Math 315: Differential Equations

Block 7, 2006-2007

Professor: David Brown

Office: TSC 206E

Office Phone: 227-8215

Email: dbrown@coloradocollege.edu

The class will meet M-F at 9:00 am in TSC 101.

I will have office hours or a  problem session M-F 1:30 – 3:00 pm.

The textbook is: Partial Differential Equations with Fourier Series and Boundary Value Problems (2nd ed.), by Nakhle Asmar.
A student's solutions manual is available on his website: http://www.math.missouri.edu/~nakhle

The course webpage is: http://faculty1.coloradocollege.edu/~dbrown/ma316/index.html

Course Overview

            Partial differential equations are among the most widely used mathematical models, playing a central role in physics, biology, chemistry, economics, and many other fields.  They are surpisingly difficult to solve, requiring much more mathematical "machinery" than ordinary differential equations.  In this class we will learn to formulate and analyze simple PDEs, developing some of the most important techniques of classical mathematical analysis along the way.

Grading

Homework will be due most days at 4:30 pm; please turn it in to the homework boxes in the lobby of the math department. Please make sure that your HW is stapled and that each problem is clearly labeled and readable. The assignments will be posted on the class webpage.

There will be two open book take home tests. You will each give a 45 minute presentation on  a topic we don't cover in class, on the last two days of the block.  A list of possible topics is on the web page, and I will discuss this more in class.  You will be expected to attend every class, and participate actively in within-class individual and group work.

Your grade will be based on the following breakdown: 25% homework,  25% each test, 20% presentation, and 5% class participation.

Honor Code: I expect you to adhere to the CC honor code. This means that you will neither give nor receive assistance on tests. I encourage you to work with others on homework, but when you put your name on something and turn it in, you are claiming to have complete understanding of it.