SYLLABUS FOR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Dr. Abdul Hassen

Office: Robinson Hall 3^rd Floor (Math. Dept.)  Tel. 256-4500 Ext. 3888

Office Hours: By appointment.

Prerequisite:  1701.230 Calculus III and 1701.210 Linear Algebra
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: 1701.321 Differential Equations 3 s.h.

Applications of ordinary differential equations and their methods of solution form the major part of this course. It also includes the solution of nth order equations, particularly of first and higher degree linear differential equations, and series and Laplace Transform solutions. Students can be asked to use computers and/or graphics calculators as an aid in solving equations.

OBJECTIVES: In few areas of college mathematics is the interaction of science and mathematics so marked as in the study of differential equations. The purpose of this course is to introduce the student not only to the theoretical aspects of differential equations, including the establishment of existence of solutions, but also to techniques for obtaining solutions for the various types of ordinary differential equations.

Technology:  In addition to the graphing calculators, students are required to use Mathematica and other computer software packages.

Text:  William E. Boyce and Richard C. DiPrima, Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems 10^th Edition. John Wiley and Sons.

Content:  We will cover the following sections from the text book.

CHAPTER 1 Introduction        (Sections 1 through 4)

CHAPTER 2       First Order Differential Equations           (All Sections)

CHAPTER 3        Second Order Linear Differential Equations    (All Sections)

CHAPTER 4       Higher Order Linear Equations     (All Sections)

CHAPTER 5       Series Solutions of Differential Equations         (Sections 2 through 5)

CHAPTER 6       The Laplace Transforms       (Sections 1 through 5)

CHAPTER 7       Systems of First Order Linear Equations (Sections 4 through 9)

CHAPTER 8       Numerical Methods      (Sections 1 through 4)

Grading Policy: Students will be graded based on four tests (80% of the total grade), homework (10% of the total grade), and three Mathematica assignments (10% of the total grade). The dates for the tests will be announced in class at least a week in advance. The four tests will cover the following sections from the textbook.

Test 1:  (20% of total grades) covers Chapters 1 and 2.
Test 2:  (20% of total grades) covers Chapters 3 and 4.
Test 3:  (20% of total grades) covers Chapters 5 and 6.

Test 4:  (20% of total grades) covers Chapters 7 and 8.

Numerical grades will be converted to letter grades by the following scale.

A(-) = 90 to 100, B(-,+)= 80 to 89, C(-,+)= 70 to 79, D(-,+)= 60 to 69, F= 0 to 59

Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes and be on time. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to study the section(s) covered and do the homework. If you are absent the day of a regularly scheduled test, a grade of zero is automatically recorded as your test score. You will be permitted to make up this zero only when you can confirm that you were absent for reasons beyond your control. In such cases, you must phone 256 - 4500 extension 3888 and leave a message for me including your name and phone number, the reason for your absence and the date you anticipate returning. Students who fail to leave the above information will be assigned the grade of zero for that test.

PASS NO CREDIT OPTION: There is no such option for this course. The grades I assign are A, B , C, D, F.

Cheating: Cheating on a test or assignment seriously undermines the integrity of the academic system and will not be tolerated. If I determine that a student has cheated, I will assign the grade of F for this course and send a letter to this effect to his advisor. Even though a student is not cheating, he or she is expected to refrain from actions which could be suspicious. Using common sense on your part should avoid unnecessary embarrassment.

Questions and Answers: The best time to ask questions is during class. Many times students fear that their questions will seem foolish, while in fact, many others also have the same question. I urge you to ask your questions during class. If you have questions that were not answered in class, you may stop by my office during the following office hours.

HOMEWORK: Click here for homework problems.

MATHEMATICA ASSIGNMENT There will be three Mathematica projects posted on BbCE.