Overview

This course introduces the systematic study of ordinary differential equations. Models of the physical world are most often expressed in terms of differential equations. In order to use such models, we have to figure out how the solutions of the differential equation behave and either compute particular solutions or more often approximate the solutions on the computer. In this course, we introduce some of the basic models of science and engineering and discuss techniques for computing, analyzing, and approximating solutions of such problems.

Course Work

There will be five one hour exams worth 100 points each, five fifteen minute quizzes worth 20 points each, one computer laboratory project worth 100 points, and a final exam worth 200 points. Teams of students will undertake the computer project. The final exam will be a two-hour cumulative exam over the entire course.

Course Work Schedule

Date

Work

Covering

8/31

Quiz 1

1.1-1.4

9/14

Exam 1

Chapters 1 and 2

9/21

Quiz 2

3.1, 3.4, 3.6

9/29 (Change!)

Exam 2

Chapter 3

10/5

Quiz 3

7.1-7.3

10/19

Exam 3

Chapter 7

11/2

Quiz 4

4.1, 5.1-5.4

11/9

Exam 4 (Takehome)

Chapters 4, 5

11/16

Computer Project Assigned

11/30

Quiz 5

6.1-6.4

12/4

Computer Project Due

Chapter 6

12/7

Exam 5

Final

2 hour cumulative final

Course Material

Ø      Differential Equation: Computing and Modeling  by C. H. Edwards and D. E. Penney

Ø      MATLAB© (There will be a class account on Mathematics computers with MATLAB).

Lecture Schedule

Regular lectures will be held during the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday class times. The Thursday class will be a recitation class devoted to solving homework problems as well as being used for quizzes and exams.

One exception to this arrangement will occur during September 7 – September 8 because of some travel I have planned. We will have a lecture during the class time on Thursday, September 7 and the recitation and quiz during the class time on Friday, September 8.