Second-order differential equation ($y^{\prime \prime }=f(x,y,y^{\prime })$)

A second-order ordinary differential equation involves a second derivative as its highest derivative. In explicit form $y^{\prime \prime }=f(x,y,y^{\prime })$, introducing $v=y^{\prime }$ converts it into the first-order system $y^{\prime }=v$, $v^{\prime }=f(x,y,v)$. Under local regularity and Lipschitz continuity in the dependent variables, an initial value problem is specified by both $y(x_0)$ and $y^{\prime }(x_0)$. The linear case is a second-order linear differential equation.