Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics, 2023, 11, 2644-2651

https://www.scirp.org/journal/jamp
ISSN Online: 2327-4379
ISSN Print: 2327-4352

Differential Calculus the Study of the Growth

and Decay of an Entity’s Population

Lansana Toure1, Mouctar Ndiaye2

1
Department of Business Administration, Julius Nyéréré University, Kankan, Guinea
2
Department of Mathematics, Julius Nyéré University, Kankan, Guinea

How to cite this paper: Toure, L. and Abstract

Ndiaye, M. (2023) Differential Calculus the
Study of the Growth and Decay of an Enti- Population Growth and Decay study of the growth or the decrease of a popu-
ty’s Population. Journal of Applied Mathe- lation of a given entity, is carried out according to the environment. In an in-
matics and Physics, 11, 2644-2651.
finite environment, i.e. when the resources are unlimited, a population P be-
https://doi.org/10.4236/jamp.2023.119173
lieves according to the following differential equation P′ = KP , with the ap-
Received: August 6, 2023 plication of the differential calculus we obtasin an exponential function of the
Accepted: September 24, 2023 variable time (t). The function of which we can predict approximately a pop-
Published: September 27, 2023
ulation according to the signs of k and time (t). If k > 0 , we speak of the
Copyright © 2023 by author(s) and Malthusian croissant. On the other hand, in a finite environment i.e. when
Scientific Research Publishing Inc. resources are limited, the population cannot exceed a certain value. and it sa-
This work is licensed under the Creative
tisfies the logistic equation proposed by the economist Francois Verhulst:
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0). =P′ P (1 − P ) .
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access Keywords
Growth, Decay, an Exponential Function, Logistic Equation, Differential
Equation, Graph of the Differential Equation

1. Differential Systems
1.1. Introduction General
In this research report, it is the study of the growth or decay of a population ac-
cording to the resources. To do so, we need mathematical modeling to express
the problem in mathematical terms. And afterwards, this led us to the applica-
tion of differential equations. In Section 1, we have briefly examined the diffe-
rential equations. In Section 2, we studied a population according to unlimited
resources, which resulted in obtaining an exponential law of the form P′ = KP
and at the end of the last and Section 3, in the case where the attempts are we

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2023.119173 Sep. 27, 2023 2644 Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics
 L. Toure, M. Ndiaye

had to study a logistic function of the form = P′ kP (1 − α P )

In a study by Pac [1], the concept of differential systems was explored:
A dynamic system is a mechanical, physical, economic, environmental or any
other domain whose state evolves as a function of time.
The study of the evolution of a system therefore requires knowledge:
Its initial state that is to say its state at time t0;
Its law of evolution.
A system can be in continuous time or in discrete time, it can also be auto-
nomous, if its law of evolution does not depict time, in this case, its law is said to
be stationary, and in the end it can be also non autonomous, in this case, its law
of evolution depends on time.

1.2. Modelization
Modeling involves formalizing or constructing a problem in physics, chemistry,
biology, economics or any other system in mathematical terms. For example: In
physics the fundamental laws of physics have mathematical expressions and
others like; in economics the equations of the demand or the supply of a good,
the calculation of the elasticity of the demand in relation to the price of a good
or in relation to the income of the consumer in demography the growth or decay
of the population according to a finite or infinite environment.
The description of this system is at least numerical so it is a question of stud-
ying evolution over time.

1.3. What Is a Differential Equation

In [2] [3] [4], we learned that a differential equation is an equation that contains
one or more derivatives of an unknown function.
The order of a differential equation is the order of the highest derivative that it
contains. A differential equation is the ordinary differential equation if it in-
volved an unknown function of only one variable. The simplest differential equ-
ations are first order equations of the form:
dy
= f ( x)
dx
or equivalently,
y′ = f ( x ) (1)

where f is a known function of x. we already know calculus how to find func-

tions that satisfy this kind of equation. For example, if y ′ = x 2 , then
x3
∫ d=y ∫ x d=x
2
+c
3
where c is the arbitrary constant. If n > 1 we can find functions y that satisfy
equations of the form
y( ) = f ( x )
n
(2)

by repeated integration. We can also write

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2023.119173 2645 Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics

L. Toure, M. Ndiaye

n
(
y ( ) = f x, y, y ′,, y (
n −1)
). (3)

1.4. Solutions of Differential Equations

A solution of a differential equation is a function that satisfies the differential
equation on some open interval; thus, y is a solution of 3 if y is n times differen-
( )
tiable and y ( ) = f x, y, y ′,, y ( ) for all x in some open interval ( a, b ) .
n n −1

1.5. The Graph

The graph of a solution of a differential equation is a solution curve. More gen-
erally, a curve C is said to be an integral curve of a differential equation if every
function y = y ( x ) whose graph is a segment of C is a solution of the differen-
tial equation.

2. Exponential Law
Population Growth and Decay According to Trench [5], although the number of
members of a population (people in a given country, bacteria in a laboratory
culture, wildflowers in a forest, etc.) at any given time t is necessarily an integer,
models that use differential equations to describe the growth and decay of popu-
lations usually rest on the simplifying assumption that the number of members
of the population can be regarded as a differentiable function P = P(t). In most
models it is assumed that the differential equation takes the form
P′ ( t ) = k ( P ) P ( t ) , (4)

where k is a continuous function of P that represents the rate of change of popu-

lation per unit time per individual. In the Malthusian model, it is assumed that
k ( P ) is a constant, so (1) becomes
P′ ( t ) = kP ( t )

2.1. Modeling of the Problem

In this application we consider a population consisting of P individuals and
evolving as a function of time t: P is a function of time t (human population in
the case of Malthus, bacterial population or others.) We consider P as a real
number, in fact the populations concerned are numerous and if we count for
example P in billion of individuals, P will take a priori all the decimal values with
9 digits after the decimal point and we can thus assimilate P with a real number.
The basic hypothesis is that during a small time interval delta t, the ΔP variation
of the number of individuals in the population is proportional to P and Δt: If
P ( t ) is the population at time t, the population at time t + ∆t , is
P (t + ∆
=t ) P ( t ) + kP ( t ) ∆t (5)

where
∆P (=
t ) P ( t + ∆t ) − P ( t ) .

k is a positive constant if the population grows and negative if the population

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2023.119173 2646 Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics

 L. Toure, M. Ndiaye

decreases.

2.2. Setting: Differential Growth Relationship

The population at the moment ( t + ∆t ) where Δt is small, is equal
P (t + ∆
= t ) P ( t ) + kN ( t ) ∆t

Dividing by Δt and passing to the limit when Δt tends to 0, we obtain by

P′ ( t ) the derivative of P ( t ) with respect to the variable t:
P′ ( t ) = kP ( t ) (6)

This model assumes that the numbers of birth and deaths per unit time are
both proportional to the population. The constant of proportionality are the
birth rate (birth per unit time per individual) and the death rate (death per unit
per individual); a is the birth rate minus the death rate. You learned in calculus
that if c is any constant then
P = ce kt (7)
To select the solution of the specific problem that we’re considering, we must
know the population P0 at an initial time, say t = 0 . Setting
t = 0 ⇒ c = P ( 0 ) = P0

so the applicable solution is

P ( t ) = P0 e kt (8)

This implies that

∞ if k > 0
lim P ( t ) = 
t →∞
0 if k < 0
Note: That is the population approaches infinity if the birth rate exceeds the
death rate, or zero if the death rate exceeds the bith rate. To see the limitations of
the Malthusian model, suppose we’re modeling the population of a country,
starting from a time t = 0 when the birth rate exceeds the death rate (so
k > 0 ), and the country’s resources in terms of space, food supply, and other
necessities of life can support the existing population. Then the prediction
P = P0 e kt may be reasonably accurate as long as it remains within limits that the
country’s resources can support. However, the model must inevitably lose valid-
ity when the prediction exceeds these limits (if nothing else, eventually there
won’t be enough space for the prediction population).

2.3. Graphic Representation

In this sub-section, we will graphically represent the evolution of the population
according to the two cases;

2.3.1. Growth in the Population P(t) of an Entity as a Function of Time t

Let P ( 0 ) = 1000 represent the population of an entity (for example the total
number of Muslim living in Chengdu) at t = 0 and for reasons of freedom and

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2023.119173 2647 Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics

L. Toure, M. Ndiaye

the high level of living conditions, we can estimate the value of=k 0.75 > 0 .
P ( t ) = 1000exp ( 0.75t )

Figure 1 presents the evolution of this population as a function of time t.

This function is increasing.

2.3.2. Decrease in the Population P(t) of an Entity as a Function of Time t

Let P ( 0 ) = 1000 represent the population of an entity (for example the total
number of Muslim living in Chengdu) at t = 0 and for reasons of war, epidem-
ics and precarious living conditions, we can estimate the value of k =
−0.75 < 0
(Figure 2).

Figure 1. Growth in the population P(t) of an entity as a function of time t.

Figure 2. Decrease in the population P(t) of an entity as a function of time t.

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2023.119173 2648 Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics

 L. Toure, M. Ndiaye

=
This is a decreasing function. Let P ( t ) 1000exp ( −0.75t ) (exponential law)

3. The Logistic Function

Population growth and decay.

3.1. The Law or the Logistic Function

This flaw in the Malhusian model suggests the need for a model that accounts
for limitations of space and resources that tend to oppose the rate of population
growth as the population increases. Perhaps the most famous model of kind is
the Verhulst model, where 4 is replaced by
P′ kP (1 − α P ) ,
= (9)

see [5], where α is a positive constant. As long as P is small compared to 1 α ,

the ratio P′ P is approximately equal to k. Therefore the growth is approx-
imately exponential; however, as P, the ration P′ P decreases as opposing fac-
tors become significant. Equation (9) is the logistic equation
dP
P′ = aP (1 − α P ) ⇔ ∫
aP (1 − α P ) ∫
= dt

1
P−
⇔ ln α =−at + C
P

(where C is a constant)
1 1 
P=
α  1 − ke− at 


0 ⇔ P ( 0) =
and t = P0
P α −1
⇔ k =0
P0α

P0
⇔ P (t ) =
α P0 + (1 − P0α ) e − at

The solution
P0
P (t ) =
α P0 + (1 − P0α ) e − at

P0 P ( 0 ) > 0 . Therefore
where=
lim P ( t ) = 1 α
t →∞

independent of P0.
Figure 3 shows typical graphs of P versus t for various values of P0.

Graphic Representation
See Figure 3.

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2023.119173 2649 Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics

L. Toure, M. Ndiaye

Figure 3. Population evolution with the logistic model.

Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this pa-
per.

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2023.119173 2650 Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics

 L. Toure, M. Ndiaye

References
[1] Pac, J.-L. (2016) Systemes dynamique—Cours et exercicex. Second Edition, Dunod,
Paris.
[2] Hirsch, M.W., Smale, S. and Devane, R.L. (2012) Differential Equations, Dynamim-
ical Systemes, and an Introduction to Chaos. Academic Press.
[3] Piskounov, N. (1980) Calcul differentiel et integral. Mir, Moscou.
[4] Ayres Jr., F. (1980) Theorie et Application du Calcul differentiel et integral.
https://www.le-livre.fr/livres/fiche-r320016922.html .
[5] Trench, W.F. (2013) Elementary Differential Equations.
http://ramanujan.math.trinity.edu/wtrench/texts/TRENCH_DIFF_EQNS_I.PDF

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2023.119173 2651 Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics