Geometry of Differential Equations

Sebastián Cuéllar Carrillo

David Palomino

In the classic sense, a first order Ordinary Differential Equation is an

expresion as the next one

F (x, y(x), y 0 (x)) = 0 (1)

In the last expresion y is a function of x and y 0 its derivative respect to x.

We can define a classical solution for the first order ODE as a function
Φ = Φ(x) which “satisfies” (1), so it is:

F (x, Φ(x), Φ0 (x)) = 0 (2)

We’re going to show the geometric approach, used in this seminar’s pre-
sentation, which let us see coordinates on R3 with some adicional structure
that will make easy our work with ODEs.

1 The space of first order ODEs

We’re going to consider R3 = {(x, y, P )}, and we can supose the next:
dy
If P = then dy − P dx = 0
dx
It’s natural from the classic definition of an ODE (the thrid coordinate is the
derivative of the second one).
We call C to the Cartan distribution generated by the 1-form ω = dy −P dx =
0. The pair (R3 , C) is our “space of first order ODEs”.
We can prove, using the Frobenius theorem, that the Cartan distribution
C over our space is non integrable.
Now we can ask us, How can we include ODEs in (R3 , C)? Following this
objective we use the next definition.

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Definition 1 If F : R3 −→ R then an first order Ordinary Diffrential Equa-
tion is a submanifold E in the space of first order ODEs given by

E = {(x, y, P ) ∈ (R3 , C) : F (x, y, P ) = 0}

Remark 1 The submanifold has a Cartan distribution too, so a differential

equiation is a submanifold with a distribution (E, ∆)

2 Generalized solutions and some examples

Definition 2 Given an ODE E ⊂ (R3 , C), a solution of E is a curve γ which
satisfies

1. γ ⊂ E.
 
dγ dγ
2. ∈ Cγ(t) that’s it ω = 0.
dt dt

We have the next examples.

Example 1 Consider the ODE (y 0 )2 + y 2 = 1.

Here we have the equation

E = {(x, y, P ) : F (x, y, P ) = y 2 + P 2 − 1 = 0}

The parametrization for the surface E is given for:

x=u
y = cos v
P = sin v

As we know, E has its own Cartan distribution by this reason ω = dy−P dx =

0 so

dy − P dx = − sin vdv − sin vdu = − sin v(dv + du) = 0

There are two options

1. If v 6= 0, sin v 6= 0 so dv + du = d(v + u) = d(v + x) = 0 it means that

v + x = K with K constant, then using the parametrization we have

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 y = cos(K − x)

This is called the general solution of E.

2. When v = 0 we have the solutions y = ±1. These are called singular
solutions of E.
 
dy dy
Example 2 The equation y − x =f is called the Clairault Equa-
dx dx
tion.
The surface of the ODE is given by
E = {(x, y, P ) : F (x, y, P ) = y − xP − f (P ) = 0}
The parametrization for this surface is
x=u
y = uv − f (v)
P =v
Using the Cartan distribution

ω = dy − P dx = vdu + udv − f 0 (v)dv − vdu = (u − f 0 (v))dv = 0

As the last example, we have two options
1. If u = f 0 (v),these points are singular points.
2. When dv = 0, v = K K constant, using the parametrization

y = Kx − f (K) The general solution

We can define the symmetry for the general first order ODEs.
Definition 3 If E is an ODE in (R3 , C), a symmetry of E is a map f :
R3 −→ R3 such that
1. f (C) = C
2. f (E) = E
Finally we can describe the relation between the generalized solutions and
the Classical solutions. Basicly If we project a solution of a first order ODE,
we’re going to have a relation between x and y, ϕ(x, y) = 0, this relation is
a classical solution of the ODE.