An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

An equation expressing a relationship between an → independent variable, x, an unknown → function, y = f(x), and its → derivatives. The general form of a differential equation is:
F(x, y, y’, y’’, …, y⁽ⁿ⁾) = 0, or F(x,y, dy/dx, d²y/dx², …, dⁿy/dxⁿ) = 0. See also: → ordinary differential equation; → partial differential equation; → linear differential equation; → exact differential equation; → first-order differential equation; → homogeneous linear differential equation; → nonhomogeneous linear differential equation; → differential equation with separated variables; → differential equation with separable variables.

See also: → differential; → equation.