Integrating Factors

by Inspection & Formula

This section will use the following four
exact differentials that occurs frequently :

d ( xy )  xdy  ydx

 x  ydx  xdy
d   
 y  y2

 y  xdy  ydx
d   
 x  x2

 y  xdy  ydx
d  arctan  
 x  x 2
 y 2
  y  xdy  ydx du
d  arctan   2 From d (arctan u ) 
 x x  y2 1 u2
y xdy  ydx
where : u  du 
x x2

xdy  ydx xdy  ydx xdy  ydx

x 2 2 2 xdy  ydx x2
  x  2 x   2
2
x  y2
2
 y
1  
y2 x  y2 x
1 2
x x x2

 y xdy  ydx
d  arctan   Answer
 x x2  y 2
Process :

1. Regroup terms of like degree to form

equations from those exact differentials
given.
2. Substitute the terms with their
corresponding equivalent of exact
differentials.
3. Integrate.
4. Simplify further.
Examples :
1. y (2 xy  1) dx  xdy  0
2 xy 2 dx  ydx  xdy  0
Group terms of like degree
2 xy dx  ( ydx  xdy )  0
2
Divide by y2
2 xy 2 dx  ( ydx  xdy )  0
y2
ydx  xdy
2 xdx  0
y2
 ydx  xdy
....2 xdx  0
y2
x From d  x   ydx  xdy
2 xdx  d    0  
 y
2
y
  y

Integrate each term

x
2  xdx   d    0 By power formula
 y
 x2  x
2    c
 2 y
  x2  x Multiply each terms by y to
......2     c
 2 y eliminate fractions

 2 x 
 x  y  c y
 
x y  x  cy
2

x( xy  1)  cy Answer
2. y ( x 3  y )dx  x( x 3  y )dy  0
x ydx  y dx  x dy  xydy  0
3 2 4

Group terms of like degree

( x ydx  x dy )  ( y dx  xydy )  0
3 4 2

Form one of the 4 exact differentials given

by factoring common factors on each term
x ( ydx  xdy )  y ( ydx  xdy )  0
3
......x 3 ( ydx  xdy )  y ( ydx  xdy )  0
Divide each term by y2 to form an exact differential

x ( ydx  xdy )  y ( ydx  xdy )  0

3

2
y
From :
 x  d ( xy ) x ydx  xdy
x d 
3
0 d 
 y y y
  y 2

d ( xy )  xdy  ydx
  x  d ( xy )
Since we can’t integrate x d   
3
 0 directly
 y y
Assume an integrating factor is xkyn.
 3  x  d  xy   k n
x d     0 x y Distribute to each term
  y y 
 3  x   k n  d  xy   k n
 x d   x y   x y 0
  y   y 
x 3 k  x  k n 1
n
d    x y d ( xy )  0
y  y
 x 3 k  x  k n 1
n
d    x y d ( xy )  0
y  y
Solve for k and n.
x x  3 k
@d  
y  n
Equate : 3  k  n 1
 y

@ d  xy  xk
y  n 1
Equate : k  n 1 2

Substitute 2 in 1 . Substitute n in 1 .
3  (n  1)   n 3  k  (1)
2n  2 k  1 3
n  1 k  2
 x 3 k  x  k n 1
Thus; Substitute (n = -1 & k = -2) to n
d    x y d ( xy )  0
y  y
x 3 ( 2)  x  2 11
 ( 1)
d    x y d ( xy )  0
y  y
x  x  d ( xy )
d  2 2  0
y  y x y
x  x  d ( xy )
d   0 Integrate each term
y  y   xy  2

x x d ( xy )
 d 
y  y ( xy ) 2
0 By power formula
 x x d ( xy )
...... d     2
0
y  y ( xy )

2
 x
 y
    c 0
1
xy
Multiply by 2
2 1

 1  x 2 1 c  c
      0 2 where : c 
2  y 
 xy 2 

2
2
x 2
2
 c 0 Answer
y xy
3. y ( x 2  y 2  1)dx  x( x 2  y 2  1)dy  0
y ( x  y )dx  x( x  y )dy  xdy  ydx  0
2 2 2 2

Divide by (x2+y2)

y ( x  y )dx x ( x  y )dy xdy  ydx

2 2 2 2
  2 0
(x  y )
2 2
(x  y )
2 2
(x  y )
2

xdy  ydx
( ydx  xdy )  2 0
x y 2
 xdy  ydx
......( ydx  xdy )  2 0
x y 2

 y from
d ( xy )  d  arctan  d ( xy )  ydx  xdy
 x
 y  xdy  ydx
d  arctan  
 x x2  y2
Integrate each term
 y
 d ( xy )   d  arctan x 
 y
xy  arctan    c Answer
x
4.xy ( y 2  1) dx  ( x 2 y 2  2)dy  0 x=1,y=1
xy dx  xydx  x y dy  2dy  0
3 2 2

Group terms of like degree

( xy dx  x y dy )  xydx  2dy  0
3 2 2

Form one of the 4 exact differentials given by

factoring common factor on the grouped term
xy ( ydx  xdy )  xydx  2dy  0
2
......xy ( ydx  xdy )  xydx  2dy  0
2

Divide by y to integrate each term

xy 2 ( ydx  xdy ) xydx 2dy
  0
y y y
dy
xyd ( xy )  xd ( x)  2  0 from  d ( xy )  ydx  xdy
y
Integrate each term
dy
 xyd ( xy)   xd ( x)  2 y  0 By power formula
 dy
...... xyd ( xy )   xd ( x)  2  0
y
   x  2 ln y  c Multiply by 2 to
2
xy 2
  eliminate fractions
2 2
  xy  2 x 2 
   2  ln y   c  2
 2 2 
( xy ) 2  x 2  4(ln y )  2c where 2c = c
x y  x  4(ln y )  c
2 2 2

x ( y  1)  4(ln y )  c general solution

2 2
x ( y  1)  4(ln y )  c
2 2
When x=1 , y=1

Solve for c :
(1  1 )  1  4(ln1)  c
2 2 2

20  c
c2
Substitute c in the general solution
x ( y  1)  4(ln y )  2
2 2

x ( y  1)  2  4(ln y ) particular solution

2 2
5.x( x 2  y 2  x)dx  y ( x 2  y 2 )dy  0 x=2,y=0
x 3dx  xy 2 dx  x 2 dx  x 2 ydy  y 3dy  0
Group terms of like degree
 xy 2 dx  x 2 ydy  x 3dx  y 3dy  x 2dx  0 Multiply by -1

xy 2 dx  x 2 ydy  x 3dx  y 3dy  x 2dx  0

 xy 2
dx  x 2
ydy   x 3
dx  x 2
dx  y 3
dy  0
......  xy 2 dx  x 2 ydy   x 3dx  x 2 dx  y 3dy  0
Form one of the 4 exact differentials given by
factoring common factor on the grouped term(s)
xy  ydx  xdy   x 3dx  x 2 dx  y 3dy  0
xyd ( xy )  x 3dx  x 2 dx  y 3dy  0 from  d ( xy )  ydx  xdy
Integrate each term

       dy  0 By power formula
3 2 3
xyd ( xy ) x dx x dx y

( xy ) 2 x 4 x 3 y 4
   c
2 4 3 4
 ( xy ) 2 x 4 x 3 y 4
......    c
2 4 3 4
Multiply by their LCD = 12 to eliminate the fractions
 ( xy ) 2 x 4 x 3 y 4 
 2  4  3  4  c  12
 
6( xy ) 2  3 x 4  4 x 3  3 y 4  12c where 12c = c
6( xy ) 2  3 x 4  4 x 3  3 y 4  c general solution
6( xy )  3 x  4 x  3 y  c
2 4 3 4
When x = 2 , y = 0

Solve for c :
6(2  0) 2  3(2) 4  4(2)3  3(0) 4  c
48  32  c
c  16
Substitute c in the general solution
6( xy ) 2  3 x 4  4 x 3  3 y 4  16
6 x y  3 x  3 y  4 x  16
2 2 4 4 3

3(2 x y  x  y )  4( x  4) particular solution

2 2 4 4 3