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A differential equation is a type of equation that involves a relationship between one or more unknown functions and their derivatives.
- Derivatives refer to the rate at which the function varies with respect to its independent variables.
- Functions is a branch of mathematics that specifies relationships between physical quantities.
- Differential equations are used to study different sets of solutions and the properties of their solutions.
- It specifies the rate of change of the dependent variable with respect to the independent variable (variables).
- Ordinary derivatives and partial derivatives are two types of derivatives used in the differential equation.
- The concept is used in the fields of economics, engineering, physics and biology.
- It can be represented as:
dy/dx = f(x)
According to the CBSE Syllabus 2023-24, the chapter on Differential Equations comes under Unit 3 of Calculus. Unit Calculus holds a weightage of around 35 marks in the NCERT Class 12 Mathematics examination.
Read More:
| Differential Equation Preparation Resources | |
|---|---|
| Differential Equation | NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Mathematics Chapter 9: Differential Equations |
| Differential Equations Applications | Differential Equations Formula |
Order of Differential Equation
- The order of the differential equation refers to the highest order of the derivative of the equation.
- It is a positive integer that depends on the derivative of an equation.
- First order differential equations are linear equations that are expressed in the first order.
- The second order differential equation includes second-order derivative equations.
Example of Order of Differential EquationExample: dy/dx = x + 9 , The order is 1. |

Order of Differential Equations
Degree of Differential Equation
- The degree of a differential equation refers to the power of the highest-order derivative when the equation is represented in polynomial form.
- It is expressed in the form y’,y’’,y’’.
Example of Degree of Differential EquationExample: dy/dx + 7 = 0, Its degree is 1. |

Degree of Differential Equations
General and Particular Solutions of a Differential Equation
- The general solutions of a differential equation include arbitrary constants (in the case of an ODE) or arbitrary functions (in the case of a PDE.)
- ODE stands for ordinary differential equations, and PDE stands for partial differential equations.
- In a general solution, the number of arbitrary constants is the same as the order of a given differential equation.
- Particular solutions of a differential equation are obtained from a general solution when arbitrary constants are converted into required values.
- Depending on the values of arbitrary constants, there are numerous particular solutions of a differential equation.

General and Particular Solutions of a Differential Equation
Solution of Differential Equations by Method of Separation of Variables
- The solution of a differential equation, which is also known as primitivity, expresses the relationship between the variables and independent of derivatives.
- In this process, the x-terms and y-terms of differential equations are separated into different sides, which also include the delta terms.
- The separated variable is then integrated to derive the solution of the differential equation.
- It is expressed in the form:
f(x)d(x) + g(y)d(y) = 0

Separation of Variables
Solutions of Homogeneous Differential Equations
- Homogeneous differential equations are a type of differential equation where the degree of f(x,y) and g(x, y) is the same.
- It can be written in the form kn F(x,y) where k≠0.
- It has multiplicative scaling behaviour, which means when all arguments are multiplied by a factor, the function value is also multiplied by the power of the factor.
Steps to solve Homogeneous Differential Equations
- To solve these equations, first substitute the value of y in the given differential equation.
- Next, differentiate the equation followed by the separation of variables.
- Lastly, integrate both sides of the equation.

Homogeneous Equation
Linear Differential Equations
- A linear differential equation represents a differential equation which consists of a variable, a derivative of this variable, and a few other functions.
- It is also known as Linear Partial Differential Equation in case the function is dependent on variables and derivatives are partial.
- These equations form linear polynomial equations.
- The equation of the form dy/dx + Py = Q is called a first-order linear differential equation where P and Q are constants.
How to Solve First Order Linear Differential Equation
- First, organize the terms in the form of dy/dx + Py = Q.
- Obtain the integrating factor by integrating P with respect to x and raise the power of x.
- Multiplying both sides of the differential equation with an integrating factor.
- The left-hand side of the equation is the derivative of y × M (x).
- Lastly, integrate both sides of the equation with respect to x and obtain the constant value.

Linear Differential Equations
There are Some important List Of Top Mathematics Questions On Differential Equations Asked In CBSE CLASS XII



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