Question

What is the fundamental condition required for the degree of a differential equation to be defined?

Options

• The equation must have only first-order derivatives

• The equation must contain exponential functions

• The equation must be a polynomial in its derivatives

• The equation must be linear in all terms

Answer 1

The degree of a differential equation is defined only when the equation is polynomial in its derivatives. If a derivative occurs inside a non-polynomial function such as an exponential, trigonometric, or similar function, the degree is not defined.