Formation of a differential equation from a primitive (If a family of curves has n independent arbitrary constants)

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If a family of curves has n independent arbitrary constants, differentiate n times (or eliminate constants between equations) to obtain a differential equation of order n free of those constants.

What each symbol means

SymbolWhat it stands for
nNumber of independent arbitrary constants in the primitive.

When to use this

Constants must be independent; repeated or disguised constants reduce effective n.