Q.(v) General solution of the differential equation of the type is given by ______.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The general solution of a first-order linear differential equation in is found using an integrating factor. The solution is , where the integrating factor .
This question tests a standard result from differential equations. The key is recognising the form: when the derivative is (rather than ), the independent variable becomes , and the dependent variable is .
The equation is a first-order linear differential equation in . Here, and are functions of alone (or constants). The method of solution is identical in spirit to the more familiar form — we just swap the roles of and .
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The core idea: We multiply the entire equation by a specially chosen function called the integrating factor (I.F.). This factor makes the left-hand side a perfect derivative (of a product), which we can then integrate directly.
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Finding the integrating factor: For the standard form , the integrating factor is:
Why? Because if we multiply the equation by , the left side becomes the derivative of with respect to . Let's verify:
This matches the left-hand side of the original equation after multiplication.
- Applying the method: Multiply the given equation by the integrating factor:
The left side simplifies as shown above:
- Integrating both sides with respect to : …
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