Course Information

Day One Handout

The course meets in slot 06, from 1:00-1:50 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, in C 4002. My office hours are Mondays, 9:30-11:30am, Wednesdays 11am-noon, and Thursdays, 3-4pm.

Textbook
It is loosely suggested that you acquire a copy of any edition of the book "Elementary Differential Equations" (or "Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems"), by W.E. Boyce and R.C. Diprima. While the eleventh edition is most current (and expensive), you need not purchase it; many older editions are available as used books for under $20.

D2L
This course will not be using D2L; all material online will be posted here.

Approximate Schedule

Section numbers below refer to those in the Tenth Edition.

  • 9/5: Introduction to Differential Equations
  • 9/9: §1.2 Solutions of Some Differential Equations, §1.3 Classification of Differential Equations
  • 9/10: §1.1 Some Basic Mathematical Models; Direction Fields
  • 9/12: §2.1 Linear Equations with Variable Coefficients, HW1 distributed, Solutions
  • 9/16: §2.2 Separable Equations
  • 9/17: §2.3 Modeling with First-Order Equations
  • 9/19: §2.4 Differences Between Linear and Nonlinear Equations, HW2 distributed, Solutions HW1 Due
  • 9/23: Transformations of Nonlinear Equations
  • 9/24: §2.5 Autonomous Equations and Population Dynamics
  • 9/26: §2.6 Exact Equations and Integrating Factors, HW3 distributed, Solutions HW2 Due
  • 9/30: §2.6 Exact Equations and Integrating Factors, Extra problems, Solutions
  • 10/1: §3.1 Homogeneous Equations with Constant Coefficients
  • 10/3: §3.2 Solutions of Linear Homogeneous Equations; the Wronskian, HW3 Due
  • 10/7: Review for Midterm Exam 1, Practice exams, Solutions
  • 10/8: Midterm Exam 1 (covers through end of lecture on 9/30), Solutions
  • 10/10: §3.2 Solutions of Linear Homogeneous Equations; the Wronskian
  • 10/16: §3.2 Solutions of Linear Homogeneous Equations; the Wronskian, Monday Schedule, HW4 distributed, Solutions
  • 10/17: §3.3 Complex Roots of the Characteristic Equation, Tuesday Schedule
  • 10/21: §3.4 Repeated Roots; Reduction of Order
  • 10/22: §3.4 Repeated Roots; Reduction of Order
  • 10/24: §3.5 Nonhomogeneous Equations; Method of Undetermined Coefficients, HW5 distributed, Solutions, HW4 Due
  • 10/28: §3.6 Variation of Parameters
  • 10/29: §3.7 Mechanical and Electrical Vibrations; §3.8 Forced Vibrations
  • 10/31: §4.1 General Theory of nth order Linear Equations, HW6 distributed, Solutions, HW5 Due
  • 11/4: §4.2 Homogeneous Equations with Constant Coefficients
  • 11/5: §4.3 The Method of Undetermined Coefficients
  • 11/7: §4.4 The Method of Variation of Parameters, HW6 Due
  • 11/12: Review for Midterm Exam 2, Practice exams, Solutions
  • 11/14:Midterm Exam 2 (covers from start of lecture on 10/01 through end of lecture on 10/29), Solutions
  • 11/15: §4.4 The Method of Variation of Parameters, Monday Schedule, HW7 distributed; Solutions; HW8 distributed; Solutions
  • 11/18: §6.1 Definition of the Laplace Transform
  • 11/19: §6.2 Solution of Initial Value Problems
  • 11/21: §6.2 Solution of Initial Value Problems; HW7 Due
  • 11/25: §6.3 Step Functions, §6.4 Differential Equations with Discontinuous Forcing Functions
  • 11/26: Review for Final Exam
  • 11/28: Review for Final Exam, Table of Laplace Transforms, Practice Exams; Solutions; HW8 Due
  • Final Exam: see Schedule; Departmental page about final exams