Differential Equations

Spring 2008

Course Overview

Instructor: Dave Feldman	Email: dave@h0rnacek.c0a.3du
Office: Second Floor, Turrets Annex	Phone: x249, 276-5284
Mailing List: diffeq@h0rnacek.c0a.3du	Office Hours: By appointment: email, call, or just stop by

Course Overview

• Gain a solid introduction to differential equations: learn what differential equations are, be able to formulate original mathematical models using differential equations, and be able to use a variety of techniques to solve and understand differential questions, including numerical and qualitative methods.
• Gain experience conceptualizing, carrying out, and presenting research. This includes conceptualizing and framing research questions and problems, conducing a literature review, presenting results in a professional-style research talk, and writing up results in a style appropriate for publication.

Required Text: Belinda Barnes and Glenn R. Fulford. Mathematical Modelling with Case Studies: A Differential Equation Approach using Maple. Taylor & Francis. 2002. ISBN-10: 0-415-29804-0.

Strongly Recommended: Wayne C. Booth, Joseph M. Williams, Gregory G. Colomb. The Craft of Research, 2nd edition. University Of Chicago Press. 2003. ISBN-10: 0226065685. ISBN-13: 978-0226065687. There is supposedly a third edition coming out in April 2008. This book is awesome. If you plan on doing a final project or any other sort of research in the next four years, you should buy this book.

I am not certain how much of Barnes and Fulford we will be able to cover. I'd like to get through most of Chapters 1-3, 5-7, and 9, but I don't know how realistic this is.

Evaluation

• Weekly Homework Assignments: 45 percent.
• Class and Discussion Participation: 5 percent.
• Research Project: 50 percent.

Policies and Stuff

1. The final version of this and related documents can be found on the course web page, http://hornacek.coa.edu/dave/Teaching/Odes.08.
2. There will be approximately five required homework assignments. Chronically late homework assignments may result in me mentioning this in your narrative evaluation and may result in a lowering of your grade.
3. You are strongly encouraged to work together on homework. You can also consult me, class tutors, other faculty, friends, and family. However, the homework you hand in must represent your own understanding.
4. Information on what is expected in homework solutions can be found in a separate document.
5. Information on what is expected for your final presentation can be found in a separate document.
6. The extra Thursday class session will usually be devoted to discussion of various ideas, topics, and issues concerning research. Attendance and participation in these sessions is important.
7. In order to make time for final presentations, we'll need to schedule a few extra classes toward the end of the term. I would like to open up our final presentations to the full COA community.
8. As I plan on sending out homework assignments and other information via email, it is important that you check your email regularly.
9. I expect you to attend class. This is more the case than in other classes of mine. I'll cover topics in class that aren't in the book, and there will also be discussion and dialog.
10. At times I will assign reading for discussion in an upcoming class. It is important
11. We will be using the computer algebra system Maple. If you haven't learned to love Maple yet, you will soon.
12. Academic misconduct -- cheating, plagiarizing, etc. -- is bad. Any cases of academic misconduct will result in a judicial hearing, as per pp. 14-15 of the COA handbook. Possible consequences range from failure of the assignment to expulsion. For more, see the revised statement on academic integrity passed by the faculty several winters ago.
13. A more informal description of the course can be found here.