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For pressureless sub-Hubble perturbations, combine the linearized cosmological continuity equation, cosmological Euler equation and gravitational Poisson equation with matter as its source. The expansion contributes a $2H$ friction term and matter self-gravity contributes the negative coefficient of $\delta$. The background expansion can include radiation or dark energy; treating their perturbations as additional sources requires a more complete system.

Differentiate the linearized cosmological continuity equation, remembering the derivative of $1/a$:Insert the linear cosmological Euler equation for the peculiar velocity, givingThus the linear matter perturbation growth equation isThe factor $2H$ includes one expansion term from continuity and one from momentum dilution. This equation uses sub-Hubble, pressureless linear perturbations and the stated matter-only source for the gravitational potential.

Insertinto the continuity equation. Its zeroth-order part is the homogeneous cosmological continuity equationSince $\bar{\rho }$ is spatially homogeneous, the terms of first order in $ϵ$ giveOn the other hand, the quotient rule and the background equation implySubstitution of the first-order equation yields the linearized cosmological continuity equationThe ratio $\delta \rho /\bar{\rho }$ is the density contrast.

Differentiate the linearized cosmological continuity equation, $\dot{\delta }=-\theta /a$, and use $\dot{a}/a=H$:Substitution of part (a), followed by the Poisson equation ${\nabla }^2\Phi =4\pi G{a}^2\bar{\rho }\delta$, yields