Sample Solutions of Assignment 1 for MAT200-03:

dy
1. Write down a differential equation of the form dt
= ay + b whose
solutions have the following required behavior as t → +∞.
(a). All solutions approach y = 3.
(b). All other solutions diverge from y = 3.
Answer: The original ODE can be rewritten as
dy
− ay = b (1)
dt
Multiply e−at on the both sides of (1), we have

e−at ( dy
dt
− ay) = e−at b
⇒ (e−at y)0 = e−at b
⇒ e−at y − y0 = − ab (e−at − 1)
⇒ y = y0 eat + ab (eat − 1)

(a). If y → 3 as t → ∞, a must be less than 0 and

b
= −3
a
For instance, a = −1 and b = 3 is a good choice, i.e. all solutions of
ODE y 0 = −y + 3 satisfies (a).
(b). If y diverge from 3 as t → ∞, that is, y → 3 as t → −∞, a
must great than 0 and b = −3a. e.g. all solutions of y 0 = y − 3 satisfies
(b).

2. A spherical raindrop evaporates at a rate proportional to its surface

area. Write a differential equation for the radius of the the raindrop as
a function of time t.
Answer: Suppose R(t) is the radius of the raindrop and the evapo-
ration ratio is γ, that is, γS(t)dt is the volume of evaporated rain in
time interval [t, t + dt]. Here S(t) = 4πR(t)2 is the current surface area
1
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of raindrop. Note that the volume of evaporated rain also equals to

− 43 π(R(t + dt)3 − R(t)3 ), we have
4
− π(R(t + dt)3 − R(t)3 ) = γS(t)dt = 4γπR(t)2 dt
3
hence, the differential equation for the radius of the the raindrop is
dR(t)
+ γR(t) = 0
dt

3. Solve the following initial value problem

dy
(a). dt
= y − 5, y(0) = y0 .
dy
(b). dt
= 2y − 10, y(0) = y0 .
Answer: (a). Multiply e−t on both sides of the equation, we have
dy
e−t ( dx − y) = −5e−t
⇒ d
dt
(e−t y) = −5e−t
⇒ e−t y − y0 = 5e−t − 5
⇒ y = 5 + (y0 − 5)et

(b). Multiply e−2t on both sides of the equation, we have

dy
e−2t ( dx − 2y) = −10e−2t
⇒ d
dt
(e−2t y) = −10e−2t
⇒ e−2t y − y0 = 5e−2t − 5
⇒ y = 5 + (y0 − 5)e2t

4. Determine the order of the given ODE and state whether the equa-
tion is linear or nonlinear
3
(a). ddt3y + t2 dy
dt
+ (cos2 t)y = t4 − t2
2 d4 y
(b). ddt2y + sin(t + dt4
) = cos t
Answer: (a) is a 3rd order linear ODE.
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(b) is a 4th order nonlinear ODE.

5. Determine for what values of r each of the following linear differential

equations has solutions of the form y = erx .
00 0 000 00 0
(a). y + y − 6y = 0 (b) y − 3y + 2y = 0
Answer: (a). Substitute y = erx into the equation, we have

erx (r2 + r − 6) = 0
⇒ (r − 2)(r + 3) = 0
⇒ r = 2 or r = −3

hence, y = e2x and y = e−3x satisfies the given ODE.

(b). Substitute y = erx into the equation, we have

erx (r3 − 3r2 + 2r) = 0

⇒ r(r − 1)(r − 2) = 0
⇒ r = 0 or r = 1 or r = 2

hence, y = e0x = 1, y = ex and y = e2x satisfies the given ODE.

6. Determine for what values of r each of the following linear differential

equations has solutions of the form y = tr for t > 0.
00 0 000 0
(a). t2 y + 4ty + 2y = 0 (b) t3 y − ty + 2y = 0
Answer: (a). Substitute y = tr into the equation, we have

tr {r(r − 1) + 4r + 2} = 0, t > 0
⇒ (r + 1)(r + 2) = 0
⇒ r = −1 or r = −2

hence, y = t−1 and y = t−2 satisfies the given ODE.

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(b). Substitute y = tr into the equation, we have

tr {r(r − 1)(r − 2) − r + 2} = 0, t > 0

⇒ (r2 − r − 1)(r − 2) = 0
√
1 5
⇒ r= 2
± 2
or r = 2

√
hence, y = t(1± 5)/2
and y = t2 satisfies the given ODE.

0
7. Solve ty + 2y = t2 − t + 1, y(1) = 21 , t > 0
Answer: Multiply t on both sides of the equation, we have

t2 y 0 + 2ty = t3 − t2 + t
⇒ (t2 y)0 = t3 − t2 + t
⇒ t2 y − y(1) = 41 (t4 − 1) − 13 (t3 − 1) + 12 (t2 − 1)
t2
⇒ y= 4
− 3t + 1
12t2
+ 1
2

0 2
8. Solve y + 2ty = 2te−t , y(−1) = 5
2
Answer: Multiply et on both sides of the equation, we have

2 2
et y 0 + 2tet y = 2t
2
⇒ (et y)0 = 2t
2
⇒ et y − ey(−1) = t2 − 1
2
⇒ y = e−t (t2 − 1 + 5e)

0 cos t
9. Solve ty + 2y = t
, y(π) = 21 , t > 0.
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Answer: Multiply t on both sides of the equation, we have

t2 y 0 + 2ty = cos t
⇒ (t2 y)0 = cos t
⇒ t2 y − π 2 y(π) = sin t
⇒ y = (sin t + 21 π 2 )t−2

10. Prove that y(t) → 0 as t → ∞ if y solves

0
y + ay = be−λt

where a > 0, λ > 0 and b are constants.

Answer: Multiply eat on both sides of the equation, we have

eat y 0 + aeat y = be(a−λ)t

⇒ (eat y)0 = be(a−λ)t

case I: If a = λ, we have

(eat y)0 = 0
⇒ eat y = y0
⇒ y = y0 e−at

Then y(t) → 0 as t → ∞ since a > 0.

case II If a 6= λ, we get

(eat y)0 = be(a−λ)t

b
⇒ eat y = y0 + (a−λ)
(e(a−λ)t − 1)
⇒ y = y0 e−at + b
(a−λ)
(e(a−λ)t − 1)e−at

we also has y(t) → 0 as t → ∞ since a > 0 and λ.

0
11. Solve ty + y = ty 2 log t, y(1) = 1
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Answer: The original ODE can be rewritten as

log t
(ty)0 = (ty)2
t
Let z = ty
log t
then z 0 = z 2
t
z0 log t
=
z2 t
dz log t
= dt
z2 t
−1 1
= (log t)2 + c
z 2
−1
finally y = 1
ct + 2 (log t)2
−1
Using the initial condition, we get c = −1 and y = t+ 12 (log t)2

12. Solve the following separable equations

0 0 x2 0 1
(a). y + y 2 sin x = 0 (b). y = 1+y 2
(c). xy = (1 − y 2 ) 2
Answer: (a). The original equation can be rewritten as

dy
y2
= − sin xdx
⇒ − y1 = − cos x − C
1
⇒ y= cos x+C

(b). The original equation can be rewritten as

(1 + y 2 )dy = x2 dx
⇒ y + 13 y 3 = 13 x3 + C
⇒ y 3 + 3y + x3 + C = 0

(c). Let y = sin v then

dy dv
= cos v .
dx dx
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The original equation can be rewritten as

1
dv = dx
x

Integrating above, we get v = log x + c. Hence, the solutions of the

original equation are given by

y = sin (log x + c).

13. Find the solutions to the IVP and determine the Interval of Exis-
tence
0 2x 0 2x
(a) y = 1+2y
, y(2) = 0. (b) y = y+x2 y
, y(1) = −2
(c). sin(2x)dx + cos(3y)dy = 0, y( π2 ) = π3 .
0 1+3x2
(d). y = 3y 2 −6y
, y(0) = 1.
0 3x 2
(e). y = 3y 2 −4
, y(1) = 0
Answer: (a). By separation variable method, we have

(1 + 2y)dy = 2x
⇒ y + y 2 − y(2) − y(2)2 = x2 − 4
⇒ y 2 + y = x2 − 4
√
⇒ y = 12 (−1 ± 4x2 − 15)

√
Since y(2) = 0, y = 12 (−1 + 4x2 − 15) and the existence interval is
√
15
( 2
, +∞).
(b). By separate variable method, we have

2xdx
ydy = 1+x2
1 2
⇒ 2
(y − 4) = ln(1 + x2 ) − ln 2
q
2
⇒ y = ± 2 ln 1+x
2
+4
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2
2 ln 1+x
2
+4>0
2
⇔ ln 1+x
2
> −2
1+x2
⇔ 2
> e−2
q
2
Since y(1) = −2, y = 2 ln 1+x
2
+ 4 and the existence interval is
(−∞, ∞).
(c). By separate variable method, we have

− sin 2xdx = cos 3ydy

1
⇒ 2
(cos 2x + 1) = 13 sin 3y
⇒ sin 3y = 23 (cos 2x + 1)

Since y( π2 ) = π3 , y = 13 (π − arcsin( 23 (cos 2x + 1))), Further more,

−1 ≤ 32 (cos 2x + 1)) ≤ 1
⇔ −1 ≤ cos 2x ≤ − 31
1
⇔ 2
arccos(− 13 ) ≤ x ≤ π − 21 arccos(− 13 )

then the existence interval is [ 12 arccos(− 31 ), π − 12 arccos(− 31 )]

(d). By separate variable method, we have

(3y 2 − 6y)dy = (1 + 3x2 )dx

⇒ y 3 − 3y 2 = x3 + x − 2

Since 3y(0)2 − 6y(0) = 3 − 6 = −3 < 0, 3y 2 − 6y < 0 must be true in

the existence interval. that is, 0 < y < 2. Then

−4 < y 3 − 3y 2 < 0
⇒ −4 < x3 + x − 2 < 0
⇒ −1 < x < 1

Hence, the interval of existence is (−1, 1).

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(e). By separate variable method, we have

(3y 2 − 4)dy = 3x2 dx

⇒ y 3 − 4y = x3 − 1

Since 3y(1)2 − 4 = 0 − 4 < 0, 3y 2 − 4 < 0 must be true in the existence

√ √
interval. that is, − 2 3 3 < y < 2 3
3
. Then
√ √
− 169 3 < y 3 − 4y <16 3
9
√ √
⇒ − 169 3 < x3 − 1 < 169 3
√ √
⇒ 1 − 169 3 < x3 < 1 + 169 3
√ 1 √
16 3 13
Hence, the interval of existence is ((1 − 169 3 ) 3 , (1 + 9
) ).

14. Solve the following homogeneous equation

dy ax + by
=
dx cx + dy
where a, b, c, d are constants.
Answer: Let w = xy , that is y = xw, we have
a + bw
y 0 = xw0 + w =
c + dw
hence
c + dw 1
2
w0 =
a + (b − c)w − dw x
this is separable equation and can be solved, we omit the details here.
The solution is
(b + c) −b + c + 2 xd y
√ arctan( √ 2 )
−b2 + 2 b c − c2 − 4 a d −b + 2 b c − c2 − 4 a d
1
+ log(−a x2 + (−b + c) x y + d y 2 ) + C
2

15. Use the idea of Problem 14 to solve the following

dy x2 − 3y 2
=
dx 2xy
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Answer: Let w = xy , that is y = xw, we have

xw0 + w = 1
2w
− 3w
2

⇒ xw0 = 1
2w
= 5w
2
2wdw dx
⇒ 1−5w2
= x

⇒ ln(1 − 5w2 ) = −5 ln x + C
1−Cx−5
⇒ w2 = 5

hence s
1 − Cx−5
w=±
s
5
x2 C
y = xw = ± − 3
5 x