On the initial conditions for bacterial population growth

55 Views Asked by At

I want to prepare an example of a differential equation for bacetrial growth.

We have $\frac{dy}{dt}=ry(t)$

Multiplying by dt and moving y(t) over to the other side we get $\frac{1}{y(t)}dy=rdt$, integrating both sides, we get $y(t)=ce^{rt}$. If we say that the bacterial population at time zero is y(0)=10.000 CFU, and at time 1, y(1)=200.000, then we have the system

\begin{equation} \begin{array} f10000=ce^{r0}\\ 200000=ce^{r} \end{array} \end{equation}

We get from the first equation $c=10000$. We plug it into the second, and get that $r=ln20$.

We now have the growth equation:

$y(t)=10000e^{ln20t}$

and by Moos suggestion:

$y(t)=10000t^{20}$

Would this be correct, in its simplicity?

Thanks