Chapter 9 of 10All chapters
Chapter 9 of 10
Differential equations
Equations about change itself.
The idea
A differential equation relates a quantity to its own rate of change. Solving it means finding the function that satisfies the relationship.
- Growth proportional to current size gives exponential growth.
- Add a limit to that growth and you get the logistic curve seen in epidemics and adoption.
Where they appear
Populations, cooling, circuits, chemical reactions, orbits and interest all obey them. It is the language physical models are written in.