Ordinary Differential Equations (Math 331.7) Spring 2018
(While under construction, please be patient: more details will follow during the semester.)
Time and Place:
Tuesdays & Thursdays 2:30-3:45PM in Goessmann 51 (southwestern corner of building, ground floor)
Office Hours:
Before class (1-2:15PM Tu & Th) starting in LGRT 1535 or 1435G (and migrating toward the classroom); and in any event, please make an appointment via email: profkusner@gmail.com
Teaching Assistants:
Mondays: Xueying Yu 4-6PM, Jie Wang 5-6PM in HASA 228
Tuesdays: Cory Ward 4-6PM, Xueying Yu 5-6PM in HASA 228
Wednesdays: Jonathan Maack 4-6PM, Cory Ward 5-6PM in HASA 228
Thursdays: Jie Wang 4-6PM, Jonathan Maack 5-6PM in HASA 228
Course Description and Prerequisites:
Introduction to ordinary differential equations. First and second order linear differential equations, systems of linear differential equations, Laplace transform, numerical methods, applications. To be successful in the class, you should have a good working knowledge of Calculus (Math 131, Math 132 and perhaps Math 233) and bit of Linear Algebra (Math 235).
Required Text:
Elementary Differential Equations, 11th Edition (2017) by William E. Boyce, Richard C. DiPrima & Douglas B. Meade.
An electronic copy of the textbook is integrated in the homework system Wiley-Plus that we will use for the class. When setting-up your account with Wiley-Plus there will be an option to purchase a hard copy of the book for a (small) extra-fee.
Step 1: Go
to Wiley
web site (special link for UMass) to purchase the eTextbook +
Wiley-Plus registration code at the special price of $50. For an extra
fee of $25 you can also purchase a hard copy of the book. Students
MUST use their discount code here; if you purchase on any other link,
you will not get the discount.
Step 2: Watch the video on basics of purchasing, registering and accessing support.
Step 3: Find your class section by browsing or directly using
the following course ID
Section 331.7 Course ID: 626220
Create an account (be sure to use your UMASS CAMPUS EMAIL as your username, type in the exactly same first name and last name as you used on SPIRE) and sign-up for your class using the discount code you purchased at the above site. Please make sure to sign up for the correct section.
Go to the Wiley-Plus web site to sign in and complete homework.
Homework Topic Schedule:
Please see the course chair's webpage for further schedule details and written homework, the first of which will be drawn from the midterm practice problems: please start on these now!
Try solving all 25 of them before you take the midterm exam next Thursday at 7PM 22 February in ISB 135 (you may also want to bring a calculator to the exam). And please write up and turn in the following 5 midterm practice problems - 3, 8, 9, 23, 24 - as homework at the beginning of class on Thursday 22 February - this is the only time and place this homework will be accepted! (Here are the course chair's solutions - no guarantees! ;-)
The second written homework - please turn in the EVEN problems only - is due at the beginning of class on Thursday 12 April - as before, this is the only time and place this homework will be accepted! (Later, I'll email you all the solution sketches - but again, no guarantees! ;-)
The third written homework - please do and turn in ALL the problems - is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday 1 May - this is the only time and place this homework will be accepted!
You should attempt all the final written homework BEFORE the final exam. Problems 1, 2, 8, 13, 15, 16 & 18 may be submitted for EXTRA CREDIT before noon on Monday 7 May by slipping the completed - and stapled!!! - problem set under my office (LGRT 1435G) door.
Grading:
Course grades will be based in roughly equal parts on the homework (on-line and written), on the midterm (7-9PM Th 22 Feb), and on the final exam (TBA). Please see the course chair's webpage for further grading details.
Exam details:
The Midterm Exam is scheduled for 7PM Thursday 22 February 2018 in ISB 135. You may want to bring (and use) a calculator!
All students are expected to take the exam at the regular time and place, unless they have contacted both me and the course chair at least 10 days in advance about qualifying (because of another exam with a higher SPIRE priority) for the make-up exam (7PM Friday 23 February in LGRT 219).
The Final Exam is now scheduled on SPIRE for 10:30AM Friday 4 May 2018 in Mahar 108. Please check SPIRE for any updates!
All students are expected to take the final exam at the regular time and place, unless they have contacted both me and the course chair at least 2 weeks in advance about qualifying for any special accomodations (for instance, the make-up exam is 2-4PM Monday 7 May in LGRT 219, and you need to email both me and the course chair with the reason you might qualify). Furthermore, it is the student's responsibility to contact Disability Services by Wednesday 18 April to arrange taking the final exam there.
Students have asked "Will there be a table of Laplace Transforms on the exam sheet?" The answer: of course!
Have a great summer!!!!!!
