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Orthogonal Trajectories

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg45156] Orthogonal Trajectories
  • From: "Albireo" <predmore.at.comcast.dot.net at giganews.com>
  • Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 06:55:32 -0500 (EST)
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

17 December 2003

I am working with the family of functions

    y[x,C] = x / ( x^2 + C)

where x is the independent variable and C>0 is a parameter.

I am interested in the family of functions which are orthogonal to the above
function.

    y_ortho[x,D] = f[x,D]

where x is the independent variable and D is a parameter.

The family of functions

    y[x,C]

has the differential equation

    y'[x] = y[x]/x - 2 (y[x])^2

The orthogonal trajectories would have the negative inverse for their
differential equation

    y_ortho'[x] = -1/y'[x] = x / (2 x (y_ortho[x])^2 - y_rtho[x])

Using DSolve on y'[x]

    DSolve[y'[x] == y[x]/x - 2y[x]^2, y[x], x]

gives

    y[x] -> x / (x^2 + C[1])

as expected.

When I use DSolve on y_ortho'[x], there is no solution

    \!\(DSolve[\(y'\)[x] == x\/\(2\ x\ y[x]\^2 - y[x]\), y[x], x]\)

gives the above statement back.

If any of you know how to solve the differential equation

    y_ortho'[x] = x / (2 x (y_ortho[x])^2 - y_rtho[x])

I would appreciate your input.

I have looked through a few books on differential equations and haven't been
able to find an answer.

Thanks,


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