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Lecture Notes in Differential Equations - Bruce E. Shapiro

Lecture Notes in Differential Equations - Bruce E. Shapiro

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Lesson 17<br />

Some Special<br />

Substitutions<br />

<strong>Equations</strong> with no y dependence.<br />

If c = 0 <strong>in</strong> L then the differential equation<br />

simplifies to<br />

Ly = f(t) (17.1)<br />

ay ′′ + by ′ = f(t) (17.2)<br />

In this case it is possible to solve the equation by mak<strong>in</strong>g the change of<br />

variables z = y ′ , which reduces the ODE to a first order l<strong>in</strong>ear equation<br />

<strong>in</strong> z. This works even when a or b have t dependence. This method is<br />

illustrated <strong>in</strong> the follow<strong>in</strong>g example.<br />

Example 17.1. F<strong>in</strong>d the general solution of the homogeneous l<strong>in</strong>ear equation<br />

y ′′ + 6y ′ = 0 (17.3)<br />

Mak<strong>in</strong>g the substitution z = y ′ <strong>in</strong> (17.3) gives us<br />

z ′ + 6z = 0 (17.4)<br />

Separat<strong>in</strong>g variables and <strong>in</strong>tegrat<strong>in</strong>g gives<br />

∫ ∫ dz<br />

z = − 6dt =⇒ z = Ce −6t (17.5)<br />

143

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