Homogeneous Functions

Homogeneous

To be Homogeneous a function must pass this test:

f(zx, zy) = zn f(x, y)

In other words

Homogeneous is when we can take a function: f(x, y)
multiply each variable by z: f(zx, zy)
and then can rearrange it to get this: zn f(x, y)

An example will help:

Example: x + 3y

Start with: f(x, y) = x + 3y
Multiply each variable by z: f(zx, zy) = zx + 3zy
Let's rearrange it by factoring out z: f(zx, zy) = z(x + 3y)
And x + 3y is f(x, y): f(zx, zy) = z f(x, y)
Which is what we wanted, with n=1: f(zx, zy) = z1 f(x, y)

Yes, x + 3y is homogeneous!

The value of n is called the degree. So in that example the degree is 1.

Example: 4x2 + y2

Start with: f(x, y) = 4x2 + y2
Multiply each variable by z: f(zx, zy) = 4(zx)2 + (zy)2
Which is: f(zx, zy) = 4z2x2 + z2y2
Factoring out z2: f(zx, zy) = z2(4x2 + y2)
And 4x2 + y2 is f(x, y): f(zx, zy) = z2 f(x, y)

Yes, 4x2 + y2 is homogeneous.

And its degree is 2.

How about this one:

Example: x3 + y2

Start with: f(x, y) = x3 + y2
Multiply each variable by z: f(zx, zy) = (zx)3 + (zy)2
Which is: f(zx, zy) = z3x3 + z2y2
Factoring out z2: f(zx, zy) = z2(zx3 + y2)
But zx3 + y2 is NOT f(x, y)!

So x3 + y2 is NOT homogeneous.

And notice that x and y have different powers: x3 vs y2. For polynomial functions that is often a good test.

But not all functions are polynomials. How about this one:

Example: the function x cos(y/x)

Start with: f(x, y) = x cos(y/x)
Multiply each variable by z: f(zx, zy) = zx cos(zy/zx)
Which is: f(zx, zy) = zx cos(y/x)
Factoring out z: f(zx, zy) = z(x cos(y/x))
And x cos(y/x) is f(x, y): f(zx, zy) = z1 f(x, y)

So x cos(y/x) is homogeneous, with degree of 1.

Notice that (y/x) is "safe" because (zy/zx) cancels back to (y/x)

milk

Homogeneous, in English, means "of the same kind"

For example "Homogenized Milk" has the fatty parts spread evenly through the milk (rather than having milk with a fatty layer on top.)

Homogeneous applies to functions like f(x), f(x, y, z) etc. It is a general idea.

Homogeneous Differential Equations

A first order Differential Equation is homogeneous when it can be in this form:

homogeneous equation

In other words, when it can be like this:

M(x, y) dx + N(x, y) dy = 0

And both M(x, y) and N(x, y) are homogeneous functions of the same degree.

Find out more on Solving Homogeneous Differential Equations.