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Website for M303 and MAT704: Differential Equations,

Fall 2026

This the website for the course M303 and MAT704:Differential Equations.

I will be maintaining this website regularly during the course; please visit it regulalry.

This is a course in Ordinary Differential Equations. You are expected to have a good knowledge of basic Real Analysis.

This course is an important prerequisite for many other topics, the most obvious one being Partial Differential Equations. The course is also important if you wish to have a good understanting of smooth manifolds (for example, when one needs to show existence of integral curves for a vector field). The course is also very useful if you wish to study dynamical systems.

We will be using the following references

1) ``Ordinary Differential Equations'' by Nandakumaran, Patti and George.

2) ``Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems and an Introduction to Chaos'' by Hirsch, Smale and Devaney.

We might use other references from time to time.

Grading: Continuous Assesment (Homework + Quizzes) = 30%

Mid Term = 30%

Final Exam = 40%

Grading will be absolute.

Attendance is compulsory. I will deduct two points from the Continuous Assement portion for every single class that you miss without a valid reason. Hence, even missing one class can affect your grade (for example, if your final score was otherwise 91, but you missed one class, you will end up getting an AB instead of an AA).

Attendance will be taken 10 minutes after the class starts. If you enter the class after 10 minutes, you will be marked absent.

Examples of valid reasons include: being unwell accompanied with a doctor's note, an important exam that you might have to give (such as CSIR etc) that clashes with the timing of the course or a family emergency. These reasons have to be accompanied by a valid proof (for example, if you are claiming that you missed a class due to an exam, you will need to show me your admit card for the exam). Examples of reasons that are not valid include: caliming that you are unwell without any doctor's note, saying that you woke up late etc. If you have a valid reason to miss a class, I will not deduct the two points. However, you are still responsilbe for studying the topics that you missed.

If your attendance is below 80 percent, you will not be allowed to sit for the final exam. I will however, mark everyone present for the FIRST week of classes. You are nevertheless responsible for all the material covered in the first week.

Clarification: The continuous assessment portion will be computed as follows.

Let T1 be the sum total of the scores you get in the HW and quizzes. Let

E1 be the marks I award you for attending the extra classes I take (how much is

E1 will be decided by me later on). Let N be the number of (regular) classes you miss

without a valid reason. Let T2:= Min(30, T1+E1). Let T3 = T2-2*N. Finally

let T4:= Max(T3, 0). Your continuous assesment score is T4.

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