MATH 1005A Test 1 Solutions

1. [6 4 5 marks]
y y
y0 = + cos2
x x
This DE is homogeneous. We make our usual substitution: u = xy , y = ux,
y 0 = u0 x + u. This gives
u0 x + u = u + cos2 u
u0 x = cos2 u
This is separable:
du cos2 u
=
dx x
du dx
2
= (*)
cos u x
Z Z
2 dx
sec u du =
x
tan u = ln |x| + c
u = tan1 (ln |x| + c) (**)
Finally, we undo our substitution:
y = x tan1 (ln |x| + c)
This answer is worth full marks, since its sufficient for most purposes but its not
quite the full story. Remember, tan1 is only one possible inverse of tan. To be really
accurate, the line labelled (**) should be
u = tan1 (ln |x| + c) + k
where k is any integer. Each choice of k leads to an equally valid family of solutions.

Now we return to line (*), where we divided by cos2 u. This is 0 when u = (k + 21 ) for
any integer k. Undoing the substitution gives y = (k + 12 )x and you can confirm
that this is a valid solution of the DE. Thus we have yet another family of solutions,
but since k is integral, we have one for every integer, not every real number. (You lost
one mark if you missed these solutions.)

Full solution:

1
y = x tan (ln |x| + c) + kx, (c R, k Z)

or

y = (k + 21 )x, (k Z)

As mentioned, you didnt need the +kx for full marks. You did need the absolute
value bars, but it was okay not to mention problems at x = 0 since the original DE
doesnt allow that value either.

1
2. [6 5 4 marks]
4x3 y 0 + 3x2 y = y 5 cos x, y() = 0

This is a Bernouilli equation with = 5, so the substitution to make is u = y 4 ,

y = u1/4 , y 0 = 41 u5/4 u0 . We get
1
4x3 ( u5/4 u0 ) + 3x2 u1/4 = (u1/4 )5 cos x
4
x3 u5/4 u0 + 3x2 u1/4 = u5/4 cos x
x3 u0 + 3x2 u = cos x
(You can also use the formula to skip directly to this line.)

We now have a linear DE. If youve done enough exercises, youll recognize the left
side as (x3 u)0 right away. Otherwise, start by dividing by x3 to get u0 alone:
3 cos x
u0 + u= 3
x x
Integrating factor:
3
R
dx
I(x) = e x

= e3 ln x
= x3

...and were back where we started, but this time knowing for sure that the left side is
(I(x)u)0 . Either way, we have
(x3 u)0 = cos x
x3 u = sin x + c
sin x + c
u=
x3
Next we undo the substitution:
 1/4
sin x + c
y=
x3

Finally we use the initial value to solve for c. We have y() = 0, so

 1/4
sin + c
0=
3
 c 1/4
0=
3
...and heres where I made a mistake. Intuitively, if ab = 0, then a can only be 0, so
the answer I was looking for was c = 0. But this only works when b is positive! If b is

2
 negative, there is no solution to ab = 0. When I set up the problem, I was so busy
avoiding a negative value inside the brackets (since it would have no real 1/4th power)
that I forgot 0 wasnt allowed either (it has no negative powers).

Since I was asking for the impossible, this will no longer be marked as an initial
value problem. The general solution is enough for full marks. Im also switching the
totals for questions 1 and 2: question 1 is now out of 5 and question 2 is out of 4.
Sorry for the error.

3. [5 marks]
xy 0 = x2 y 2y, y(2) = e2

This DE is both separable and linear, so we can choose which we prefer. The first step
either way is to factor the right side.

xy 0 = (x2 2)y (*)

[Separable method] Sort out the variables:

1 0 x2 2
y = (**)
y x
Z Z  
1 2
dy = x dx
y x
1
ln |y| = x2 2 ln |x| + c
2
1 2 2
|y| = e 2 x eln |x| ec
1 2
c1 e 2 x
|y| = , c1 > 0
x2
since |x|2 = x2 . As usual, this becomes
1 2
c2 e 2 x
y= , c2 6= 0
x2
Finally, since step (**) assumed y 6= 0, we must check if y = 0 is a solution of the
DE. It is, so we can replace c2 with a fully general c R to cover this possibility
as well.

You should really also note that we divided by x and so x 6= 0, but this is obvious
since the general solution has x2 in the denominator. No marks lost for not
mentioning it. (Now ask yourself why a DE without any division by x has
solutions that blow up at x = 0! There is a reason...)

3
 [Linear method] Rearrange:

x2 2
 
0
y y=0
x

Find an integrating factor:

2 2
x
R
dx
I(x) = e x

1 2
= e 2 x +2 ln |x|

1 2
= x2 e 2 x

essentially as before. (Remember, we dont need an arbitrary constant in an

integrating factor.) The DE becomes
1 2
(x2 e 2 x y)0 = 0
1 2
x2 e 2 x y = c
1 2
ce 2 x
y=
x2
Same general solution, but interestingly, this method avoids any fiddling with the
constant.

Finally, we solve for c with the initial value y(2) = e2 :

ce2
e2 =
4
c=4
1 2
4e 2 x
The solution to the initial value problem is y = .
x2
4. [6 marks]  
cos x
( sin x) dx + + y 16 dy = 0
y

As its form indicates, this is an exact or almost exact DE. (Dont forget, we dont have
to write them in this form. Be prepared for the y 0 version too!) We have M = sin x,
N = cosy x + y 16 , which gives
My = 0
sin x
Nx =
y

4
My 6= Nx , so this DE is not exact. However, the difference between them is a multiple
of M , so we can find a y-integrating factor I(y):
I0 Nx My
=
I M
( sin x)/y
=
sin x
1
=
y
We have a nice symmetric separable DE:
dI dy
=
I y
ln I = ln y
I=y
(Again, we just need one integrating factor, so we can skip the absolute value bars and
constant.) Multiplying the original DE by I(y) gives us a new DE:

(y sin x) dx + (cos x + y 17 ) dy = 0

This time we have M = y sin x, N = cos x + y 17 , and

My = sin x

Nx = sin x
so the DE is exact. Now our goal is to find the potential function F (x, y) such that
Fx = M , Fy = N . We can go either way.

Starting with x:

Fx = y sin x
F = y cos x + c(y)
Fy = cos x + c0 (y)
c0 (y) = y 17
1
c(y) = y 18
18
Starting with y:

Fy = cos x + y 17
1
F = y cos x + y 18 + c(x)
18
Fx = y sin x + c0 (x)
c0 (x) = c(x) = 0

5
 We have the same answer both ways. (Its worth noticing that starting with the
messier of M and N actually made things simpler this often happens.) Our general
solution is F = c:
1
y cos x + y 18 = c.
18
(No marks lost for possible divisions by 0 on this question. y already cant be 0 in the
original DE, and I is a specific integrating factor, so we dont have to deal with
everything it might be.)

BONUS [2 marks]: Find (but do not solve) the differential equation obeyed by the
orthogonal trajectories of the family of curves y = xc .

The first thing we need is a DE for that family of curves. To find it, we isolate c:

xy = c

xy 0 + y = 0
y
y0 =
x
(Another approach is to take logs of both sides, which separates c from x, and then
differentiate. Same result.)

To get the DE for the orthogonal trajectories, we just take the negative reciprocal:
x
y0 =
y
I highly recommend solving this and then graphing the two families. Theyre all curves
you met in high school, and they make a particularly elegant illustration of orthogonal
trajectories.