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Finding a function satisfying the given differential equation.

Mathematics Asked by siddharth kalra on December 24, 2020

Let $mathrm{f:(0, infty) rightarrow(0, infty)}$
be a differentiable function such that $mathrm{{f}’left( frac{a}{x} right)=frac{x}{fleft( x right)}}$ where $a$ is positive constant and $f'(1) = 1$, $f'(2) = 2$, then find the value of $f(5)$.

Since the arguments of $f$ and $f’$ are different, it is not possible for me to solve the differential equation directly. By hit and trial, I got the function as $x^2/2$, but cannot solve it mathematically. Can someone please provide me some hints for this?

2 Answers

Let $varphi(x) := f(x) fleft(frac{a}{x}right)$. Differentiating we get, for every $x > 0$, $$ varphi'(x) = f'(x) fleft(frac{a}{x}right)+f(x) left[fleft(frac{a}{x}right)right]' = frac{a}{x fleft(frac{a}{x}right)} fleft(frac{a}{x}right)- frac{a}{x^2} f(x) frac{x}{f(x)} = 0. $$ Hence there exists $c > 0$ such that $varphi(x) = c$ for every $x > 0$. Since $$ f'(x) = frac{a}{x f(a/x)} = frac{a}{c} cdot frac{f(x)}{x} $$ integrating we get $$ f(x) = f(1) x^{a/c}. $$ Substituting in $f'(x) = frac{a}{c} f(1) x^{a/c - 1}$ the values $x=1$ and $x=2$ we finally get $a/c = 2$ and $f(1) = 1/2$, so that $a=2$ and $f(x) = x^2/2$.

Correct answer by Rigel on December 24, 2020

Using $f'left(dfrac{a}{x}right)=dfrac{x}{f(x)}$, and performing the substitution $x to dfrac{a}{x}$, we get $f'(x)=dfrac{a}{xfleft(dfrac{a}{x}right)}$, Now differentiating both sides yields $$f''(x)=dfrac{-aleft(fleft(dfrac{a}{x}right)-dfrac{a}{f(x)}right)}{x^2f^2left(dfrac{a}{x}right)}$$ Now substituting the value of $fleft(dfrac{a}{x}right)$, we get our final DE as $$dfrac{f''(x)}{f'(x)}=dfrac{1}{x}-dfrac{f'(x)}{f(x)}$$Now integrating this, and using initial conditions, one finds out that $f'(x)=dfrac{x}{f(x)}$, which implies $f(x)=dfrac{x^2}{2} implies f(5)=12.5.$

Answered by Vilakshan on December 24, 2020

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