Examples of Separation of Variables

Let’s solve our first, very simple, example using the method of separation of
variables:
dy
Example: dx = f (x)
To separate variables we just multiply both sides by dx.

dy = f (x)dx

Then integrate both sides:

Z Z
dy = f (x)dx

The antiderivative of dy is just y, so we get:

Z
y = f (x)dx,

as we did before.
Geometric Example: Suppose the tangent line to a curve at each point
(x, y) on the curve is twice as steep as the ray from the origin to that point.
Find a general equation for this curve. (See Fig. 1.)

(x,y)

Figure 1: The slope of the tangent line (red) is twice the slope of the ray from
the origin to the point (x, y).

This type of problem can be described very succinctly using differential equa-
dy
tions. The slope of the tangent line is dx . The slope of the ray from (0, 0) to

1
(x, y) is xy . Since the slope of that ray is twice the slope of that ray, we get the
differential equation:
dy y
=2 .
dx x
We only have one method for solving differential equations; use it.
dy y
= 2
dx x
dy 2dx
= (separate variables)
y x
Z Z
dy 2
= dx (integrate both sides)
y x
ln |y| = 2 ln |x| + c (antidifferentiate)
eln |y| = e2 ln |x|+c (apply an inverse function to isolate y)
ln |y| c 2 ln |x|
e = e e (exponentiate)
ln |y| c ln |x| 2
e = e (e )
|y| = c 2
e x (e2 ln |x| = x2 )

There is an absolute value in this solution. When y > 0 we get y = ec x2 . When

y < 0 we get y = −ec x2 . Based on prior experience we guess that the solution
will be y = ax2 , where a = ±ec or a = 0.
Because we divided by y in our calculations our solution doesn’t include the
case in which a = 0 and y = 0x2 . Graph the equation y = 0 and confirm that
at each point on the graph the slope of the tangent line is twice the slope of the
ray joining that point to the origin; this confirms that y = 0x2 is a solution.
We conclude that the general solution to the problem is:

y = ax2

where a could be positive, negative or zero. Some possible solutions include:

y = x2 (a = 1)
2
y = 2x (a = 2)
y = −x2 (a = −1)
2
y = 0x = 0 (a = 0)
2
y = −2y (a = −2)
y = 100x2 (a = 100)

Some representatives of this family of curves are shown in black in Fig. 2.

If we want to check our work, we can do so by taking the derivative:

y = ax2
dy
= 2ax
dx

2
 2 dy 2y
Since 2ax = 2ax x , we have dx = x . This works for a > 0, a < 0 and a = 0, so
this solution is valid for all those values of a.
dy
Warning: Notice that in the equation dx = 2y 2y
x , x is undefined at x = 0. As
you can see from Fig. 2, knowing the value of the function and its derivative at
x = 0 doesn’t tell us how the function will behave elsewhere. This is bad — for
one thing, it contradicts our understanding of linear approximation.
What goes wrong is that the rate of change is not specified when x = 0. If
you think carefully about what this function is doing, it could follow one branch
when x < 0 and a completely different branch when x > 0. That’s a very
subtle point; you won’t be asked to discuss this problem in your homework, but
you should be aware that when x is equal to zero there’s a problem for this
differential equation.

Example: Find the curves that are perpendicular to the parabolas we found
in the previous example.
We get a new differential equation from the one in the last example by using
1
the fact that if a line has slope m, a line perpendicular to it will have slope − m .
So:
dy
slope of curve =
dx
−1
= slope of parabola
−1
= 2y
x
dy −x
=
dx 2y

Separate variables:
2ydy = −xdx
Take the antiderivative:
Z Z
2ydy = −xdx

x2
y2 = − +c
2

So the general solution to this differential equation is:

x2
y2 + = c.
2
This describes
√ a family of ellipses. The y-semi-minor
√ axis of these ellipses has
length c and the x-semi-major axis has √ length 2c; the ratio of the x-semi-
major axis to the y-semi-minor axis is 2 (see Fig. 2).

3
 Figure 2: The curves perpendicular to the parabolas are ellipses.

Unlike last time, this solution only works when c > 0. For some problems
your constant parameter can be any real value; for some it can’t.
Separation of variables leads to implicit formulas for y, but in this case you
can solve for y. r
x2
y =± c−
2
Writing the solution in this form brings an important point to our attention —
the equation of an ellipse does not describe a function! The explicit solution
gives you functions that describe the top and bottom halves of the ellipses
The√ explicit solution also suggests that there’s a problem when y = 0 and
x = ± 2c. Here the ellipse
√ has a vertical tangent line; also the explicit solution
isn’t defined for |x| > 2c. This makes sense when we consider the fact that
dy −x
dx = 2y . When y = 0 the slope of the tangent line to the curve should be
infinite.