Fall Semester 2003-2004

MATH 3303: Ordinary Differential Equations

TR, 11:00-12:15, Room: Boyd Building 306

Textbook: Differential Equations with Boundary-Value Problems, Fifth Edition, by Dennis G. Zill and Michael R. Cullen, Brooks-Cole Publishing Company, 2001.

Instructor: Dr. Vu Kim Tuan                          Office: Boyd Building 325

Phone: 770-838-2579                                       E-mail: vu@westga.edu

Office Hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays: 10:00-11:00, 12:30-13:30. Feel free to stop by my office at any time during office hours or make an appointment to see me.

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to the subject of differential equations and has three components:

1. Existence theory and classical methods for first order equations (chapters 1&2)
2. Real life applications and the theory of linear equations (chapters 3&4)
3. Techniques and methods for solving general linear equations: operator method, power series, systems of linear equations and an introduction to the Laplace transform (chapters 6, 7&8).

We shall use the computer algebra system Maple for symbolic computations and for its linear algebra and integral transforms packages.

Learning Outcomes: the student will be able:

-To identify and classify a differential equation

-To decide whether a solution is unique and find its domain of existence

-To solve first order equations by classical methods

-To model a simple process and determine its evolution for large time

-To solve an inhomogeneous equation using undetermined coefficients or variation of parameters

-To find power series solutions of linear equations with analytic coefficients

-To solve systems of linear equations by methods of linear algebra

-To use computer resources to solve ordinary differential equations symbolically

Quizzes:

Weekly quizzes are given on Tuesdays, and they usually cover questions from the homework. Each quiz counts 20 points towards your final grade and the best 10 quizzes are counted

Tests:

There will be two 75 minutes tests worth 130 points each

Test 1: Thursday September 25^th, Test 2: Thursday November 6^th

Final Exam:

The final exam is comprehensive, and is Tuesday, December 9^th, 11 AM – 1 PM and counts 240 points towards your final grade

Evaluation:

Tests 2x130 points + Quizzes 10x20 points + Final 240 points = 700 points

Grades:

F=[0,420), D=[420, 490), C=[490-560), B=[560, 630), A=[630, 700]

W Deadline: October 9^th is the last day to withdraw with grade of W

Attendance: 6 absences lead to WF