Course Information

Day One Handout

Course Outline

The course meets in slot 07, from 2:00-2:50 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, in SN 2064. My office hours are from 1-2PM on Mondays, 11AM - noon on Wednesdays, and 1-2PM on Fridays.

Textbook
It is recommended that you purchase 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 tenth edition is most current, 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 Seventh Edition.

  • 1/5: Introduction to Differential Equations
  • 1/7: §1.2 Solutions of Some Differential Equations, §1.3 Classification of Differential Equations
  • 1/9: §1.1 Some Basic Mathematical Models; Direction Fields
  • 1/12: §2.1 Linear Equations with Variable Coefficients
  • 1/14: §2.2 Separable Equations, HW1 distributed, Solutions
  • 1/16: §2.3 Modeling with First-Order Equations
  • 1/19: §2.4 Differences Between Linear and Nonlinear Equations
  • 1/21: Transformations of Nonlinear Equations, HW2 distributed, Solutions HW1 Due
  • 1/23: §2.5 Autonomous Equations and Population Dynamics
  • 1/26: §2.6 Exact Equations and Integrating Factors
  • 1/28: §2.6 Exact Equations and Integrating Factors, HW3 distributed, Solutions; HW2 Due
  • 1/30: §3.1 Homogeneous Equations with Constant Coefficients
  • 2/2: §3.2 Fundamental Solutions of Linear Homogeneous Equations
  • 2/4: Review for Midterm Exam 1, Practice exams, Solutions; HW3 Due
  • 2/6: Midterm Exam 1 (covers through end of lecture on 1/28), Solutions
  • 2/9: §3.3 Linear Independence and the Wronskian
  • 2/11: §3.3 Linear Independence and the Wronskian, HW4 distributed, Solutions
  • 2/13: §3.4 Complex Roots of the Characteristic Equation
  • 2/16: No class: Winter Semester Break
  • 2/18: No class: Winter Semester Break
  • 2/20: §3.5 Repeated Roots; Reduction of Order, HW4 Due
  • 2/23: §3.5 Repeated Roots; Reduction of Order
  • 2/25: §3.6 Nonhomogeneous Equations; Method of Undetermined Coefficients, HW5 distributed, Solutions
  • 2/27: §3.7 Variation of Parameters
  • 3/2: §3.8 Mechanical and Electrical Vibrations; §3.9 Forced Vibrations
  • 3/4: §4.1 General Theory of nth order Linear Equations, HW6 distributed, Solutions; HW5 Due
  • 3/6: §4.2 Homogeneous Equations with Constant Coefficients
  • 3/9: §4.3 The Method of Undetermined Coefficients
  • 3/11: Review for Midterm Exam 2, Practice exam, Solutions; HW6 Due
  • 3/13: Midterm Exam 2 (covers from start of lecture on 1/30 through end of lecture on 3/4)
  • 3/16: SNOW DAY
  • 3/18: §4.4 The Method of Variation of Parameters, HW7 distributed, Solutions; HW8 distributed, Solutions
  • 3/20: §4.4 The Method of Variation of Parameters
  • 3/23: §6.1 Definition of the Laplace Transform
  • 3/25: §6.2 Solution of Initial Value Problems; HW7 Due
  • 3/27: §6.2 Solution of Initial Value Problems
  • 3/30: §6.3 Step Functions, §6.4 Differential Equations with Discontinuous Forcing Functions
  • 4/1: Review for Final Exam, Table of Laplace Transforms, Practice Exam, Solutions; HW8 Due
  • Final Exam: see Schedule