Math 2552   Differential Equations (L Sections)   Fall 2016

Syllabus

Instructor: Chongchun Zeng

Participation: Attendence in classes is mandatory. Students are expected to read the material before each lecture. It is suggested that you start to work on homework problems right after they are assigned although they are not collected.

Textbook: Differential Equations: An Introduction to Modern Methods & Applications/3rd edition, by J. R. Brannan and W. E. Boyce, published by Wiley.

Material: In this semester, the topics we will cover include: an introduction, first order equations, second order linear equations, systems of first order linear equations, methods of Laplace transform, and nonlinear systems. We will cover most parts of Chapter 1 through Chapter 7 if time allows.

Calculators: Unless explicitly required by the problem, calculators are not allowed in exams or quizzes (and are not really necessary).

Grades: 1 final exam 40%, 2 midterm 18% each, 8 quizzes 3% each. (More quizzes might be given but only the best 8 scores will be counted.) 

• Exams: The final will be 2 hours and 50 minutes for which the schedule can be found at the GT final exam calender webpage. Tentatively the 2 midterms of 50 minutes each will be given in recitations on Mon. Sept. 19th and Mon. Oct. 24th. All the exams are "closed book" and  "closed notes". You will be allowed to bring with you a one page (Letter size, i.e. 8.5 X 11, both sides) "cheat sheet" with anything you want written on it. Please write your exam solutions in ink and circle the final answer of each problem in a box with no corections inside. Writing exams in pencil would automatically forfeit your right to argue for credits after the exam is given back to you. There will be no make-up for any missed exams, except under provable impossibility to attend the exam.

• Quizzes: The quizzes of roughly 20--25 minutes each will take place in the recitation sessions. They may not be announced in advance. The quizzes are open-textbook and open-notes, except the solution part in the back of the textbook..

• Homework (not collected): Although homework will not be collected, the importance of exercises can never be over-emphasized. Some problems in the exams or quizzes will be chosen from the assigned exercises. Homework will be assigned regularly and put on this webpage in the below. You may discuss the homework problems with other students in this class, but you are encouraged to complete the homework independently. These problems will be discussed in the recitation sessions.

• Letter grade: in general, the letter grade will be given based on the total score (quizzes + midterms + final) in a curved fashion with the following exceptions:

1. Total score 90/100 or above will always be an A
2. Total score 60/100 or above will always be a C or higher.

 
Homework assignments: 

• Assigned on Tue. 8/23: Sec. 1.1  2, 6, 10;  Sec1.3.  3, 11, 17;   Sec. 1.2  3, 14, 19, 25, 26, 28
• Assigned on Thu. 8/25:  None
• Assigned on Tue. 8/30: Sec. 2.1  3, 4, 6, 13, 14, 29;  Sec. 2.2  2, 7, 11, 15, 18, 22, 23;
• Assigned on Thu. 9/1: Sec. 2.3  3, 6, 12, 13, 16, 20
• Assigned on Tue. 9/6: Sec. 2.4  2, 6, 9, 13, 14, 17, 23;  Sec. 2.5  4, 6, 9, 10; 
• Assigned on Thu. 9/8:  Sec. 2.6  4, 10, 11, 13, 15
• Assigned on Tue. 9/13:  Sec. 2.7  4, 5, 12
• Assigned on Thu. 9/15:  Sec. 3.1  4, 11, 15, 26, 31
• Assigned on Tue. 9/20: Sec. 3.2  5, 6, 7, 18, 24, 27;  Sec. 3.3  7, 8, 14, 15, 22, 24, 34;
• Assigned on Tue. 9/27:  Sec. 3.4  2, 6, 7, 9, 15, 16
• Assigned on Tue. 9/29:  Sec. 3.5  4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 14;  
• Assigned on Tue. 10/4:  Sec. 3.6  3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 16;  Sec. 4.1  12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20;  Sec. 4.2  5, 6, 9, 18, 21, 23, 26
• Assigned on Thu. 10/6:  Sec. 4.3  4, 5, 13, 16, 21, 31, 32, 37
• Assigned on Thu. 10/13: Sec. 4.4  6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 18, 19
• Assigned on Tue. 10/18:  Sec. 4.5  3, 4, 11, 16, 19, 22, 23;  
• Assigned on Thu. 10/20:  Sec. 4.6  7, 11, 14, 17, 20;  
• Assigned on Tue. 10/25:  Sec. 4.7  12, 17, 4, 5, 8;  Sec. 6.1  3, 6, 8, 12, 13
• Assigned on Thu. 10/27:  Sec. 6.2  4, 5, 8, 10, 14, 15; 
• Assigned on Tue. 11/1:  Sec. 6.3  3, 4, 7, 12, 14, 16, 21;  Sec. 6.4  3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 13, 16
• Assigned on Tue. 11/8:  Sec. 6.5  4, 5, 13, 14, 16, 22;  Sec. 6.6  4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16
• Assigned on Thu. 11/10:  Sec. 6.7  4, 5, 7, 8, 11
• Assigned on Tue. 11/15:  Sec. 5.1  3, 9, 13, 17, 18, 23, 28;  Sec. 5.2  5, 6, 14, 17, 21
• Assigned on Thu. 11/17:  Sec. 5.3  5, 8, 15, 16, 21, 24;
• Assigned on Tue. 11/22:  Sec. 5.4  9, 11, 12, 15, 22, 25
• Recommended on Tue. 11/29:  Sec. 5.5  6, 8, 11, 16, 17, 20, 23;   Sec. 5.6  2, 4, 9, 12, 17
• Recommended on Thu. 12/1:  Sec. 5.7  3, 6, 10, 13, 14, 18.