Ordinary differential equation

A differential equation is an equation that involves a function and its rate of change over time. An ordinary differential equation (ODE) is a type of differential equation that only involves one function, like y(t), instead of two functions like x(t) and y(t). We use ODEs to figure out what the value of the function is at certain times (like, what y(t) is for all values of t). Basically, we're using ODEs to describe how one thing changes over time.