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Mathematics & Science Learning Center
Computer Laboratory

 

Solving Differential Equations
with Mathematica's Solver

2x ex2 dx = sin2y cosy dy

(continued from last page...)

Your efforts at using DSolve should have looked a little like this:

DSolve[2x E^(x^2) == Sin[y]^2 Cos[y] y', y[x],x]

DSolve::dvnoarg: The function y appears with no arguments. >>

So what does it mean by the error message: DSolve::dvnoarg: The function y appears with no arguments.?

The error message is actually true. Look carefully! y[x] doesn't appear once in your equation! y by itself does, but not y[x]. So to fix the problem re-enter the command replacing all references to y by y[x], (including replacing y' by y'[x].) Go ahead, switch to Mathematica and do it now. Come back when it's finished.

Well that probably took a while to finish, but the final results should reveal three solutions. We now go on to make a few notes about the result...


Compass If you're lost, impatient, want an overview of this laboratory assignment, or maybe even all three, you can click on the compass button on the left to go to the table of contents for this laboratory assignment.
 
 

ODE Laboratories: A Sabbatical Project by Christopher A. Barker

©2009 San Joaquin Delta College, 5151 Pacific Ave., Stockton, CA 95207, USA
e-mail:
cbarker@deltacollege.edu