MATH 286: INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIAL
EQUATIONS
SPRING 2015
Class time: MWF 2:35 PM- 3:25 PM
Lecture Room: BU 108
Lab Room: RT 1501
Professor: Dr. Daniel Munther
Office: 1540 Rhodes Tower (RT)
Phone: 216-523-7184
Email: d.munther@csuohio.edu
Office hours: 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM MWF, and by appointment
Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MTH 182
Text: A modern introduction to Differential Equations, 2nd Ed., H.J.
Ricardo
Course Synopsis: In this course we will study ordinary differential equations from both an analytical and numerical point of view. While the main theme of the class involves formulating theory for solving general problems, we will touch on specific applications involving population biology, epidemiology, physics, and more. We plan to cover chapters 1-7 of the textbook
(not all sections in every chapter will be covered). In addition to analytical techniques, we will make use of the software MATLAB to generate computer simulations. As these simulations help give essential insight into dynamic behavior, we will meet periodically in the Mathematics Computer
Lab (Rhodes Tower 1501) (note this software is available on lab computers ).
Blackboard: This course will make use of the CSU online course management system: https://bblearn.csu.ohio.edu/MACAuth/login.jsp. Visit the site frequently for course information, announcements, schedule changes, supplemental material, useful links and other resources.
Exams: Two in-class exams will be given. Each test is worth 20 % of your grade. Tentative dates for the exams are as follows
Exam 1 Feb 20th , Exam 2 April 3rd .
There will also be a take-home final exam, worth 30% of your grade. I will provide more details concerning the final exam towards the end of the course.
1

2 MATH 286: INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS SPRING 2015
Exam Policy: No make up exams will be given. Absence from an exam will only be excused if you present clear, checkable evidence of acceptable
(and in this case they will be exceptional) circumstances. The grade for an excused exam absence will determined from your final exam grade. Note that exam absences that are not excused will penalize your grade. If you miss an exam due to medical reasons, your medical excuse must explicitly indicate that you could not be in class. NOTE: all students must bring their
CSU ID’s to both exams.
Quiz Policy: We will have roughly 7 in-class quizzes which will count for
10% of your grade. Quizzes will be comprised of exam level questions and will give you an idea of the standard I expect as well as your understanding of the material. See the calendar below for quiz dates.
Lab Policy: Computer lab work will count for 20 % of your grade. Assignments can be turned in early but not late. Any late material will be penalized 10 % each day it is late, if accepted. Once solutions are given or graded assignments are returned no corresponding late assignment will be accepted. You must write your own solutions, but I strongly encourage discussion and interaction.
Exercises: There will be no collected homework in the class, but I will post suggested exercises on Blackboard. Working through all these problems is essential for success in this course as typically quiz and exam problems will relate to these. Also, I encourage you to bring questions from these problems to class so that we can discuss them openly. You will find some of them quite challenging so don’t fall behind.
Grade Breakdown:
Quizzes/Labs:
Exam 1:
Exam 2:
30%
20%
20%
Final Exam: 30%
A 93%-100%
A90%-92%
B+ 87%-89%
B 83%-86%
B80%-82%
C+ 75%-79%
C 70%-74%
D 60%-69%
F < 60%
Academic Character: I expect each student to conduct him/herself with integrity, honesty and clarity during any activity of our course. It is our responsibility to create and uphold an atmosphere that fosters learning, honest questions and respect. In terms of academic work please consult the

MATH 286: INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS SPRING 2015 3
CSU Student Handbook (online thru myCSU) for university policies on plagiarism, fraud, dishonesty, and cheating.
American Disabilities Act: Disabled students who need any academic accommodations should do two things: (i) register with the Office of Disability Services and (ii) bring a letter from the Office of Disability Services to me indicating your accommodation needs.
Schedule: (Disclaimer: I reserve the right to modify the schedule as our course progresses.) The following sections from the text will be covered on the respective dates. Q i indicates quiz number i .
Jan 12 - 1.1, 1.2
Jan 14 - 1.2,1.3
Jan 16 - 2.1 (Q1)
Jan 19 - MLK Day Jan 21 - 2.1
Jan 23 - 2.2
Jan 26 - Lab 1
Feb 2 - 2.4
Jan 28 - 2.2
Feb 4 - 2.5
Jan 30 - 2.3 (Q2)
Feb 6 - 2.6 (Q3)
Feb 9 - 4.1
Feb 16 - 4.3
Feb 23 - 4.4
Mar 2 - 5.1
Feb 11 - 4.1
Feb 18 - Review
Feb 25 - 4.5
Mar 4 - 5.2
Feb 13 - 4.2, 4.3
Feb 20 - Exam 1
Feb 27 - 4.6 (Q4)
Mar 6 - 5.2 (Q5)
Mar 9 - S BK
Mar 16 -5.3
Mar 23 - 5.4
Mar 30 - 5.5
Apr 6 - 6.1
Apr 13 - 6.3
Apr 20 - 7.2
Apr 27 - 7.3
Mar 11 - S BK
Mar 18 - 5.3
Mar 25 - 5.4
Apr 1 - Review
Apr 8 - 6.2
Apr 15 - 6.3
Apr 22 - 7.2
Apr 29 - 7.3
Mar 13 - S BK
Mar 20 - Lab 2
Mar 27 - 5.5 (Q6)
Apr 3 - Exam 2
Apr 10 - 6.2 (Q7)
Apr 17 - 7.1
Apr 24 - Lab 3
May 1 - Topic
Topic List: First order differential equations, numerical approximations of solutions, second and higher order differential equations, systems of differential equations, the Laplace transform, systems of nonlinear differential equations, linear approximation.