solve differential equations with Maxima
Solve Differential Equations Effortlessly with Maxima
Stuck solving differential equations by hand? Maxima, the powerful open-source computer algebra system, handles symbolic ODE solving easily. Install Maxima (Windows/Mac/Linux) via official packages or package managers like apt or Homebrew.
Basic Syntax:
Define your equation using diff:
“`maxima
eq: ‘diff(y, x) y = 4x; / dy/dx y = 4x */
**Solve with `desolve`:**
For symbolic solutions:
maxima
desolve(eq, y);
Output: `y = 4*(x - 1) %e^-x*(y(0) - 4*(-1))`
**Initial Value Problems (IVPs):**
Specify conditions:
maxima
atvalue(y(x), x=0, 3); /* y(0) = 3 /
desolve(eq, y(x)); / Returns y = 4x – 4%e^-x 4 */
**Plot Solutions:**
Use `plot2d` after solving:
maxima
sol: rhs(desolve(eq, y(x))); /* Extract solution */
plot2d(sol, [x, 0, 5]);
“`
Keywords: Symbolic ODE solver, Maxima differential equations tutorial, desolve function, IVP Maxima, plot DE solutions, open-source math software, CAS differential equations.
Maxima bypasses manual integration struggles—ideal for ODE solutions, system modeling, and academic projects. Explore ode2 for classification methods or ic1/ic2 for advanced conditions.