Order of a differential

The order of a differential equation is the order of its highest derivatives, which in the example quoted is a second-order derivative, d W/dP. 

A differential equation is ordinary or partial, according as there is one or more than one independent variables present. Ordinary differential equations will be treated first. Equations like (2) and (3) above are said to be of the first order, because the highest derivative present is of the first order. For a similar reason (4) and (6) are of the second order, (5) of the third order. The order of a differential equation, therefore, is fixed by that of the highest differential coefficient it contains. The degree of a differential equation is the highest power of the highest order of of differential coefficient it contains. This equation is of the second order and first degree ... 

The order of a differential equation corresponds to the highest derivative, whereas the degree is associated with the power to which the highest derivative is raised. 

From basic calculus, it is known that a function of a single variable is analytic at a given interval if and only if it has well-defined derivatives, to any order, at any point in that interval. In the same way, a function of several variables is analytic in a region if at any point in this region, in addition to having well-defined derivatives for all variables to any order, the result of the differentiation with respect to any two different variables does not depend on the order of the differentiation. 

Whichever the type, a differential equation is said to be of /ith order if it involves derivatives of order n but no higher. The equation in the first example is of first order and that in the second example of second order. The degree of a differential equation is the power to which the derivative of the highest order is raised after the equation has been cleared of fractions and radicals in the dependent variable and its derivatives. 

Equations (2.9), (2.10) and (2.11) are linear differential equations with constant coefficients. Note that the order of the differential equation is the order of the highest derivative. Systems described by such equations are called linear systems of the same order as the differential equation. For example, equation (2.9) describes a first-order linear system, equation (2.10) a second-order linear system and equation (2.11) a third-order linear system. 

Aitemativeiy, the beam end couid have compiete rotational restraint and no transverse displacement, i.e., clamped. However, a third boundary condition exists in Rgure D-3 just as in Figure D-2. That is, an axial condition on displacement or force must exist in addition to the conditions usually thought of as comprising a clamped-end condition. Note that the block-like device at the end of the beam prevents rotation and transverse deflection. A similar device will be used later for plates. Whether all of the three boundary conditions can actually be enforced depends on the order of the differential equation set when (necessarily approximate) force-strain and moment-curvature relations are substituted in Equations (D.2), (D.4), and (D.7). 

A rigorous definition of stability of a difference scheme will be formulated in the next section. The improvement of the approximation order for a difference scheme on a solution of a differential equation will be of great importance since the scientists wish the order to be as high as possible. 

Equation (3) is in the form of a differential equation describing a first-order kinetic process, and, as a result, drug absorption generally adheres to first-order kinetics. The rate of absorption should increase directly with an increase in drug concentration in the GI fluids. 

If the dependent variable y(jt) and all of its derivatives occur in the first degree and do not appear as products, the equation is said to be linear. In effect, the solution of a differential equation of order n necessitates n integrations, each of which involves an arbitrary constant. However, in some cases one or more of these constants may be assigned specific values. The results, which are also solutions of the differential equation, are referred to as particular solutions. The general solution, however, includes all of the n constants of integration, whose evaluation requires additional information associated with the application. 

There is not necessarily a simple relationship between molecularity and order of reaction. For differentiating between molecularity and order of a reaction, let us consider some examples. 

However, the average rates calculated by concentration versus time plots are not accurate. Even the values obtained as instantaneous rates by drawing tangents are subject to much error. Therefore, this method is not suitable for the determination of order of a reaction as well as the value of the rate constant. It is best to find a method where concentration and time can be substituted directly to determine the reaction orders. This could be achieved by integrating the differential rate equation. 

The overall order of a chemical reaction is equal to the sum of the exponents of all the concentration terms in the differential rate expression for a reaction considered in one direction only. For example, if the empirical rate law for a particular chemical reaction was... 

A mathematical expression (usually in the form of a differential rate equation) showing how the rate of the reaction depends on the concentrations of chemical entities and rate constants (and/or equilibrium constants) and any partial orders of reactions. See Chemical Kinetics... 

The q matrix is the negative of the electric-field gradient. Like the inertial tensor and the polarizability tensor, q is symmetric (since the order of partial differentiation is immaterial), and we can make an orthogonal transformation to a new set of axes a, ft, y such that q is diagonal, with diagonal elements qaa, q, q. Note, however, that the origin for q is at the nucleus in question and the axes for which q is diagonal need bear no relation to the principal axes of inertia (unless the nucleus happens to lie on a symmetry element). 

As the number of boundary conditions is usually the same as the order of the differential equation for a particular chemical problem, there will be no undetermined constants of integration associated with the solution. 

With hmax = ma,x(xi+i — x/), the global error order of the classical Runge-Kutta method is of order 4, or 0(h/nax), provided that the solution function y of (1.13) is 5 times continuously differentiable. The global error order of a numerical integrator measures the maximal error committed in all approximations of the true solution y(xi) in the computed y values y. Thus if we use a constant step of size h = 10 3 for example and the classical Runge-Kutta method for an IVP that has a sufficiently often differentiable solution y, then our global error satisfies... 

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