Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2022 / Paper 1 / 13 / a / Solution

Because the original differential equation divides by $xy$, its domain requires $x\ne 0$ and $y\ne 0$. Set $u=y^2$, so $u^{\prime }=2y{y}^{\prime }$. The equation becomes the first-order linear differential equationAn integrating factor is $x^2$, since $(x^{2}u{)}^{\prime }=x^2{u}^{\prime }+2xu$. ThusReturning to $y$ gives the explicit general real solutionsEach sign is fixed on a connected interval where $x\ne 0$ and the radicand is strictly positive. The strict condition excludes $y=0$, where the original differential equation is undefined. There is no additional zero solution.