Elementary Differential Equations

MATH 356: Elementary Differential Equations
FALL 2023 (Sec .1 and Sec. 2)

Syllabus 

Instructor: Saman Habibi Esfahani

Grader: Jenny Green 


Location: Physics 259 (both sections)

Class times, Sec .1: WF 11:45AM - 1:00PM

Class times, Sec .2: WF 8:30AM - 9:45AM

Office hourse: WF 3:00PM - 4:00PM (office: 106, physics building)


Textbook (recommended): 

Polking, Boggess and Arnold, Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems, 2nd edition. 

Homework: There will be weekly homework: 10 questions per week (on Gradescope). 

Homework 01 (due date: Sep 08): Questions, Solutions

Homework 02 (due date: Sep 18): Questions, Solutions

Homework 03 (due date: Sep 22): Questions, Solutions

Homework 04 (due date: Sep 29): Questions, Solutions

Homework 05 (due date: Oct  06): Questions, Solutions

Homework 06 (due date: Oct  13): Questions, Solutions

Homework 07 (due date: Oct  23): Questions, (solution of question 10)

Midterm (08:30 class): Questions with Solutions

Midterm (11:45 class): Questions with Solutions

Homework 08 (due date: Oct  30): Questions, Solutions

Homework 09 (due date: Nov 03): Questions, Solutions

Homework 10 (due date: Nov 17): Questions, Solutions

Homework 11 (due date: Dec 01): Questions, Solutions

Homework 12 (due date: Dec 11): Questions, Solutions


Exam: There will be a midterm exam (October 20) and a final exam.

Attendance is required.

Grading: 

• Weekly homework (15%).
• Midterm (40%)  October 20 :  

Midterm covers: 1) First-order equations, 2) Modeling and applications, 3) Second-order equations, 4) The Laplace transform, 5) Numerical methods


• Final exam (45%) 

The final exam emphasizes the topics listed below: 

1) Systems of differential equations, 2) linear systems, 3) series solutions to differential equations, 4) Fourier series, 5) PDE: heat equation, wave equation, and the Laplace's equation. 

Nonetheless, it is essential to know the earlier subjects covered in the midterm, as they serve as a foundation for tackling the problems in the latter half. Additionally, a familiarity with the background in linear algebra is assumed.


Course objectives: This course is an introduction to the theory of differential equations. We start with the fundamentals of ordinary differential equations and then we move towards some elementary partial differential equations. 

Preqrequisites: Mathematics 218 or 221 and one of 202, 212, or 222.