Order of Differential Equations

From Department of Mathematics at UTSA
Revision as of 18:57, 17 September 2021 by Lila (talk | contribs) (→‎Resources)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Introduction

The order of a differential equation is determined by the highest-order derivative. The higher the order of the differential equation, the more arbitrary constants need to be added to the general solution. A first-order equation will have one, a second-order two, and so on. The degree of a differential equation, similarly, is determined by the highest exponent on any variables involved.

Examples:

  • is second order (or "of order 2").
  • is first order.
  • is of order 3.

Resources