Complete Study Guide & Notes On

DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
A Formulae Guide By OP Gupta (Indira Award Winner)
Everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer!
IMPORTANT TERMS, DEFINITIONS & RESULTS
01. Differential Equation - A basic introduction: It is an equation consisting of an independent variable,
dependent variable and differential coefficients of dependent variable with respect to the independent
variable.
02. Order and Degree of a differential equation:
a) Order of a differential equation: It is the order of the highest order derivative appearing in the
differential equation.
b) Degree of a differential equation: It is the degree (power) of the highest order derivative, when the
differential coefficients are made free from the radicals and the fractions.
03. Formation of the differential equations: If the equation of the family of curves is given then its
differential equation is obtained by eliminating arbitrary constants occurring in its equation with the
help of equation of the curve and the equations formed by differentiation of equation of the curve.
ALGORITHM FOR THE FORMATION OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

STEP1- Write down the given equation of the curve.

STEP2- Differentiate the given equation with respect to the independent variable as many times as the
number of arbitrary constants.
STEP3- Eliminate the arbitrary constants by using given equation and the equations obtained by the
differentiation in STEP2.
04. Solutions of differential equations:
a) General solution: The solution which contains as many as arbitrary constants as the order of the
d2y
differential equation. e.g. y cos x sin x is the general solution of 2 y 0 .
dx
b) Particular solution: Solution obtained by giving particular values to the arbitrary constants in the
general solution of a differential equation is called a particular solution. e.g. y 3cos x 2sin x is a
particular solution of the differential equation

d2y
y 0.
dx 2

c) Solution of differential equation by Variable Separable Method: A variable separable form of the
differential equation is the one which can be expressed in the form of f x dx g y dy . The solution is
given by

f x dx g y dy k

where k is the constant of integration.

d) Homogeneous Differential Equations and their solution:

First of all we shall learn how to identify a homogeneous differential equation.
Identifying a Homogeneous differential equation:
STEP1- Write down the given differential equation in the form

dy
f x, y .
dx

STEP2- If f kx, ky k n f x, y then, the given differential equation is homogeneous of degree n.

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Differential Equations By OP Gupta (INDIRA AWARD Winner, Elect. & Comm. Engineering)
Solving a homogeneous differential equation:
Case I :

If

dy
f x, y
dx

Case II :

Put y vx

If

dx
f x, y
dy

Put x vy

dy
dv
vx
dx
dx

dx
dv
v y
dy
dy

Then after, separate the variables to get the required solution.

e) Solution of Linear differential equations:
Linear differential equation in y: It is of the form

dy
P( x) y Q( x ) where P( x ) and Q( x ) are
dx

functions of x only.
SOLVING OF LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION IN y
STEP1- Write the given differential equation in the form
STEP2- Find the Integration Factor (I.F.) e

P( x )dx

dy
P( x) y Q( x ) .
dx

STEP3- The solution is given by, y.(I.F.) Q( x ).(I.F.) dx k where k is the constant of integration.
Linear differential equation in x: It is of the form
functions of y only. (I.F.) e

dx
P( y ) x Q( y ) where P( y ) and Q( y ) are
dy

P( x )dx

SOLVING OF LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION IN x

STEP1- Write the given differential equation in the form
STEP2- Find the Integration Factor (I.F.) e

P( y )dy

dx
P( y ) x Q( y ) .
dy

STEP3- The solution is given by, x.(I.F.) Q( y ).(I.F.) dy k where k is the constant of integration.

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