x. We get
y −1
sin−1 = lnxc =⇒ xc = e sin (y /x)
x

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Exercise

Solve the following differential equation (IVP).

(1). xy ′ = y + x 2 sec( yx ); y(1) = π

(2). xy ′ = y + 3x 4 cos2 (y /x); y(1) = 0

(3). xy ′ = (y − x)3 + y; y(1) = 3/2

(4). 2xy dy 2 2
dx = x + y ; y(1) = 0

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 Blessings

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