differential equation

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. an equation involving differentials or derivatives.

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differential equation British  

noun

1. an equation containing differentials or derivatives of a function of one independent variable. A partial differential equation results from a function of more than one variable

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Etymology

Origin of differential equation

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

By incorporating functional analysis and partial differential equation theory from mathematical analysis, this study extends previous investigations on two-dimensional fluid flows to encompass three-dimensional fluid dynamics with axial symmetry conditions.

From Science Daily • Sep. 29, 2023

Suppose you throw a ball in the air: the parabolic trajectory that it follows can be represented as the solution of a differential equation.

From Scientific American • Mar. 23, 2023

Prove that if a, b, and c are positive constants, then all solutions to the second-order linear differential equation ay″ + by′ + cy = 0 approach zero as x → ∞.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Show that y = x3 is a solution to this differential equation.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Mathematicians know how to describe them: they are wave functions, solutions to a differential equation called the Schrödinger equation.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife