Math 0290 Honors

Honors Differential Equations

(Math 0290 Honors)

Spring 2008

Time and place:

Lectures: MWF 10:00-10:50 am, Bendm 424

Instructor: Anna Vainchtein

Office Hours: W 11 -12 am and 1-2 pm or by appointment (send me an e-mail)

Office: Thackeray 611

Phone: (412) 624-8309

E-mail: aav4@pitt.edu

http://www.math.pitt.edu/~annav/math0290H.html

Text: "Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems: Computing and Modeling", by C. Henry Edwards and David E. Penney, Prentice Hall, 2004 (3rd edition) or 2008 (4th edition). Either edition is fine: they are essentially the same; I will indicate any differences in problem numbers if they exist. Note that the bookstore has only the newest 4th edition and no used copies. You can purchase a (much cheaper) used copy of the 3rd edition on the internet.

Here are supplementary notes on using row reduction to compute the inverse and determinant.

Grader: Lawrence Udeigwe

Course schedule and homework problems

Important announcements

The week after the break, there will be no office hours on Wednesday, March 19. Instead, the office hours that week will be held on Thursday, March 20, 1-3 pm. The regular office hours will resume afterwards.

Exam 1 is on Monday, February 11. Books, notes and calculators are not allowed but you can bring a one-page handwritten "cheat sheet" (no photocopies or printouts) to the exam. In addition to the in-class review, I will hold extra office hours on Friday, February 8, 4-6 pm.

Homework solutions are available after the due date in the Math Library (4th floor of Thackeray). Ask for MATH 0290H folder.

Homework Each week I will assign about 15 problems to be handed in. Out of these 5 randomly selected problems will be graded. It is your responsibility to regularly check here for current homework assignments. Homework will be due each Friday at the end of class. I normally do not accept late homework. However, in exceptional circumstances an extension may be granted until the following Monday. If you believe you have a good reason for an extension, you need to notify me ASAP before the homework is due.

ODE Tools

Some of the homework problems will require the use of the following Java gadgets for graphically solving ordinary differential equations. You don't need any specialized software on your computer to use them. You only need a browser with Java support.

ODE solver, direction fields for equations of the form dx/dt = f(x,t).
Simple phase plane gadget for autonomous systems of two equations of the form dx/dt=f(x,y), dy/dt=g(x,y).
More sophisticated direction field and phase plane applets with lots of useful features (click on DFIELD for direction field and PPLANE for phase plane)
DFIELD/PPLANE User Manual

Exams: There will be two in-class midterm exams, tentatively scheduled for Monday, February 11 (Exam 1) and Monday, March 24 (Exam 2). Calculators will not be allowed (or needed) during these exams. These two exams are closed book, closed notes but a one-page "cheat sheet" will be allowed. In addition, in lieu of the final exam, a take-home Exam 3 will be given on the last day of class, tentatively due on April 25 in my office.

Grades: (Tentative as of 1/7/08) Your class grade will be determined as follows:

homework 25%
three exams, each worth 25%

Missed exam policy: If you have to miss an exam due to an illness or a family emergency, you should notify me ASAP. If you know ahead of time that you are going to have to miss an exam, it may be possible for you to take the exam early.