Finding Solutions to a Non-Homogeneous DE

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In summary, the conversation discusses finding the general and singular solutions of a given differential equation. The equation is suspected to be a Clairaut's equation, but the attempt to reduce it to that form is not successful. The conversation then moves on to considering other methods, such as using the standard approach to solving Clairaut's equation. Eventually, the solution is found to be y(x)=\frac{-c^2}{8}x+c^2, with a condition on the constant c. It is noted that only one constant should be left at the end to be determined by initial conditions, while the other one is adjusted to satisfy the differential equation.
  • #1
fluidistic
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Homework Statement


Find the general and singular solutions of the following DE:
[itex]x^2 (y')^2-2(xy-4)y'+y^2=0[/itex].


Homework Equations


Not sure. A friend of mine told me it's a Clairaut's equation but I couldn't even reduce the given one into a Clairaut's equation.
[itex]y(x)=xy'+f(y')[/itex]


The Attempt at a Solution


Literally stuck on starting. I checked out for the homogeneity of the DE but it's not. Maybe Bernoulli can come into action... but I'm not sure.
Any tip is greatly appreciated, as usual.
 
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  • #2
i aint no wizz kid... and I've never seen clairauts before... but...

take sq root of both sides and rearrange for your general form?
 
  • #3
ProPatto16 said:
i aint no wizz kid... and I've never seen clairauts before... but...

take sq root of both sides and rearrange for your general form?

I thought about that but there's an "y" term in front of the y' term, so I can't isolate y(x) if I simply take the square root.
 
  • #4
cant isolate it completely but could it just be an implicit solution? where f is a function of x and y?
like i said i don't know about clairauts method so ill stop spamming you thread haha
 
  • #5
No this isn't an implicit solution I think. I'd get y in function of y, y', y'' and x which isn't a success. :)
I'll wait for further help.
 
  • #6
(xy'-y)2 is pretty close to the LHS. Does that help?
 
  • #7
vela said:
(xy'-y)2 is pretty close to the LHS. Does that help?

Ahahaha, I just did this on my draft. The DE reduces to [itex](xy'-y)^2+8y'[/itex].
I'll think on how to continue.
 
  • #8
The farest expression I reach is [itex]y=xy' \mp 2 \sqrt 2 (-y')^{1/2}[/itex]. I would have thought to factorize by y' and then separate variables but the y's don't have the same exponent number so this doesn't seem to work.
I'm once again stuck.
 
  • #9
Now you want to use the standard approach to solving Clairaut's equation. Is that what you tried?
 
  • #10
vela said:
Now you want to use the standard approach to solving Clairaut's equation. Is that what you tried?
No, I "forgot" about Clairaut's equation, I thought my friend made a mistake.
So thank you for pointing this out.
I reach [itex]y(x)=c_1x+c_2[/itex]. To verify if this work, I plugged it into the original DE and I got a condition on the constant for the DE to be satisfied. Namely [itex]c_1[/itex] must be equal to [itex]-\frac{c_2 ^2}{8}[/itex].
So the final solution can be written on the form [itex]y(x)=\frac{-c^2}{8}x+c^2[/itex].
Is it possible that I get such a condition for the constants without having been given initial conditions? (I think yes and that the initial conditions will determine c, but I am not 100% sure)
 
  • #11
It's a first-order equation so you only want one constant left at the end to be determined by the initial condition. The other one should be adjusted to satisfy the particular differential equation, just like you found.
 
  • #12
Okay, thank you vela. :smile:
 

FAQ: Finding Solutions to a Non-Homogeneous DE

What is a non-homogeneous differential equation (DE)?

A non-homogeneous differential equation is a type of differential equation where the dependent variable and its derivatives are not equal to zero. In other words, it involves a mix of terms with and without the dependent variable.

How do you solve a non-homogeneous DE?

There are several methods for solving non-homogeneous differential equations, including the method of undetermined coefficients, the variation of parameters method, and the Laplace transform method. The appropriate method to use depends on the form of the non-homogeneous DE.

What is the method of undetermined coefficients?

The method of undetermined coefficients is a technique used to solve non-homogeneous differential equations with constant coefficients. It involves finding a particular solution based on the form of the non-homogeneous term and combining it with the general solution of the corresponding homogeneous equation.

How does the variation of parameters method work?

The variation of parameters method is a technique used to solve non-homogeneous differential equations with variable coefficients. It involves finding a particular solution by assuming a solution of the form of the general solution of the corresponding homogeneous equation and then solving for the unknown coefficients.

When should the Laplace transform method be used to solve a non-homogeneous DE?

The Laplace transform method is useful for solving non-homogeneous differential equations with variable coefficients and variable initial conditions. It involves transforming the DE into an algebraic equation, which can then be solved for the unknown function by using inverse Laplace transform techniques.

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