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van der Pol Equation

An Ordinary Differential Equation which can be derived from the Rayleigh Differential Equation by differentiating and setting $y=y'$. It is an equation describing self-sustaining oscillations in which energy is fed into small oscillations and removed from large oscillations. This equation arises in the study of circuits containing vacuum tubes and is given by

\begin{displaymath}
y''-\mu(1-y^2)y'+y=0.
\end{displaymath}

See also Rayleigh Differential Equation


References

Kreyszig, E. Advanced Engineering Mathematics, 6th ed. New York: Wiley, pp. 165-166, 1988.




© 1996-9 Eric W. Weisstein
1999-05-26