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Mathematics

What Exactly Does It Mean to 'Solve' a Differential Equation?

Quick fact

Solving a differential equation is like finding the original story from a clue about its plot's speed — you must reverse the derivative using integration, and the story can have many possible beginnings.

Why this is interesting

You've solved equations like x + 2 = 5, but what if an equation involved a function's rate of change? What would the answer even look like?