Math 1005 B Fall 2015

Tutorial 2 Problems
1. (Bernoulli ) Solve √ √
xy 0 + y = y.
√ 1
Solution: Since y = y 2 , this is a Bernoulli equation with α = 12 . Let u =
1
y 1−α = y 2 so that y = u2 and hence y 0 = 2uu0 . Making these substitutions, we
have √
2 xuu0 + u2 = u.
√
Divide both sides by 2 xu to get
1 1
u0 + √ u = √ ,
2 x 2 x

which is linear in standard form. We choose

R 1 √
√ dx x
I(x) = e 2 x =e .

Multiply the equation by the integrating factor:

√ √
√
x 0 e x e x
e u + √ u= √ .
2 x 2 x

Now the left hand side is the derivative of the product I(x)y:
√
√
x 0e x
(e u) = √ .
2 x

We integrate: √
e x
√
Z
x
e u= √ dx.
2 x
√ 1
We make the substitution t = x so that dt = √
2 x
dx, which yields

√
Z
x
e u= et dt

= et + c
√
x
=e + c.

Solving for u, we have √

u = 1 + ce− x
.
Since y = u2 , we have √
y = (1 + ce− x 2
).
2. (Bernoulli ) Solve
y
ln(x)y 0 − = ln(x)y 2 .
x
Solution: This is a Bernoulli equation with α = 2. Let u = y 1−α = y −1 so that
y = u−1 and hence y 2 = u−2 and y 0 = −u−2 u0 . Making these substitutions, we
have
u−1
− ln(x)u−2 u0 − = ln(x)u−2 .
x
u 2
Multiply both sides by − ln(x) to get

1
u0 + u = −1,
x ln(x)

which is linear in standard form. We choose

1
R
dx
I(x) = e x ln(x) = eln(ln(x)) = ln(x)
R 1
dx, let v = ln x so that dv = x1 dx. Then ln(x)
R 1
(To integrate x ln(x) dx =
R 1
v
dv = ln(v) = ln(ln(x)), ignoring the arbitrary constants). Multiply the
equation by the integrating factor:
1
ln(x)u0 + u = − ln(x).
x
Now the left hand side is the derivative of the product I(x)u:

(ln(x)u)0 = − ln(x).

We integrate: Z
ln(x)u = − ln(x)dx.

To integrate ln(x), we use integration by parts with u = ln(x) and dv = dx.

Then du = x1 dx and v = x, and so
Z Z
ln(x)dx = x ln(x) − 1dx = x ln(x) − x + c.

Thus Z
ln(x)u = − ln(x)dx = x − x ln(x) + c.

Solving for u, we have

x − x ln(x) + c
u= .
ln(x)
Since y = u−1 = u1 , we have

ln(x)
y= .
x − x ln(x) + c
3. (exact) Solve the initial value problem 5x4 y 3 + 3x5 y 2 y 0 = 0, y(1) = 1.
Solution: Here P (x, y) = 5x4 y 3 and Q(x, y) = 3x5 y 2 . We have Py = 15x4 y 2
and Qx = 15x4 y 2 . Both Py and Qx are continuous in the entire plane, which is
simply connected. Also, Py = Qx . Thus this equation is exact, and a potential
function f (x, y) exists. It will satisfy fx = P and fy = Q. Integrating both
sides of fx = P with respect to x yields

f (x, y) = x5 y 3 + g(y)

(where g is an arbitrary function of y). We use the fact that fy = Q (i.e. take
the partial derivative of f with respect to y and set it equal to Q).

3x5 y 2 + g 0 (y) = 3x5 y 2 .

Thus g 0 (y) = 0 and so g(y) = c1 . Thus

f (x, y) = x5 y 3 + c1

and the general solution is obtained by setting f (x, y) = c2 . Combining arbi-

trary constants, we have a general solution of

x5 y 3 = c.

Using y(1) = 1, we have 1 = c. Thus the solution to the initial value problem
5
is x5 y 3 = 1, or, equivalently, y = x− 3 .

4. (exact) Solve (y 2 + 1) ln(x) + 2y(x ln(x) − x + 1)y 0 = 0, x > 0.

Solution: Here P (x, y) = (y 2 + 1) ln(x) and Q(x, y) = 2y(x ln(x) − x + 1). We
have Py = 2y ln(x) and Qx = 2y(ln(x) + 1 − 1) = 2y ln(x). Both Py and Qx
are continuous in the right half plane x > 0, which is simply connected. Also,
Py = Qx . Thus this equation is exact, and a potential function f (x, y) exists. It
will satisfy fx = P and fy = Q. Integrating both sides of fx = P with respect
to x yields
f (x, y) = (y 2 + 1)(x ln(x) − x) + g(y)
(where g is an arbitrary function of y). We use the fact that fy = Q (i.e. take
the partial derivative of f with respect to y and set it equal to Q).

2y(x ln(x) − x) + g 0 (y) = 2y(x ln(x) − x + 1).

Thus g 0 (y) = 2y and so g(y) = y 2 + c1 . Thus

f (x, y) = (y 2 + 1)(x ln(x) − x) + y 2 + c1

and the general solution is obtained by setting f (x, y) = c2 . Combining arbi-

trary constants, we have a general solution of

(y 2 + 1)(x ln(x) − x) + y 2 = c

(we could solve for y here, but it’s okay to leave it like this).
 Additional examples if you have extra time:

5. (exact) Solve sin(x)(sin(y) + 1) + cos(y)(1 − cos(x))y 0 = 0.

Solution: Here P (x, y) = sin(x)(sin(y) + 1) and Q(x, y) = cos(y)(1 − cos(x)).
We have Py = sin(x) cos(y) and Qx = cos(y)(sin(x)). Both Py and Qx are
continuous on the entire plane, which is simply connected. Also, Py = Qx .
Thus this equation is exact, and a potential function f (x, y) exists. It will
satisfy fx = P and fy = Q. Integrating both sides of fx = P with respect to x
yields
f (x, y) = − cos(x)(sin(y) + 1) + g(y)
(where g is an arbitrary function of y). We use the fact that fy = Q (i.e. take
the partial derivative of f with respect to y and set it equal to Q).

− cos(x) cos(y) + g 0 (y) = cos(y)(1 − cos(x)).

Thus g 0 (y) = cos(y) and so g(y) = sin(y) + c1 . Thus

f (x, y) = − cos(x)(sin(y) + 1) + sin(y) + c1 = sin(y) − cos(x) − cos(x) sin(y) + c1

and the general solution is obtained by setting f (x, y) = c2 . Combining arbi-

trary constants, we have a general solution of

sin(y) − cos(x) − cos(x) sin(y) = c

(we could solve for y here, but it’s okay to leave it like this).

6. (exact): Last week, you solved the differential equation

xy 0 = 2y

in three different ways (as a separable equation, as a homogeneous equation,

and as a linear equation). If we rewrite it in the form −2y + xy 0 = 0 and then
multiply by x−3 , we get
−2x−3 y + x−2 y 0 = 0
(we will soon see how to realize that we must put it in this form). We can now
solve it as an exact equation.
Solution: Here P (x, y) = −2x−3 y and Q(x, y) = x−2 . We have Py = −2x−3
and Qx = −2x−3 . Both Py and Qx are continuous on the half plane x > 0, or
on the half plane x < 0, either of which are simply connected. Also, Py = Qx .
Thus this equation is exact on either half plane, and a potential function f (x, y)
exists there. It will satisfy fx = P and fy = Q. Integrating both sides of fx = P
with respect to x yields
f (x, y) = x−2 y + g(y)
(where g is an arbitrary function of y). We use the fact that fy = Q (i.e. take
the partial derivative of f with respect to y and set it equal to Q).

x−2 + g 0 (y) = x−2 .

 Thus g 0 (y) = 0 and so g(y) = c1 . Thus

f (x, y) = x−2 y + c1

and the general solution is obtained by setting f (x, y) = c2 . Combining arbi-

trary constants, we have a general solution of

x−2 y = c.

Rearranging, we get y = cx2 , as we found in the previous tutorial.

7. (Bernoulli ) Solve
y 0 + y = y 10 .

Solution: This is a Bernoulli equation with α = 10. Let u = y 1−α = y −9 so that

1 10 10
y = u− 9 and hence y 10 = u− 9 and y 0 = − 19 u− 9 u0 . Making these substitutions,
we have
1 10 1 10
− u− 9 u0 + u− 9 = u− 9 .
9
10
Multiply both sides by −9u− 9 to get

u0 + −9u = −9,

which is linear in standard form. We choose

R
−9dx
I(x) = e = e−9x .

Multiply the equation by the integrating factor:

e−9x u0 − 9e−9x u = −9e−9x .

Now the left hand side is the derivative of the product I(x)u:

(e−9x u)0 = −9e−9x .

We integrate: Z
−9x
e u= −9e−9x dx = e−9x + c.

Solving for u, we have

u = 1 + ce−9x .
1
Since y = u− 9 , we have
1
y = (1 + ce−9x )− 9 .