Differential Equations                     Instructor: Martin Jackson
MATH 301                     Office: Thompson 602
Fall 2004                     Phone: 879-3567
MWTF 11:00-11:50 Thompson 320                     E-mail: martinj@ups.edu


Course Overview and Text
This course centers on solving and analyzing ordinary differential equations (as opposed to partial differential equations, the subject of Math 302). After successfully completing this course, a student should be able to
Calculus and linear algebra are prequisites for this course.
The course text is Differential Equations and Their Applications, 4th ed., Martin Braun, Springer-Verlag, 1993. We will cover topics in the first four chapters of this text.


Course Web Pages
Web pages for this course are located at
www.math.ups.edu/~martinj/courses/fall2004/m301/m301.html
You can get to this page by following links at www.math.ups.edu/~martinj. The web site will have a list of assignments and due dates. I will also post announcements and comments about questions or issues that come up in class. You should check the web site for new announcements several times each week. Class handouts will be available to download as PDF files.


Grading, Coursework, and Policies
In class, we will discuss new material, respond to questions from reading the text, and work through assigned problems on which there are difficulties. When we discuss new material, the focus will be on "the big picture." That is, we will look at new ideas in their simplest form and how these ideas fit together. Often, we will not consider details and variations in depth during a first pass through new material. Your mastery of the details will begin outside of class with a careful reading of the text and work on the assigned problems. We will address the details by responding to questions on the reading and problems that you bring to class. You are expected to participate in class by being present (and alert), by responding to questions I pose, and by asking the questions that you have.
Outside of class, you should read the relevant sections of the text carefully. This will generally include working through the reasoning of arguments and filling in steps that are omitted in calculations. You should keep a list of specific questions from the reading and find answers to those questions either in class, with me outside of class, or with study partners.
Coursework will include homework problems, exams, and a comprehensive final exam.
The text is also a source of problems that are essential in building understanding and skill. I will assign homework problems from the textbook on which I expect you to spend considerable time and effort. I will also designate problems to be collected and evaluated. For these problems, you should write up careful solutions using the standards of proper technical writing. You should not get in the habit of focusing only on the problems designated to be turned in. You will need to do many more problems in order to become facile with the concepts, techniques, and applications.
We will have four exams during the semester. These will be a combination of in-class and take-home. I will give you at least one week notice before any in-class exam.
The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 15 from 8:00-10:00 am. The final exam may also include a take-home component.
To determine course grades, I calculate a total course score with homework problems weighted at 20%, exams weighted at 60%, and the final exam weighted at 20%. I assign a preliminary course grade based on an objective standard (93.3-100% for an A, 90.0-93.2% for an A-, 86.7-89.9% for a B+, 83.3-86.6% for a B, etc.). I then look at each student's performance subjectively. Occasionally I will assign a course grade that is higher than the objective standard. For example, if a student has a grade of B according to the objective standard but has shown steady improvement, I might assign a course grade of B+.


Office Hours
I am generally available in my office for help several hours each day. I am often in my office during the day in hours at which I do not have a scheduled class, meeting, or other activity. You can see my weekly schedule at
www.math.ups.edu/~martinj/schedule.html
Feel free to come look for me. To be (almost) guaranteed that I will be in, come during one of the hours labeled as an "office hour." You can also call, send e-mail, or stop me after class to schedule an appointment for a specific time.


Important Dates for Fall 2004
Tuesday, September 7 Last day to add a course
Monday, September 13 Last day to drop a course without record
Monday, September 27 Last day to drop a course with an automatic W
Note that University policy mandates a grade of WF if you drop a course after Monday, September 27 unless "there have been unusual circumstances beyond the student's control and the student's work has been of passing quality." For full details, see the Academic Policies section of The Logger.


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On 30 Aug 2004, 16:54.