A universal differential equation

• Published in 1981
• Added on 2019-05-09

There exists a non trivial fourth-order algebraic differential equation \[P(y',y'',y''',y'''') = 0,\] where \(P\) is a polynomial in four variables, with integer coefficients, such that for any continuous function \(\phi\) on \((-\infty,\infty)\) and for any positive continuous function \(\varepsilon(t)\) on \((-\infty,\infty)\), there exists a \(C^{\infty}\) solution \(y\) of \(P=0\) such that \[|y(t)-\phi(t)| \lt \varepsilon(t)\) \forall t \in (-\infty,\infty)\]

Links

• https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.bams/1183548125

Other information

BibTeX entry

@article{Auniversaldifferentialequation,
	key = {Auniversaldifferentialequation},
	type = {article},
	title = {A universal differential equation},
	author = {Lee A. Rubel},
	abstract = {There exists a non trivial fourth-order algebraic differential equation \[P(y',y'',y''',y'''') = 0,\] where \(P\) is a polynomial in four variables, with integer coefficients, such that for any continuous function \(\phi\) on \((-\infty,\infty)\) and for any positive continuous function \(\varepsilon(t)\) on \((-\infty,\infty)\), there exists a \(C^{\{}\infty{\}}\) solution \(y\) of \(P=0\) such that \[|y(t)-\phi(t)| \lt \varepsilon(t)\) \forall t \in (-\infty,\infty)\]},
	comment = {},
	date_added = {2019-05-09},
	date_published = {1981-09-26},
	urls = {https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.bams/1183548125},
	collections = {Fun maths facts,Unusual computers},
	url = {https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.bams/1183548125},
	year = 1981,
	urldate = {2019-05-09}
}