Talk:Integrating factor

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Contents 1 int. factor - hard to understand 2 M or mu 3 Function notation 4 (Note we do not need to include the integrating constant - we need only a solution, not the general solution)

[edit] int. factor - hard to understand

For a long time i couldn't understand step 2 to step 3 until i realised M'(x)=a(x)M(x). Prehaps this is the key fact. Also the in the example it isn't clear how you got to m(x)=1/x^2 from the previous step.

[edit] M or mu

I learned it as mu not M. Anyone mind if I change it? BrokenSegue 02:52, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

Come on. :) I think M is fine. Oleg Alexandrov (talk) 03:11, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

wow (quick response), I figured this article was dead...I'm probably being overly nitpicky, but most references online seem to use μ or u. Whatever, if it bothers you I don't care that much. BrokenSegue 03:29, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

One of your references uses IF, another one u, and another one mu. I never heard of any "unwritten convention" about which letter is prefered. Oleg Alexandrov (talk) 03:48, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Function notation

Some people may not be used to function notation and may prefer to use dy/dx etc. etc. (ie. me) Would it be a good idea to change the page to include both notations.(Lahoski (talk) 11:06, 11 March 2008 (UTC))

[edit] (Note we do not need to include the integrating constant - we need only a solution, not the general solution)

This comment in the first example misses the point. Even if you add in the integrating constant, it would only cancel out at the end when you have . Hence, changing M(x) in this fashion has no effect on the final solution. Rwilsker (talk) 17:18, 25 May 2008 (UTC)