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Worked Examples · Example 3

Q.Form the differential equation representing the family of curves y=Ax2y=Ax^2, where AA is an arbitrary constant.

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✓ Free question

Differentiating once (one constant needs one differentiation)

y=Ax2  ⟹  dydx=2Axy=Ax^2 \implies \frac{dy}{dx}=2Ax

Eliminating AA

From the derivative equation, A=12xdydxA=\dfrac{1}{2x}\dfrac{dy}{dx}. Substituting into the original equation:

y=(12xdydx)x2=x2dydxy=\left(\frac{1}{2x}\frac{dy}{dx}\right)x^2=\frac{x}{2}\frac{dy}{dx}

  ⟹  2y=xdydx  ⟹  xdydx−2y=0\implies 2y=x\frac{dy}{dx} \implies x\frac{dy}{dx}-2y=0

Check (independent recomputation, verifying directly from y=Ax2y=Ax^2): dydx=2Ax\frac{dy}{dx}=2Ax, and 2yx=2Ax2x=2Ax\frac{2y}{x}=\frac{2Ax^2}{x}=2Ax — these are identical, so dydx=2yx\frac{dy}{dx}=\frac{2y}{x}, i.e. xdydx−2y=0x\frac{dy}{dx}-2y=0, exactly matching.

✓Final answer

xdydx−2y=0x\dfrac{dy}{dx}-2y=0

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