Natural Transform for Solving Fractional High Order Differential Equations

Abstract

The natural transform (nt), a novel global method for solving fractional high-order differential equations (FDEs), is presented in this work. This technique functions as an all-encompassing integral transform that includes both Sumudu and Laplace transforms. Having inclusive fractional solutions for high-order fractional differential equations is the main goal of this work. The Caputo framework is used to express the fractional derivatives. To demonstrate the effectiveness, simplicity, and ease of use of the suggested approach and its applicability to the solution of differential equations in a variety of scientific domains, three problems are resolved.

Share and Cite:

Gafel, H.S. (2026) Natural Transform for Solving Fractional High Order Differential Equations. Advances in Pure Mathematics, 16, 341-350. doi: 10.4236/apm.2026.164018.

1. Introduction

The natural transform (nt), first introduced by Khan and Khan [1] as the N-transform, involved an examination of its properties and uses. Subsequently, Belgacem et al. [2] [3] established its inverse and examined further essential characteristics of this integral transform, labeling it the natural transform. The nt applications in solving symmetrical differential and integral equations, as well as in the distribution and Bohemians spaces, are discussed in [4]-[14]. This work uses the nt to provide analytical new examinations of fractional high-order differential equations. It is a universal integral transform of Sumudu (st) and Laplace transform (lt). For fractional high-order differential equations, the nt provides new inclusive fractional solutions. This paper presents a novel application of nt. It improved the earlier studies in [15]-[19] by solving high-order fractional differential equations. It helps us comprehend and explain occurrences related to fractional high-order differential equations.

2. Mathematical Preliminaries

In this section, we will go over the basic definitions and theorems of fractional derivatives and the nt:

Definition 2.1 [20]

Over the set of functions

A={ g( ι ):m, I 1 , I 2 >0,| g( ι ) |<m e | ι |/ τ j ,ifι ( 1 ) j ×[ 0, ) }

The natural transform of the function g( ι ) is defined by:

n[ g( ι ) ]=R( ,P )= 0 g( Pι ) e ι dι ,>0,P>0 (1)

where n[ g( ι ) ]=R( ,P ) is the natural transformation of the time function g( ι ) and the variables P and are the natural transform variables. When P1 in Equation (1) converges to Laplace transform [15]-[17] and 1 in Equation (1) converges to Sumudu transform [18] [19], respectively defined by:

[ g( ι ) ]= 0 g( ι ) e ι dι, (2)

[ g( ι ) ]= 0 g( ι ) e ι dι,( I 1 , I 2 ) (3)

Definition 2.2 [20]

Natural-Laplace duality (NSD). If R( ,P ) is the natural transform and G( ) is Laplace transform of function g( ι ) in A, then:

n[ g( ι ) ]=R( ,P )= 1 0 g( ι ) e ι P = 1 G( P ) (4)

Definition 2.3 [20]

Natural-Sumudu duality (NSD). If R( ,P ) is the natural transform and Q( P ) is Sumudu transform of function g( ι ) in A, then:

n[ g( ι ) ]=R( ,P )= 1 P 0 g( P ι ) e ι dι = 1 P Q( P ) (5)

Definition 2.4 [20]

If R( ,P ) is the natural transform of the function g( ι ) , then the natural transform of fractional derivative of order is defined as [10]-[12]:

n[ g ( ι ) ]= P R( ,P ) e=0 e1 ( r+1 ) P r g r ( 0 ) (6)

Definition 2.5 [20]

Convolution theorem of natural transform. If F( s,u ) , G( s,u ) are the natural transform of respective functions f( t ) , g( t ) both defined in set A then,

n[ y*g ]=Py( ,P )G( ,P ), (7)

where y*g is convolution of two functions y and g .

Definition 2.6 [21]

The fractional derivative of ( ι ) for 1<<,N,>0,A,,ιR in the Caputo sense is defined by

D ι g( ι )= J r D g( ι )= 1 Γ( r ) A ι ( ιI ) r1 g ( r ) ( ι )dι ,( >0 ) (8)

Definition 2.7 [22]

The Mittag-Leffler function with E ( g ) is defined via the series representation, valid in the whole complex plane is:

E ( g )= ι=0 g ι Γ( ι+1 ) (9)

The natural transform, its inverse, and the Caputo derivative formula are valid for functions g( ι ) that are at least m-times differentiable ( g C m ) and of exponential order, within admissible fractional orders ( M1,M ) . The Caputo derivative requires M1<<M and the Laplace-Sumudu transforms rely on g( ι ) being absolutely continuous, enabling the use of standard integer-order initial conditions. We chose the Caputo fractional derivative for our investigation due to these characteristics. The Caputo fractional derivative is useful for problems with non-local features and phenomena with interactions. In this sense, the equation might be compared to a memory. The memory effect is a more finely tuned aspect of the Caputo fractional derivative. It is the best tool for describing recollections. We can therefore conclude that the physical meaning of the fractional Caputo derivative is a memory indicator. The range of physical events shares many characteristics with typical ones. Finally, to replicate real-world problems, the Caputo derivative should be utilized as the fractional operator. This serves as the primary reason for incorporating the Caputo fractional-order derivative operator in various physical applications. Section 2 presents the basic definitions and theorems of fractional derivatives, and the nt. Section 3 presents the solutions to three fractional high order differential equations. The results of the study are outlined in Section 3.

3. Applications and Examples

In this section, we use the natural transform to provide general solutions for three fractional boundary value problems. Because the three chosen boundary value problems span a variety of difficulties, from straightforward linear differential equations with straightforward boundary conditions to higher-order equations and systems with or without exact solutions, they serve as representative test cases for the natural transform approach. This makes it possible to confirm how well the natural transform approach handles various differential types and complexities. The resolution of every BVP utilizing the natural transform approach is characterized by the following:

Step 1: Utilizing the natural transform technique on both sides of the BVP and streamlining the outcomes.

Step 2: Utilizing the inverse natural transformation technique on both sides of the boundary value problem.

Step 3: Plugging in 4 into the final outcomes of Step 2 to obtain the classical solution of the BVP and clarifying the effectiveness of the natural transform technique.

Problem 3.1 [23]

Consider a fractional Boundary Value Problem in the form below:

D ι θ( ι )=13<4,ι( 0,1 ),θ( 0 )= θ ( 0 )= θ ( 0 )=θ''''( 0 )=0 (10)

At 4 the exact solution is

θ( ι )= ι 4 4! . (11)

The solution

Applying nt on both sides of (10), we have

N[ D ι θ( ι ) ]=[ 1 ] (12)

On simplifying

P R( ,P ) 1 P θ( 0 ) 2 P 1 θ ( 0 ) 3 P 2 θ ( 0 ) 4 P 3 θ''''( 0 )= 1 (13)

i.e.,

R( ,P )= P +1 (14)

Applying the inverse nt of (14), we obtain

θ( ι )= ι Γ( +1 ) (15)

In the case 4 from (15), we have

θ( ι )= ι 4 Γ( 5 ) = ι 4 4! (16)

This is the exact solution of (10) obtained via [23] (See Figure 1, Figure 2).

Figure 1. Plot of the solution of (10) at various values of .

Figure 2. Plot of the solution of (10) at =4 in comparison with the exact solution obtained via [23].

Problem 3.2 [23]

Consider the following fractional Boundary Value Problem as follows:

D ι θ( ι ) 4 θ( ι )=03<4,ι( 0,1 ),θ( 0 )=1, θ ( 0 )= θ ( 0 )=θ''''( 0 )=0 (17)

At 4 the exact solution is

θ( ι )= 1 2 [ cos( ι )+cosh( ι ) ] (18)

The solution

Applying nt on both sides of (17), we have

N[ D ι θ( ι ) 4 θ( ι ) ]=0 (19)

On simplifying

P R( ,P ) 1 P θ( 0 ) 2 P 1 θ ( 0 ) 3 P 2 θ ( 0 ) 4 P 3 θ''''( 0 ) 4 R( ,P )=0 (20)

i.e.,

R( ,P )= 1 P 4 , (21)

1 P 4 = 1 ( 2 2 P 2 )( 2 + 2 P 2 ) (22)

By partial fraction decomposition, we obtain

1 ( 2 2 P 2 )( 2 + 2 P 2 ) = 1 2 [ 2 1 2 2 P 2 + 2 1 2 + 2 P 2 ] (23)

Then,

R( ,P )= 1 2 [ 2 1 2 2 P 2 + 2 1 2 + 2 P 2 ] (24)

Applying the inverse nt of (24), we obtain

θ( ι )= 1 2 N 1 [ 1 1 P 2 2 2 + 1 1+ P 2 2 2 ] (25)

Then,

θ( ι )= 1 2 E ( 2 ι 2 )+ 1 2 E ( 2 ι 2 ), (26)

E 2 ( 2 ι 2 )= f=0 ( 2 ι 2 ) f Γ( 2 f+1 ) , E 2 ( 2 ι 2 )= f=0 ( 2 ι 2 ) f Γ( 2 f+1 ) (27)

In the case 4 from (27), we have

E 2,1 ( 2 ι 2 )= f=0 ( 2 ι 2 ) f Γ( 2f+1 ) =cos( ι ), E 2,1 ( 2 ι 2 )= f=0 ( 2 ι 2 ) f Γ( 2f+1 ) =cosh( ι ) (28)

i.e.,

θ( ι )= 1 2 [ cos( ι )+cosh( ι ) ] (29)

This is the exact solution of (17) obtained by [23] (See Figure 3, Figure 4).

Figure 3. Plot of the solution of (17) at various values of .

Figure 4. Plot of the solution of (17) at =4 in comparison with the exact solution obtained via [23].

Problem 3.3 [23]

Consider a fractional Boundary Value Problem in the form below:

D ι θ( ι )+2 D ι 2 θ( ι )+θ( ι )=sinι3<4,ι( 0,1 ), θ( 0 )= θ ( 0 )= θ ( 0 )= θ ( 0 )=0 (30)

At 4 the exact solution is

θ( ι )= 1 8 [ 3sin( ι ) ι 2 sin( ι )3ιcos( ι ) ] . (31)

The solution

Applying nt on both sides of (30), we have

N[ D ι θ( ι )+2 D ι 2 θ( ι )+θ( ι ) ]=N[ sinι ]3<4,ι( 0,1 ) (32)

On simplifying

P R( ,P ) 1 P θ( 0 ) 2 P 1 θ ( 0 ) 3 P 2 θ ( 0 ) 4 P 3 θ''''( 0 ) +2( 2 P 2 R( ,P ) 2 1 P 2 1 θ( 0 ) 2 2 P 2 2 θ ( 0 ) )+R( ,P )= P 2 + P 2 (33)

i.e.,

P R( ,P )+2 2 P 2 R( ,P )+R( ,P )= P 2 + P 2 , (34)

R( ,P )= P +1 ( 2 + P 2 ) ( 2 + P 2 ) 2 (35)

Applying the inverse nt of (35), we obtain

θ( ι )= N 1 [ P 2 + P 2 P 2 2 + P 2 P 2 2 + P 2 ] (36)

Using convolution theorem of (36), we have

θ( ι )= 1 8 [ 3sin( ι ) ι 2 sin( ι 4 )3 ι 4 cos( ι 4 ) ] (37)

In the case 4 from (37), we have

θ( ι )= 1 8 [ 3sin( ι ) ι 2 sin( ι )3ιcos( ι ) ] (38)

This is the exact solution of (30) obtained by [23] (See Figure 5, Figure 6).

Figure 5. Plot of the solution of (30) at various values of .

Figure 6. Plot of the solution of (30) at =4 in comparison with the exact solution obtained via [23].

4. Conclusion

This study illustrated a novel technique known as the natural transform. It is a general approach of Laplace transform and Sumudu transform. In numerous scientific fields, it offers fresh generic solutions for fractional high-order differential equations. To shed light on the generalization of the algorithm, we compared the outcomes of the current approaches with those of other ways such as the Laplace transform, Sumudu transform and the precise answers. The figures demonstrate the simplicity, symmetric, quality, and generalizability of the proposed algorithm. Finally, but just as importantly, the natural transform is a novel generic method that may be applied to problems in a variety of scientific fields.

Acknowledgements

The researcher would like to acknowledge the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at the Taif University for funding this work.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

References

[1] Khan, Z.H. and Khan, W. (2008) N-Transform Properties and Applications. NUST Journal of Engineering Sciences, 1, 127-133.
[2] Belgacem, F.B.M. and Silambarasan, R. (2012) Theory of Natural Transform. Mathematics in Engineering, Science and Aerospace, 3, 99-124.
[3] Al-Omari, S.K.Q. (2013) On the Application of Natural Transforms. International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, 85, 729-744.[CrossRef]
[4] Bulut, H., Baskonus, H.M. and Belgacem, F.B.M. (2013) The Analytical Solution of Some Fractional Ordinary Differential Equations by the Sumudu Transform Method. Abstract and Applied Analysis, 2013, 1-6.[CrossRef]
[5] Loonker, D. and Banerji, P.K. (2013) Natural Transform for Distribution and Boehmian Spaces. Mathematics in Engineering, Science and Aerospace, 4, 69-76.
[6] Loonker, D. and Banerji, P.K. (2014) Natural Transform and Solution of Integral Equations for Distribution Spaces. American Journal of Mathematics and Sciences, 3, 65-72.
[7] Loonker, D. and Banerji, P.K. (2013) Applications of Natural Transform to Differential Equations. Journal of Indian Academic Mathematics, 35, 151-158.
[8] Abdl-Rahim, H.R., Alharbi, S.A. and Ismail, G.M. (2025) Generalized Solutions of Fractional Burger’s Equation and Rational Physical Systems via a Neoteric Algorithm. Fractals, 9, 1-18.[CrossRef]
[9] Abdl-Rahim, H.R., Alharbi, S.A. and Ismail, G.M. (2025) Analytical Study for Some Fractional Physical Models via Natural Transform Pade’ Approximation Method. Fractals, 9, 1-14.[CrossRef]
[10] Abdl-Rahim, H. (2024) Sumudu Transform Pade’ Approximation Method for Solving Fractional Physical Models. Sohag Journal of Sciences, 9, 167-173.[CrossRef]
[11] Abdl-Rahim, H.R., Ahmad, H., Nofal, T.A. and Ismail, G.M. (2023) Analytical and Approximate Solutions for Fractional Systems of Nonlinear Differential Equations. European Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, 16, 2632-2642.[CrossRef]
[12] Abdl-Rahim, H.R., Zayed, M. and Ismail, G.M. (2022) Analytical Study of Fractional Epidemic Model via Natural Transform Homotopy Analysis Method. Symmetry, 14, Article 1695.[CrossRef]
[13] Ismail, G.M., Abdl-Rahim, H.R., Ahmad, H. and Chu, Y. (2020) Fractional Residual Power Series Method for the Analytical and Approximate Studies of Fractional Physical Phenomena. Open Physics, 18, 799-805.[CrossRef]
[14] Ismail, G.M., Abdl-Rahim, H.R., Abdel-Aty, A., Kharabsheh, R., Alharbi, W. and Abdel-Aty, M. (2020) An Analytical Solution for Fractional Oscillator in a Resisting Medium. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 130, Article 109395.[CrossRef]
[15] Spiegel, M.R. (1965) Theory and Problems of Laplace Transforms. Schaums Outline Series. McGraw-Hill.
[16] Debnath, L. (2005) Bhattforms Theory and Applications. Springer.
[17] Belgacem, F.B.M., Karaballi, A.A. and Kalla, S.L. (2003) Analytical Investigations of the Sumudu Transformand Applications to Integral Production Equations. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2003, 103-118.[CrossRef]
[18] Belgacem, F.B.M. and Karaballi, A.A. (2006) Sumudu Transform Fundamental Properties Investigations Andapplications. International Journal of Stochastic Analysis, 2006, Article 91083.[CrossRef]
[19] Loonker, D. and Banerji, P.K. (2013) Solution of Fractional Ordinary Differential Equations by Natural Transform. International Journal of Mathematical Engineering and Science, 2, 2277-6982.
[20] Podlubny, I. (1999) Fractional Differential Equations. In: Mathematics in Science and Engineering, Academic Press.
[21] Caputo, M. and Fabrizio, M. (2015) A New Definition of Fractional Derivative without Singular Kernel Fractional Differential Equations. Progress in Fractional Differentiation and Applications, 2, 73-85.
[22] Mittag-Leffler, G. (1903) Sur la Nouvelle Fonction Eα(x). Comptes Rendus de lAcademie des Sciences Paris, 137, 554-558.
[23] Singh, G. and Singh, I. (2020) Laplace Transform Method for Solving Fourth Order Odes. International Conference of Futuristic Strategies of ICT for Digitalization and Sustainable Development, Jalandhar, 7-8 February 2020, 146-151.

Copyright © 2026 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.