Math 224 -Differential Equations
Fall 2012

Please note:

We will follow administrative details as established by Professor Kotelenez as far as possible. In particular, the last midterm exam of the class will still be on 11/19 in class. I will post a sample of earlier exams from my original section of 224 soon, to give an idea as to style. Please keep in mind, though, that there are six midterms in that class and so each one covers rather less material than the one in this class will.

Here are some sample exams and solutions:

Exam 1    Solutions
Exam 2    Solutions
Exam 3    Solutions
Exam 4    Solutions
Exam 5    Solutions
Exam 6    Solutions

Instructor: Elizabeth Meckes

Office: Yost 208

Phone: 368-5015

Email: ese3 [at] cwru.edu

Office Hours: Tuesdays, 2-3 and Thursdays 3-4

Textbook: Differential Equations, 4e by Blanchard, Devaney, and Hall

Course description:
From the course catalog:
A first course in ordinary differential equations. First order equations and applications, linear equations with constant coefficients, linear systems, Laplace transforms, numerical methods of solution. Prereq: MATH 223.

We will cover most of the material in chapters 1–3 of the textbook, and selected topics from chapters 4–7. In addition to attending the lectures, you should be reading the text book since there won't be time to discuss all the material in class.


Definition of a credit hour (approved by the Faculty Senate):
For courses in lecture format, one credit-hour represents the subject content that can be delivered in one academic hour of contact time each week for the full duration of one academic semester, typically fourteen weeks along with a final examination period. For undergraduate courses, one credit-hour also includes associated work that can be completed by a typical student in 2-3 hours of effort outside the classroom. (Emphasis mine)
If you are spending more than three hours outside of class per lecture on a regular basis, please let me know.

Homework:
How much you work on the homework problems is probably the single biggest factor in determining how much you get out of the course. If you are having trouble with the problems, please come ask for help; you will learn much more (and probably get a rather better grade) if you figure out all of the homework problems, possibly with help in office hours, than if you do them alone when you can and skip the ones you can't.

A couple articles worth reading:

Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits appeared in the Times in Fall 2010. It offers some advice about studying based on current pedagogical research.

Teaching and Human Memory, Part 2 from The Chronicle of Higher Education this past December. Its intended audience is professors, but I think it's worth it for students to take a look as well.


Some useful web applets:

Assignments:

Class dateBook section(s) Homework problemsHomework due date
October 24 3.1 2, 6, 17, 19, 20, 21. October 26
October 26 3.1, 3.2 Section 3.1: 24, 26, 32, 33.
Section 3.2: 2, 6, 14, 16, 19.		 November 2
October 29 3.3 2, 12, 14, 20, 24. November 2
October 31 3.4 4, 6, 10, 12, 15, 22. November 2
November 2 3.5 2, 4, 6, 8, 18. November 9
November 5 3.6 2, 10, 18, 26, 39, 40. November 9
November 7 3.7 1, 3, 6, 8, 12. November 9
November 9 3.8 4, 8, 9, 16, 19, 20. November 16
November 12 4.1 2, 6, 10, 14, 22, 26. November 16
November 14 4.2 4, 14, 17 November 16
November 16 4.3 2, 12, 16, 21. November 19 (Monday!)
November 16 and 21 5.1 2, 4, 8, 12, 27. November 26 (Monday!)
November 21 5.2 2, 4, 6, 10, 15. November 26 (Monday!)
November 26 6.1 2, 4, 10, 16, 19, 25. November 30
November 28 6.2 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. November 30
November 30 6.3 4, 8, 28, 30, 32. December 7
December 3 6.4 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. December 7
December 5 7.1 1(a,b,c,d), 2(a,b,c,d), 6, 10.
In #1(d) and #2(d), use n=20, 40, 60, 80, 100.		 December 7
December 7 7.2
7.3		 Section 7.2: 1, 2, 9, 10.
Section 7.3: 2, 4, 6. On all these use technology to carry out the Runge-Kutte method.		 Uncollected