← 2015 Paper 1

UPSC 2015 Maths Optional Paper 1 Q7d — Step-by-Step Solution

13 marks · Section B

First-order higher-degree ODEs · ODEs · asked 5× in 14 yrs · Read the full method →

Question

Solve the differential equation x=py−p2x=py-p^2 where p=dydxp=\dfrac{dy}{dx}.

Technique

Lagrange/d’Alembert form; differentiate w.r.t. xx; use dy/dx=pdy/dx=p; recover a linear ODE in yy vs pp; integrating factor 1−p2\sqrt{1-p^2}; trig substitution p=sin⁡θp=\sin\theta for the residual integral.

Solution

Strategy. This is an equation of Lagrange/d’Alembert type, solvable for xx in terms of pp and yy. Differentiate w.r.t. xx to get a linear ODE in yy and pp, with pp as independent variable.

Step 1 — Differentiate x=py−p2x=py-p^2 w.r.t. xx

1=p′y+p⋅dydx−2p⋅p′=p′y+p2−2pp′.1=p'y+p\cdot\dfrac{dy}{dx}-2p\cdot p'=p'y+p^2-2p p'.

(Where p′=dp/dxp'=dp/dx.) Solve for 1−p21-p^2:

1−p2=p′(y−2p),1-p^2=p'(y-2p), dxdp=y−2p1−p2.(∗)\dfrac{dx}{dp}=\dfrac{y-2p}{1-p^2}.\qquad(*)

Wait — we have p′=dp/dxp'=dp/dx, so 1p′=dxdp\dfrac{1}{p'}=\dfrac{dx}{dp}. From 1−p2=p′(y−2p)1-p^2=p'(y-2p):

dxdp=y−2p1−p2.\dfrac{dx}{dp}=\dfrac{y-2p}{1-p^2}.

Hmm but yy depends on pp too. Let me redo to get a linear ODE.

From the original equation x=py−p2x=py-p^2, treat yy as the dependent variable and pp as independent:

y=x+p2p.y=\dfrac{x+p^2}{p}.

We have two relations: x=py−p2x=py-p^2 and 1−p2=(dp/dx)(y−2p)1-p^2=(dp/dx)(y-2p).

Alternative: derive dy/dpdy/dp from y=(x+p2)/py=(x+p^2)/p. Need dx/dpdx/dp as well.

From x=py−p2x=py-p^2, dx/dp=y+p⋅dy/dp−2pdx/dp=y+p\cdot dy/dp-2p.

And p=dy/dx⇒dy=p dx⇒dy/dp=p⋅dx/dpp=dy/dx\Rightarrow dy=p\,dx\Rightarrow dy/dp=p\cdot dx/dp.

Substitute: dx/dp=y+p⋅p⋅dx/dp−2p=y+p2(dx/dp)−2pdx/dp=y+p\cdot p\cdot dx/dp-2p=y+p^2(dx/dp)-2p.

dx/dp⋅(1−p2)=y−2pdx/dp\cdot(1-p^2)=y-2p,

dxdp=y−2p1−p2.(†)\dfrac{dx}{dp}=\dfrac{y-2p}{1-p^2}.\qquad(\dagger)

And dy/dp=p⋅dx/dp=p(y−2p)1−p2dy/dp=p\cdot dx/dp=\dfrac{p(y-2p)}{1-p^2}, i.e.

(1−p2)dydp=py−2p2,(1-p^2)\dfrac{dy}{dp}=py-2p^2, (1−p2)dydp−py=−2p2,(1-p^2)\dfrac{dy}{dp}-py=-2p^2, dydp−p1−p2y=−2p21−p2.(‡)\dfrac{dy}{dp}-\dfrac{p}{1-p^2}y=\dfrac{-2p^2}{1-p^2}.\qquad(\ddagger)

This is linear in yy with pp as independent variable.

Step 2 — Integrating factor for (‡)(\ddagger)

P(p)=−p1−p2P(p)=-\dfrac{p}{1-p^2}.

∫P dp=−∫p1−p2 dp=12ln⁡∣1−p2∣+const\int P\,dp=-\int\dfrac{p}{1-p^2}\,dp=\dfrac{1}{2}\ln|1-p^2|+\text{const}.

(Using d(1−p2)/dp=−2pd(1-p^2)/dp=-2p, so −p dp=12 d(1−p2)-p\,dp=\tfrac{1}{2}\,d(1-p^2), hence ∫−p/(1−p2) dp=12ln⁡∣1−p2∣\int -p/(1-p^2)\,dp=\tfrac{1}{2}\ln|1-p^2|.)

So IF =exp⁡(∫P dp)=∣1−p2∣1/2=1−p2=\exp(\int P\,dp)=|1-p^2|^{1/2}=\sqrt{1-p^2} (assume ∣p∣<1|p|<1 for principal branch).

Step 3 — Multiply (‡)(\ddagger) by IF

1−p2 dydp−p1−p2 y=−2p21−p2.\sqrt{1-p^2}\,\dfrac{dy}{dp}-\dfrac{p}{\sqrt{1-p^2}}\,y=\dfrac{-2p^2}{\sqrt{1-p^2}}.

LHS = ddp(y1−p2)\dfrac{d}{dp}\bigl(y\sqrt{1-p^2}\bigr) (standard linear ODE structure).

Step 4 — Integrate RHS

y1−p2=∫−2p21−p2 dp+C.y\sqrt{1-p^2}=\int\dfrac{-2p^2}{\sqrt{1-p^2}}\,dp+C.

Compute ∫p21−p2 dp\int\dfrac{p^2}{\sqrt{1-p^2}}\,dp via substitution p=sin⁡θp=\sin\theta, dp=cos⁡θ dθdp=\cos\theta\,d\theta:

∫sin⁡2θcos⁡θcos⁡θ dθ=∫sin⁡2θ dθ=θ−sin⁡θcos⁡θ2=sin⁡−1p−p1−p22\int\dfrac{\sin^2\theta}{\cos\theta}\cos\theta\,d\theta=\int\sin^2\theta\,d\theta=\dfrac{\theta-\sin\theta\cos\theta}{2}=\dfrac{\sin^{-1}p-p\sqrt{1-p^2}}{2}.

So ∫−2p21−p2 dp=−2⋅sin⁡−1p−p1−p22=−sin⁡−1p+p1−p2\int\dfrac{-2p^2}{\sqrt{1-p^2}}\,dp=-2\cdot\dfrac{\sin^{-1}p-p\sqrt{1-p^2}}{2}=-\sin^{-1}p+p\sqrt{1-p^2}.

Step 5 — Solution in parametric form

y1−p2=p1−p2−sin⁡−1p+C.y\sqrt{1-p^2}=p\sqrt{1-p^2}-\sin^{-1}p+C.

Divide by 1−p2\sqrt{1-p^2} (treating as parameter equation):

y=p−sin⁡−1p−C1−p2=p+C−sin⁡−1p1−p2.y=p-\dfrac{\sin^{-1}p-C}{\sqrt{1-p^2}}=p+\dfrac{C-\sin^{-1}p}{\sqrt{1-p^2}}.

And x=py−p2x=py-p^2 from the original equation.

Parametric solution:

Answer

  y=p+C−sin⁡−1p1−p2,x=py−p2,parameter p∈(−1,1).  \boxed{\;y=p+\dfrac{C-\sin^{-1}p}{\sqrt{1-p^2}},\qquad x=py-p^2,\qquad\text{parameter }p\in(-1,1).\;}
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