Math 2403 A3/B3
Summer 2008
Michael Burkhart
Syllabus

  1. Course Information. The website for this course is http://www.math.gatech.edu/~burkhart. Students should regularly check the website for announcements and new material. My office is Skiles 147 and I will hold office hours immediately following each lecture. Lectures take place in Howey-Physics L2 on TR from 12:00 to 1:45. Recitations take place in Skiles 254 on MW from 1:00 to 1:10 (A3) and from 1:20-2:30 (B3).

  2. Text and Material. The text for this course is Brannan and Boyce. Differential Equations: An Introduction to Modern Methods and Applications. Additionally, I recommend making sure you have access to both a linear algebra and a calculus text for reference.

  3. Projects. There will be THREE projects assigned during this course. The projects are found in the required text, at the end of each chapter. The projects must be completed in groups and will be presented in recitation. Projects will be presented on Mondays following completion of the necessary material in a Thursday lecture. Projects for chapters 1 and 2 will be presented on Monday 2-Jun. Projects for chapters 4 and 6 will be presented on Monday 30-Jun. Projects for chapter 4 will be presented Monday 14-Jul.

    MODIFICATION: Projects 2 and 3 have been cancelled. The reason for this change is that many students felt it was too heavy a burden to have projects due immediately before tests. My original intent was that the projects would not require a significant amount of work and would serve as a beneficial review for the tests.

  4. Homeworks, Tests, and Quizzes. No homework will be collected in this course although it is highly encouraged that you thoroughly understand EVERY problem presented in the text. There will be three tests given during the semester. Test 1 will cover chapters 1-3 and will be given on Wed 4-Jun. Test 2 will cover chapters 4 and 6 and will be given on Wed 2-Jul. Test 3 will cover chapter 5 and will be given on Wed 16 Jul. The tests will be an entire recitation class period in length (1h 10m). No make-ups will be given but you may replace your lowest test grade with your final exam grade. Also, there will be seven quizzes given during the term. These will be given on every Wednesday with the exception of the three Wednesdays on which tests are given and the last Wednesday of class. No make-ups will be given, although the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. The final exam for this course will be cumulative and also include selected topics from chapter 7 covered during the last two weeks of class. It will be held on 28-July from 8:00am to 10:50am. This is the time scheduled by the registrar.

    MODIFICATION: There will be eight quizzes given instead of seven. The lowest TWO will be dropped so that your highest SIX quiz grades are counted in your final average.

    MODIFICATION: Test 2 has been changed to Wed 9-Jul and test 3 has been changed to Wed 23-Jul. I realize that the third test is given on the final recitation of the semester. Be assured that your graded third test will be returned the following day in lecture to give you sufficient material from which to study for the final exam.

  5. Grading. Final grades will be computed from an average of your test grades, project average, quiz average, and final exam grade. The project average and the quiz average will each be weighted as test grade and the final exam will be weighted as two test grades. Alternatively, your lowest test grade may be replaced by your final exam grade if it is higher (thus only counting the highest of the two test grades and weighting the final as three test grades). If necessary, letter grades will be curved to ensure a fair distribution.