INTRODUCTION TO ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
MATH 5410 SECTION 1
SYLLABUS
FALL 2003
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:40 to 10:30 in JWB 208
(On Tuesdays, class will be held in JWB 333).
Instructor: David Hartenstine
Office: JWB 112
Office Phone: 585-9113
Email: hartenst@math.utah.edu
Web: www.math.utah.edu/~hartenst
Text: Differential Equations: A Modeling Perspective, Borrelli and Coleman, Wiley.
Prerequisite: Math 3220, Foundations of Analysis II.
Office Hours: Mondays 1:00-3:00, Tuesdays 2:00-3:00, Wednesdays 1:002:00 or by appointment.
Course Outline: This course is an introduction to the theory and applications of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). We will cover most of
the first six chapters of the text. Time permitting, we may continue beyond Chapter 6. Topics will include: existence and uniqueness of solutions
to initial-value problems, continuous dependence of solutions on parameters
and initial conditions, techniques for solving ODEs, qualitative behavior of
solutions, methods for approximating solutions, systems of ODEs, and using
ODEs to model physical or other dynamic phenomena.
Exams: There will be two take-home exams. The first will be distributed
during the last full week in September; the second will be given out near the
end of October. There will not be a final exam.
Homework: Problems (usually from the text) will be assigned to be turned
in. In addition, a 1-2 page (typed, double-spaced) summary of the previous
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week’s material will be due each Tuesday. It is recommended (but not required) that you use LaTeX in preparing these summaries. You should strive
for clear, mathematically accurate, well-written reports.
Project: The final project consists of a written report (of approximately 10
pages) and a 10 minute oral presentation to the class. The papers are due
Wednesday, December 3, at 5 PM. The presentations will be done at the end
of the semester. The subject should be closely related to a topic considered
in the course. The instructor will distribute a list of ideas for possible topics,
but with the instructor’s approval, other topics are possible. Guidelines for
the project and evaluation criteria will be distributed with the suggested
topics.
Grading: The project counts for 25% of the overall grade. Each of the takehome exams contributes 25%, and the homework makes up the remaining
25%.
Computing: Mathematical software is an important tool for working with
ODEs. However, programming knowledge is not required, and furthermore,
is not the goal of this course. Some class time will be devoted to the use of
Matlab and related programs. Also, the use of this software will be necessary
in solving some of the homework problems. The computers in the Math
Center (as well as those in Marriott and other locations) are equipped with
Matlab.
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