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I understand the behaviour of an RLC Circuit in Series can be modelled by the equation:

$$ L \frac{d^2Q}{dt^2}+R\frac{dQ}{dt}+\frac{Q}{C}=0 $$ Which can be represented by the system of First Order ODEs $$ L \frac{dI}{dt}+RI+\frac{Q}{C}=0 $$ $$ \frac{dQ}{dt}=I $$ Which we can happily solves using matrices etc.

Furthermore, I understand that an RLC circuit with each component in parallel (diagram at bottom) can be represented by the Second Order ODE:

$$ L \frac{d^2V}{dt^2}+\frac{1}{RC}\frac{dV}{dt}+\frac{V}{LC}=0 $$ However, I am struggling to come up with the system of equations to reduce this to a system of First Order ODEs (like I could for the series example). How would one represent this Parallel RLC circuit as a system of First Order ODEs? Parallel RLC circuit

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    \$\begingroup\$ I think an answer (or close enough that you should be readily able to do whatever else you feel is needed) is already here at EESE. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 14, 2023 at 13:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ Also, just to be clear... is your question a state-space kind of thing? Sounds like it to me, looking back on this. But what do I know? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 14, 2023 at 14:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ @periblepsis I thank you for your response. I think this might be state-space kind of thing, though I haven't come across that terminology before. In regards to the similar answer - and this may be due to my own incompetence rather than anything else - I am simply looking for a way to reduce the 2nd order ODE to a system of First Order ODEs - this doesn't seem to be covered in the supplied article (though I will keep it for a later case). This is less about solving the question any which way and more - can it be solved this way? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 15, 2023 at 0:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yeah, then you are looking for a state-space approach. The linked page already has more than enough detail to move you almost to completion. But no, it doesn't hand you a state-space result, boxed up and neatly tied with a bow. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 15, 2023 at 0:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ In your case, the usual approach is to consider the current through the inductor as one state and the voltage across the capacitor as another state. So that's two states. This is usually done this way because the initial conditions (current in inductor and voltage across capacitor) are direct items of interest/knowledge. (This is the same thing, though, as knowing Q and d/dt Q.) Anyway, can you refine the question? I don't see anything to grab ahold of and run with. I could say what I think. But that may not help. Depends on your perspective, not mine. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 15, 2023 at 4:54

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TLDR: When going from series to parallel (parallel to series): switch V with I, L with C, R with 1/R, and Q with \$\Phi\$, the magnetic flux of the inductor.

Each term of the first two ODEs is a voltage. In the second ODE the standard defining relationships make this easy to see.

So in your parallel case it is the currents that add, so this is the standard starting point.

Rewriting the second equation: $$L \frac{dI}{dt}+RI+\frac{Q}{C}=0\tag{Equ 1}$$ reveals that the middle term is Ohm's law in a voltage form.

So replace current with voltage and write the middle term for the parallel case as Ohm's law in a current form: $$C\frac{dV}{dt}+\frac{V}{R}+\frac{X}{L}=0$$

What could X be?

Notice that changing L to C reveals the capacitor current in the first term on the left. So then it makes sense to change C to L as well. But the X-factor need to be clarified.

Comparing to your first equation we can write $$ C \frac{d^2X}{dt^2}+\frac{1}{R}\frac{dX}{dt}+\frac{X}{L}=0 $$ only if \$V=\frac{dX}{dt}\$.

Using Faraday's law of Induction:$$V=-\frac{d\Phi}{dt}$$ where \$\Phi\$ is the magnetic flux produced by the inductor current.

The last term still needs verification, but by substituting \$-\Phi\$ for X, the equation now is in the same form as your first one. $$ C \frac{d^2\Phi}{dt^2}+\frac{1}{R}\frac{d\Phi}{dt}+\frac{\Phi}{L}=0 $$

To verify the last term, look to Faraday's Law again and recognize that inductance is:$$L=\frac{-d\Phi}{dI_L}$$ Then integrating and solving yields: $$I_L=\frac{-\Phi}{L}$$

Of course this can be done with Kirchhoff, but he did not include charge or magnetic flux.

So now we have the equation in the form that your desire: $$C\frac{dV}{dt}+\frac{V}{R}+\frac{\Phi}{L}=0$$

So, "Which we can happily solves using matrices etc."

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