All times used for this class (including the syllabus and on Canvas) are local Providence time.
This course will be offered online using the following format:
Synchronous class lectures via Zoom on Wednesdays+Fridays at 1:00-1:50pm that will be recorded for those who are not able to attend during this time (and those who would like to review the recorded class material later);
Classes on Mondays will be held & recorded via Zoom normally at 1:00-1:50pm and once or twice each month at 9:00-9:50am (I have to attend chairs+directors meetings at least once a month).
To support your learning, we will provide the following:
Handwritten lectures notes (in addition to the textbook) and additional reference materials posted on Canvas;
Office hours: The TAs and I will offer multiple open office hours throughout the week; we may dedicate some of the hours to questions about assignments or to concepts covered in class;
Q&A through Piazza;
Problem-solving sessions: go in small groups or individually through practice problems with support from the teaching team;
Textbooks (available as free PDFs through Brown's library: see below);
Informal virtual Zoom get-togethers and Slate channels to create class community.
We will use J David Logan "Applied Partial Differential Equations" (available as a free PDF through Brown) as the textbook for the class.
Another resource is the book Peter J Olver "Introduction to Partial Differential Equations" (also available as a free PDF through Brown).
If your Brown undergraduate financial aid package includes the Book/Course Material Support Pilot Program (BCMS), concerns or questions about the cost of books and course materials for this or any other Brown course (including RISD courses via cross-registration) can be addressed to bcms@brown.edu. For all other concerns related to non-tuition course-related expenses, whether or not your Brown undergraduate financial aid package includes BCMS, please visit the Academic Emergency Fund in E-GAP (within the umbrella of "E-Gap Funds" in UFunds) to determine options for financing these costs, while ensuring your privacy.
Your overall course grade will be calculated according to the following breakdown:
30% regular homework assignments (7 total) – submitted through Gradescope
10% reflections/check-ins (11 total) – submitted through Canvas
30% capstone problem sets (3 total) – submitted through Gradescope
30% final group project – submitted through Gradescope
We will drop the lowest score of the regular homework assignments when calculating the 30% homework grade contribution.
The reflections/check-ins are graded for completion.
I will use the following minimum cut-offs:
90-100% or higher is guaranteed an A
80-89% or higher is guaranteed a B
65% or higher is guaranteed a C.
For students taking this course S/NC, a minimum grade of 65% is required to guarantee a grade of S.
Although specific out-of-class time investments may vary for individual students, I estimate that students will spend
33 hours on lectures (approximately 3 hours per week)
100 hours on review of material, homework assignments, and reflections (approximately 9 hours per week)
15 hours on the capstone projects
35 hours on the final project
during the semester for a total of approximately 180 hours.
I plan to record class meetings as some students may be in different time zones, have poor internet connections, or have health issues. The recordings can be accessed by all students enrolled in this course at any time If you have questions or concerns about this protocol, please contact me so that we can talk through these to ensure your full participation in this course.
This course will use the following technological platforms:
I am committed to ensuring access to online course resources by students. If you have any concerns or questions about access or the privacy of any of these platforms, please reach out to me.
The IT Service Center provides many services including remote assistance, phones, tickets, and chat. Please also see the Online and Hybrid Learning Student Guide.