By Philip J. Pritchard, Ph.D
This worksheet will:
- Find the solution to a linear equation of first order in the canonical form using the integrating factor method
- Apply to symbolic mathematics, etc.
- Perform using symbolics, ordinary differential equation (ODE), linear equation, integrating factor method, etc.
This worksheet illustrates PTC Mathcad's ability to symbolically solve an ordinary differential equation. In this example, from mathematics, the worksheet shows you how to find the solution to a linear equation of first order in the canonical (standard) form using the integrating factor method. Note that all equations have been formatted to display the regular equals sign even though, for example, they may actually be equalities (bold-equals). This may be changed by selecting “Worksheet Options” in the “Tool” menu.
To begin, the worksheet shows the standard form of a linear first order equation. After that, it provides you with an example for how to solve the initial value problem. It shows you how to obtain the integrating factor and then find the solution.
All notation, formulas, data, computations, and solutions are included in this worksheet to aid you in your own calculations.
Download and explore this worksheet yourself! You can download a free lifetime copy of PTC Mathcad Express and get 30 days of full functionality.
