1

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2 – MTH260S

Lecturer: A. Cloete

Solutions of Differential Equations Continue

4.2 Variables Separable

In many cases a first order differential equation can be reduced by

algebraic manipulations to the form 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑔(𝑦) 𝑑𝑦. Such an
equation is said to be variable separable because the variable 𝑥 and
𝑦 can be separated from each other in such a way that 𝑥 can only
appear in the coefficient of 𝑑𝑥 and 𝑦 only appears in the coefficient
of 𝑑𝑦. An equation in his form can be solved by simply integrating
both sides to give a general solution
𝑓1 (𝑥) = 𝑔1 (𝑦) + 𝑐

Where “𝑐” is an arbitrary constant of integration. If the integrals of

𝑓(𝑥) 𝑑𝑥 and/or 𝑔(𝑦) 𝑑𝑦 seem impossible to evaluate i.t.o elementary
funcions, numerical integration may be required to find a suitable
solution.

Other forms which should be recognized as being separable

variables are:

𝑑𝑦 𝑓(𝑥)
= 𝑜𝑟 𝑓(𝑥)𝑔(𝑦)𝑑𝑥 = 𝐹(𝑥) 𝐺(𝑦)𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑥 𝑔(𝑦)
Example1

𝑦
Solve 𝑦 ′ + =0
𝑥−3

Engineering Mathematics 2- MTH260S

Lecturer: A. Cloete
 2

Solution:
𝑑𝑦 𝑦
+ =0
𝑑𝑥 𝑥−3

𝑑𝑦 𝑦
=
𝑑𝑥 3−𝑥

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑥
∫ = ∫
𝑦 3−𝑥

ln 𝑦 = −𝑙𝑛|3 − 𝑥| + 𝑐 ………(1)

But 𝑐 can be replaced by ln 𝑐1

From (1) → ln 𝑦 + ln (3 − 𝑥) = ln 𝑐1

ln [𝑦 (3 − 𝑥)] = ln 𝑐1

𝑦(3 − 𝑥) = 𝑐1

𝑐1
or 𝑦=
3−𝑥

Example 2

Solve 𝑥𝑦 𝑑𝑥 = (4 − 𝑥 2 )𝑑𝑦
Solution:
𝑥𝑦 𝑑𝑥 = (4 − 𝑥 2 )𝑑𝑦

𝑥 𝑑𝑦
∫ 𝑑𝑦 = ∫ (by separation of variables)
4− 𝑥 2 𝑦

1
− ln(4 − x 2 ) = 𝑙𝑛 𝑦 + 𝑙𝑛𝑐
2
(𝑙𝑛𝑐 is now the integrating constant)
1
𝑙𝑛 = ln (𝑦𝑐)
√4− 𝑥 2

1
Therefore 𝑦𝑐 =
√4− 𝑥 2

Engineering Mathematics 2- MTH260S

Lecturer: A. Cloete
 3

𝑐1 1
or 𝑦= with 𝑐1 =
√4− 𝑥 2 𝑐

Example 3

Solve
𝑑𝑦 𝑦 2 + 𝑥𝑦 2
= 2
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 𝑦 − 𝑥2
Solution

𝑑𝑦 𝑦 2 + 𝑥𝑦 2
= 2
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 𝑦 − 𝑥2

𝑦 2 (1 + 𝑥)
= 2
𝑥 (𝑦 − 1)

𝑦−1 1+𝑥
∴ 𝑑𝑦 = 𝑑𝑥
𝑦2 𝑥2

1 1 1 1
∴ ∫( − ) 𝑑𝑦 = ∫ (𝑥 2 + 𝑥) 𝑑𝑥
𝑦 𝑦2

1 1
Therefore 𝑙𝑛𝑦 + = − + 𝑙𝑛𝑥 + 𝑐
𝑦 𝑥

Example 4
Solve
𝑑𝑦 1 + 𝑦2
=
𝑑𝑥 (1 + 𝑥)2

Solution

𝑑𝑦 1 + 𝑦2
=
𝑑𝑥 (1 + 𝑥)2
Engineering Mathematics 2- MTH260S

Lecturer: A. Cloete
 4

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑥
∴ ∫ 1+ 𝑦 2 = ∫ (1+𝑥)2

∴ arctan 𝑦 = ∫(1 + 𝑥)−2 𝑑𝑥

(1+𝑥)−1
= +𝑐
−1

1
Therefore arctan 𝑦 = − +𝑐
1+𝑥

Example 5
Solve
𝑑𝑦 𝑦2 + 1
𝑥𝑦 = 2
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 +1
Solution

𝑑𝑦 𝑦2 + 1
𝑥𝑦 = 2
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 +1

𝑦 𝑑𝑥
∴ 𝑑𝑦 =
1 + 𝑦2 𝑥(𝑥 2 + 1)

(We use partial fractions to solve)

1 𝐴 𝐵𝑥 + 𝐶
∴ 𝑑𝑦 = + 2
𝑥(𝑥 2 + 1) 𝑥 𝑥 +1

→ 1 = 𝐴(𝑥 2 + 1) + 𝐵𝑥 2 + 𝐶𝑥

𝑥= 0 →1= 𝐴

→ 1 = 1 (𝑥 2 + 1) + 𝐵𝑥 2 + 𝐶𝑥
= 𝑥 2 (𝐵 + 1) + 𝐶𝑥 + 1
→ 𝐶 = 0,
𝐵 + 1 = 0 → 𝐵 = −1

Engineering Mathematics 2- MTH260S

Lecturer: A. Cloete
 5

𝑦 1 −𝑥
∴ ∫ 1+ 𝑦2 𝑑𝑦 = ∫( + ) 𝑑𝑥
𝑥 𝑥 2 +1
1 1
∴ ln(1 + 𝑦 2 ) = 𝑙𝑛𝑥 − 𝑙𝑛(𝑥 2 + 1) + ln 𝑐
2 2

ln √(1 + 𝑦 2 ) = 𝑙𝑛𝑥 − 𝑙𝑛√(𝑥 2 + 1) + ln 𝑐

𝑐𝑥
= 𝑙𝑛
√𝑥 2 +1

𝑐𝑥
Therefore √1 + 𝑦 2 = or (1 + 𝑦 2 )(1 + 𝑥 2 ) = 𝑐𝑥 2
√𝑥 2 +1
Exercise 4.2
1. State the general solution of each of the following differential
equations:
1.1 𝑦 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑥 𝑙𝑛𝑥 𝑑𝑦 = 0

1.2 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑥 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑦 𝑑𝑦 + cos 𝑥 cos 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 = tan 𝑥 𝑑𝑥

1.3 𝑥𝑦 𝑑𝑥 = 4 𝑑𝑦 − 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑦

1.4 𝑦 𝑦 ′ = 2(𝑥𝑦 + 𝑥)

1.5 2𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥 𝑑𝑦

𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝑥
1.6 𝑑𝑦 = 𝑑𝑥
𝑦+1

2. Find the particular (unique) solution of each of the following

differential equations.

𝑑𝑦
2.1 𝑥 = 𝑦 + 𝑥𝑦 ; 𝑦(1) = 1
𝑑𝑥

2.2 2𝑥 𝑦 ′ + 𝑦 = 0 ; 𝑦(2) = 1

2.3 𝑒 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑦 𝑑𝑦 ; 𝑦(0) = 1

2.4 (1 + 𝑦 2 ) 𝑑𝑥 = (1 + 𝑥)2 𝑑𝑦; 𝑦(0) = 1

Engineering Mathematics 2- MTH260S

Lecturer: A. Cloete