# DSolve for first order nonlinear equation is solution numerical or analytical?

Hi I'm new to mathematica so I may have a somewhat trivial question. my code below solves and plots the results of a first order nonlinear ODE. The solutions mathematica gives me contains & and #1 which I don't know what those mean.

Clear[m, z, p, h, ld, to, td, mo, hc, mb, cb, t]
Clear[mm, sol, sol20, tt, mmm]

sol = DSolve[{m'[
t] == -((m[t]^(2/3))/(p^(2/3)))*(h/ld (to - td + ((mo - m[t])*hc)/(mb*cb))), m[0] == mo}, m[t], t]
mm[t_] := Part[sol, 1, 1, 2];
mmm[tt_] :=
mm[t] /. {p -> 900, hc -> -17000*1000, ld -> -400*1000,
mo -> 60*0.453592, cb -> 0.49*1000, mb -> 2000*0.453592,
td -> 553, to -> 490, h -> 70, t -> tt}
mmm[20]
Plot[mmm[x], {x, 0, 7500}]


Im wondering if this solution is an analytical solution and if so how can I extract a simplified form (for perhaps a specific range or only non-imaginary range) or something more presentable. OR is this using numerical techniques to solve it and if so which method is being used.

here is the output solution

{{m[t] ->
InverseFunction[((-1)^(2/3) (2 Sqrt[3] ArcTan[(-1 + (2 (-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3) #1^(
1/3))/(hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(1/3))/Sqrt[3]] +
2 Log[(hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(1/3) + (-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3) #1^(1/3)] -
Log[(hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(
2/3) - (-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3) (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(
1/3) #1^(1/3) + (-1)^(2/3) hc^(2/3) #1^(2/3)]))/(
2 hc^(1/3) (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(2/3)) &][(h t)/(cb ld mb p^(2/3)) + ((-1)^(
2/3) (2 Sqrt[3]ArcTan[(-1 + (
2 (-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3) mo^(1/3))/(hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(1/3))/Sqrt[3]] +
2 Log[(-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3) mo^(1/3) + (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(1/3)] -
Log[(-1)^(2/3) hc^(2/3) mo^(2/3) - (-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3) mo^(
1/3) (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(1/3) + (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(2/3)]))/(
2 hc^(1/3) (hc mo - cb mb td + cb mb to)^(2/3))]}}

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This is a symbolic solution obtained by separating variables and integrating, like this:

Integrate[
1/(-((m[t]^(2/3))/(p^(2/3)))*
(h/ld (to - td + ((mo - m[t])*hc)/(mb*cb))) /. m[t] -> m), m]
(*
((-1)^(2/3) cb ld mb p^(
2/3) (2 Sqrt[3]
ArcTan[(-1 + (
2 (-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3) m^(1/3))/(hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(
1/3))/Sqrt[3]] +
2 Log[(-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3) m^(1/3) + (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(
1/3)] - Log[(-1)^(2/3) hc^(2/3) m^(2/3) - (-1)^(1/3) hc^(1/3)
m^(1/3) (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(
1/3) + (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(2/3)]))/(2 h hc^(
1/3) (hc mo + cb mb (-td + to))^(2/3))
*)


(Evaluate this antiderivative at m -> mo and m -> m[t], subtract and set equal to t, try solve for m[t]. It looks like inverse functions had to be used. I had no success simplifying this further.)

• Hi Mike that is helpful, I was confused as to how to interpret the &, #1 symbols and thought something numerical might be happening.. If I wanted to plot this in matlab how could I interpret those symbols? – JPR984 Dec 1 '14 at 19:15
• The #1 (or simply #) and & are part of the "pure function" notation. See this answer for links to the documentation. The & binds #1 to the first argument of a function. For instance g = f[#1] & is roughly equivalent to g[x_] := f[x]. I don't know Matlab. The equations x == InverseFunction[f[#] &][y] and y == f[x] are equivalent, assuming f is 1-1 of course. HTH – Michael E2 Dec 2 '14 at 14:12