Differential Equations and Linear Algebra
Math 3740, Section 100
Fall Semester 2009
General Information and Syllabus
Homework Assignments and Announcements
Contact information for your instructor
Course Description. (Copied from Mathematics Department website.) Slope fields, first-order differential equations and applications, linear differential equations, numerical methods, solutions of systems of linear algebraic equations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, system of differential equations, and series solutions. The computer algebra system Maple will be used to explore some of these topics. Prerequisite: A passing grade in Math 2720. Credits: 4 hours.
Coordinates of Class Meetings. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, 9:00-9:50, room 3391 of Rood Hall.
Basis of Evaluation.
Homework and quizzes: 35%
Maple Lab Project: 10%
50-Minute Exams (3): 30%
Final Exam: 25%
Homework and Quizzes. Homework is assigned every 2 weeks. There are two steps to submitting homework. First solve every problem assigned. Then write their solutions clearly, completely, and legibly. Scratchwork is not worth credit. Quizzes are often announced in advance, but not always.
Maple Lab Project. At some time near the middle of the semester, you are assigned a project whose completion requires use of the computational software Maple. Your work on this project is due near the end of the semester. Maple is installed on all of the computers in the Rood Hall computer lab. You must work on this project in teams of 2 or 3 students per team.
50-Minute Exams. There are 3 exams given throughout the semester, each lasting a duration of 50 minutes. The dates of the exams are September 25, October 23, and November 24. The topics covered on each exam are announced at least a week in advance of the exam.
Final Exam. The final exam is comprehensive over all material covered throughout the semester. Unless otherwise announced or arranged, the final exam lasts from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 15.
Required Text. C. Henry Edwards and David E. Penney. Differential Equations & Linear Algebra. 3rd ed. Prentice Hall, 2010. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-605425-2. Bring your copy of the text to every class meeting.
Calculator. You must have a graphing calculator, know how to use it, and bring it to every class meeting. Calculators are allowed on most quizzes and exams, although exceptions are bound to arise. You are not allowed to use a device having a qwerty keypad or a radio receiver on any exam or quiz.
Other Technologies. Neatness is a requirement for all homework you submit. If you normally use pencil, eraser, straightedge or ruler, and standard notebook paper, then this is probably not a major concern. Thus, you are advised to refrain from using ink pens, remove the rough edges if you use a spiral-bound notebook, and bind your pages with a staple or a paper clip if necessary. More suggestions are offered here.
Student Conduct. Your instructor assumes that you are enrolled in this class because, at the very least, you want to participate in the University Community. In case there is any doubt, there is a code of conduct which you must follow and which your instructor enforces. In particular, the use of any radio communication device during class violates this code (unless there is a life-or-death emergency). These policies and procedures are described at the website for the Office of Student Conduct.
Expectations. Attend and participate in every class meeting. Spend at least 10 hours per week outside of class on this subject. Improve your writing skills. Take pride in your work. Be inquisitive about difficult concepts. Maintain a positive attitude. Have an open mind, and never assume anything.
Course Outline. (Borrowed from Mathematics Department syllabus.) First-order differential equations, slope fields, initial-value problems, separable equations Euler's method, the Runge-Kutta method, qualitative analysis of solutions, linear systems of DE's, matrices, vector spaces, linear independence, eigenvalues, eigenspaces, second-order linear DE's, periodic solutions, damped solutions, nonlinear DE's, Laplace transforms, the matrix exponential.