Chapter 5 Integrating Factor
This chapter introduces the next solution method called the Integrating Factor Method (IF method). This important technique solves any first-order linear differential equation using a reversed version of the product rule followed by direct integration.
Recall, the Direct Integration method provides a straightforward way to solve differential equations when the equation can be written in the form:
In such cases, solving the equation is as simple as integrating both sides with respect to
The key idea is to multiply the differential equation by an integrating factor that simplifies it into a form that can be solved by direct integration. In the next sections, we will explore how this is done, step by step.
