MathCastle
Differential EquationsChallengeExistence, Uniqueness & Bifurcations

Existence, Uniqueness & Bifurcations · Challenge problem

For y′=t2+y2y' = t^2 + y^2, y(0)=0y(0) = 0, the Picard–Lindelöf theorem on the rectangle ∣t∣≤a|t| \le a, ∣y∣≤b|y| \le b guarantees a solution on ∣t∣≤h|t| \le h, where h=min⁡ ⁣(a,bM)h = \min\!\left(a, \dfrac{b}{M}\right) and M=max⁡∣f∣M = \max |f| on the rectangle. Over all choices of a>0a > 0 and b>0b > 0, what is the largest hh the theorem can guarantee?