# Thread: Integration help, how do you do this?

1. ## Integration help, how do you do this?

Why does C3(t) = that?

2. So hard to read ><

Is it $\displaystyle C_3'(t) + 9C_3(t) = e^{-t}$?

If so, it's first order linear, so use the Integrating Factor method.

3. Originally Posted by Prove It

Is it $\displaystyle C_3'(t) + 9C_3(t) = e^{-t}$?

If so, it's first order linear, so use the Integrating Factor method.
Yes it is, whats the integrating factor method?

4. I find it hard to believe that you've been given a first order linear ODE without knowing what the Integrating Factor method is.

Do you at least know about Separation of Variables?

5. Originally Posted by Prove It
I find it hard to believe that you've been given a first order linear ODE without knowing what the Integrating Factor method is.

Do you at least know about Separation of Variables?
Yeah

6. Originally Posted by Prove It
I find it hard to believe that you've been given a first order linear ODE without knowing what the Integrating Factor method is.

Do you at least know about Separation of Variables?
I get $1/8Ae^-t$

7. OK, then read very carefully, for I will post this only once...

To understand the Integrating Factor method, you need to have a basic idea of the Product Rule, i.e. if $\displaystyle u,v$ are functions of $\displaystyle x$, then $\displaystyle \frac{d}{dx}[u\,v] = u\,\frac{dv}{dx} + v\,\frac{du}{dx}$.

Now examine a general first-order linear ODE:

$\displaystyle \frac{dy}{dx} + P(x)\,y = Q(x)$.

What we aim to do is to multiply both sides of the DE by some function of $\displaystyle x$, call it $\displaystyle I(x)$, so that the LHS is a Product-Rule expansion, which can then be written as a derivative, and therefore be integrated. BTW $\displaystyle I(x)$ is known as the Integrating Factor (hence the name of the method)

So multiplying both sides by $\displaystyle I(x)$ gives

$\displaystyle I(x)\,\frac{dy}{dx} + I(x)P(x)\,y = I(x)Q(x)$.

The LHS will be a Product Rule expansion if $\displaystyle I(x)P(x) = \frac{dI}{dx}$ (Can you see why?)

This is a separable ODE, so solving for $\displaystyle I$ we have

$\displaystyle P(x) = \frac{1}{I}\,\frac{dI}{dx}$

$\displaystyle \int{P(x)\,dx} = \int{\frac{1}{I}\,\frac{dI}{dx}\,dx}$

$\displaystyle \int{P(x)\,dx} = \int{\frac{1}{I}\,dI}$

$\displaystyle \int{P(x)\,dx} = \ln{I}$ (You can omit modulus signs and constants because any scalar multiple of the Integrating Factor will do)

$\displaystyle I = e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}$.

So, if we multiply both sides of a first-order linear ODE by $\displaystyle e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}$, we create a Product Rule expansion on the LHS which we can write as a single derivative and integrate both sides. Watch what happens...

$\displaystyle e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}\,\frac{dy}{dx} + e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}\,P(x)\,y = e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}\,Q(x)$

$\displaystyle \frac{d}{dx}(e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}\,y) = e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}\,Q(x)$

$\displaystyle e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}\,y = \int{e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}\,Q(x)\,dx}$

$\displaystyle y = e^{-\int{P(x)\,dx}}\int{e^{\int{P(x)\,dx}}\,Q(x)\,dx}$

which solves the ODE.

Looks complicated in theory, in practice, extremely easy. Look at your problem...

$\displaystyle \frac{dC}{dt} + 9C = e^{-t}$.

Here your $\displaystyle P(x) = 9$, so the Integrating Factor is $\displaystyle e^{\int{9\,dt}} = e^{9t}$.

Multiplying both sides by the Integrating Factor gives

$\displaystyle e^{9t}\,\frac{dC}{dt} + 9e^{9t}C = e^{8t}$

$\displaystyle \frac{d}{dt}(e^{9t}C) = e^{8t}$

$\displaystyle e^{9t}C = \int{e^{8t}\,dt}$

$\displaystyle e^{9t}C = \frac{1}{8}e^{8t} + c$ where $\displaystyle c$ is the Integration Constant

$\displaystyle C = \frac{1}{8}e^{-t} + ce^{-9t}$.

8. Originally Posted by Prove It
Looks complicated in theory, in practice, extremely easy. Look at your problem...

$\displaystyle \frac{dC}{dt} + 9C = e^{-t}$.

Here your $\displaystyle P(x) = 9$, so the Integrating Factor is $\displaystyle e^{\int{9\,dt}} = e^{9t}$.

Multiplying both sides by the Integrating Factor gives

$\displaystyle e^{9t}\,\frac{dC}{dt} + 9e^{9t}C = e^{8t}$

$\displaystyle \frac{d}{dt}(e^{9t}C) = e^{8t}$

$\displaystyle e^{9t}C = \int{e^{8t}\,dt}$

$\displaystyle e^{9t}C = \frac{1}{8}e^{8t} + c$ where $\displaystyle c$ is the Integration Constant

$\displaystyle C = \frac{1}{8}e^{-t} + ce^{-9t}$.
Thanks i understand how you have got this and have done this for myself. But how does this equal $Ae^{-t}$

9. It doesn't. You must have misunderstood the question. $Ae^{-t}$ is a solution to that equation only for $A= 1/8$. Since you have NOT taken a course in differential equations, I suspect you were NOT intended to actually solve that equation. I suspect that the problem was really "Find a value of A such that $C_3(t)= Ae^{-t}$ satisfies the equaton $C_3'(t)+ 9C_3(t)= e^{-t}$".

And you can do that just by differentiating the given function and plugging into the equation: if $C_3(t)= Ae^{-t}$ then $C_3'(t)= -Ae^{-t}$ so the equation becomes $-Ae^{-t}+ 9Ae^{-t}= e^{-t}$. That is the same as $8Ae^{-t}= e^{-t}$ and since an exponential is never negative, we can divide both sides of the equation by $e^{-t}$ to get $8A= 1$ or $A= \frac{1}{8}$.