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    1.1 Differential Equations Background

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    Chayu Yang
    This document provides an introduction to differential equations. It defines a differential equation as an equation containing derivatives of an unknown function. Differential equations can be used to model real-world problems involving variables that change with respect to each other, such as height falling over time or radioactive decay over time. The document distinguishes between ordinary differential equations, which involve derivatives with respect to a single variable, and partial differential equations, which involve derivatives with respect to multiple variables. It defines key concepts such as the order of a differential equation and whether an equation is linear or nonlinear. Examples of common types of differential equations are also provided.

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    1.1 Differential Equations Background

    Uploaded by

    Chayu Yang
    38 views4 pages
    This document provides an introduction to differential equations. It defines a differential equation as an equation containing derivatives of an unknown function. Differential equations can be used to model real-world problems involving variables that change with respect to each other, such as height falling over time or radioactive decay over time. The document distinguishes between ordinary differential equations, which involve derivatives with respect to a single variable, and partial differential equations, which involve derivatives with respect to multiple variables. It defines key concepts such as the order of a differential equation and whether an equation is linear or nonlinear. Examples of common types of differential equations are also provided.

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    Simple descriptions of differential equations with examples

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    This document provides an introduction to differential equations. It defines a differential equation as an equation containing derivatives of an unknown function. Differential equations can be used to model real-world problems involving variables that change with respect to each other, such as height falling over time or radioactive decay over time. The document distinguishes between ordinary differential equations, which involve derivatives with respect to a single variable, and partial differential equations, which involve derivatives with respect to multiple variables. It defines key concepts such as the order of a differential equation and whether an equation is linear or nonlinear. Examples of common types of differential equations are also provided.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    38 views4 pages

    1.1 Differential Equations Background

    Uploaded by

    Chayu Yang
    This document provides an introduction to differential equations. It defines a differential equation as an equation containing derivatives of an unknown function. Differential equations can be used to model real-world problems involving variables that change with respect to each other, such as height falling over time or radioactive decay over time. The document distinguishes between ordinary differential equations, which involve derivatives with respect to a single variable, and partial differential equations, which involve derivatives with respect to multiple variables. It defines key concepts such as the order of a differential equation and whether an equation is linear or nonlinear. Examples of common types of differential equations are also provided.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    1.

    1 Background

    Differential equations often arise when trying to explain real-world problems by using
    mathematical models.

    A differential equation (DE) is an equation containing derivatives of an unknown function.

    Motivating examples:

    (Free fall ). We release an object from a certain height and allow it to fall under the force
    of gravity (we ignore other forces, such as air resistance). Find a formula for the height
    of the object at time t.

    1
    (Radioactive decay). Assume that the rate of decay is proportional to the amount of the
    radioactive substance present. Write a DE that fits this description, and find a formula
    for the amount of substance present at time t.

    Note:

    1. The solution of a differential equation is a function, NOT a number.

    2. A DE will not have a unique solution since there are integration constants involved.

    In a DE, if an equation involves the derivative of one variable with respect to another,
    then the former is called a dependent variable, and the latter an independent variable.

    d2 y dy
    (ex.) Hermite’s equation: 2
    − 2x + 2y = 0.
    dx dx

    2
    A DE involving only ordinary derivatives with respect to a single independent variable is
    called an ordinary differential equation (ODE). A DE involving partial derivatives with
    respect to more than one independent variable is called a partial differential equation
    (PDE).

    ∂ 2u 2
    2∂ u
    (ex.) Wave equation: − c = 0.
    ∂t2 ∂x2

    In this course, we will focus entirely on ODEs.

    The order of a DE is the order of the highest order derivatives present in the equation.

    d2 q dq 1
    (ex.) RLC circuit: L 2
    + R + q = E(t), where L, R, and C are constants.
    dt dt C

    dp
    (ex.) Logistic curve: = kp(P − p), where k and P are constants.
    dt

    A DE is linear if it has the form

    dn y dn−1 y dy
    an (x) + an−1 (x) + ... + a 1 (x) + a0 (x)y = b(x).
    dxn dxn−1 dx

    Otherwise we say the DE is nonlinear.

    3
    (ex.)
    Free fall: mh00 (t) = −mg

    Radioactive decay: A0 (t) = −kA(t)

    Hermite’s equation: y 00 (x) − 2xy 0 (x) + 2y(x) = 0

    p d2 y dy
    Kidder’s equation: 1 − y 2 + 2x =0
    dx dx

    d2 y dy
    van der Pol’s equation: 2
    − 0.1(1 − y 2 ) + 9y = 0
    dx dx

    Bernoulli equation: y 0 + P (x)y = Q(x)y −1

    Any linear first-order ODE has the form:

    dy
    a1 (x) + a0 (x)y = b(x).
    dx

    (HW) Textbook 1.1 Exercises: 1-15 odd

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