Elementary Differential Equations
MAP 2302
Contact Information: My office is in Little
Hall 439. The phone number to my office is 352 392 0281(x 304).
My email address is: remy1980@ufl.edu . I also have a web page on which class information
will be posted if the need arises: www.math.ufl.edu/~remy1980 . You can also drop a message in my mailbox at the
front desk on the third floor of Little Hall; this is in case
you would like to make a contribution or a critic about how the
class is run anonymously.
Class times:
- Section 0139 MTWRF4 in LIT 205
Text and content: Fundamentals of
Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, 6th
Edition, by R. Kent Nagle, Edward B. Saff and Arthur David Snider . We will cover topics from chapters 1,2,4,7, and 5. We
will learn how to solve linear differential equations, separable
and exact equations with some applications as time allows. We will
finish by an introduction to Laplace transforms and series
solutions to differential equations.
Attendance: No attendance will be taken in
class , you may attend class or not. However, absent students
have the obligation to
be up to date on their own before the next class meeting.
Tests:
- There will be three quizzes on the following dates: May 18,
June 1, and June 15. Each quiz is worth 25 points.
- There will be three exams on the following dates: May 25, June
8, and June 22. Each exam is out of 75 points.
- There are no drops.
- No books, notes, or calculators are allowed on
exams or quizzes.
- The total number of possible points is 300. The
letter grade will be based on the following table in
percentage points:
A
|
[91-100]
|
A-
|
[87.5-91)
|
B+
|
[84,87.5)
|
B
|
[80.5,84)
|
B-
|
[77,80.5)
|
C+
|
[73.5,77)
|
C
|
[70,73.5)
|
C-
|
[66.5,70)
|
D+
|
[63,66.5)
|
D
|
[59.5,63)
|
D-
|
[56,59.5)
|
E
|
[0,56)
|
Prerequisites : Prior (strong) knowledge of MAC 2312
(or a similar class) will be assumed .
Make up policy:
- Make ups are only for documented acceptable excuses.
Original copies must be presented to the instructor at least
two days in advance unless
it is an emergency, such as a medical case.
- No exams will be given in advance of the
original scheduled times.
Warning: Some of
the following statements may sound a bit harsh, but they are not
meant to be so. They are just a set of guidelines to help in the
smooth running of the class.
Office hours:
- No office hours will be held the day of an exam.
- Office hours will not serve to reteach the
material taught in class , they are for clarification of the
material covered and help in solving homework problems.
- For efficiency, please prepare your questions
ahead of office hours.
- In office hours, priority will be given to the
most recent material.
- Make sure your questions are well formulated
and to the point, this will help me give you a quick and
specific answer. In particular, vague statements that indicate
a clear lack of effort from the student will receive similar
vague answers. Such statements include, but are not limited
to, sentences of the form: "I do not understand anything at
all in what's going on", "Can you go over chapter 3?"
Miscellaneous:
- Students have exactly one week after grades are returned to
express concerns about the grading of their exam or quizzes.
This rule will be strongly enforced. It is necessary because
after a week or so I might no longer remember why I marked
something wrong or not. In particular, one cannot show up at the
end of the semester asking for points here and there on the
first exam.
- Students are expected to know their total points at all times.
Consequently, questions such as "can you tell me my present
grade" or "can you add up my points and tell me if I can pass"
are out of place.
- Be always aware of your standing in the class and act
accordingly. In particular, last minute pleas about having to
drop out of the engineering program, or any other program, due
to failure to achieve a C will fall unto deaf ears.
- No class averages will be given after exams. This is because
exams are not set for a certain average, but rather on a certain
level of understanding of the material.
- No sample exams or review sessions will be given. The homework
is considered more than sufficient. Occasionally, a past exam
will be distributed to give an idea of the length of an actual
exam.
The road to success and disaster
recipes...
- Learn how to take notes! A
short guide to taking notes by Dr. Groisser
- Before attacking the homework, it is strongly advised to read thoroughly the class
notes. Also, read the examples in the book that were not covered
in class.
- The ability to understand and repeat the proofs done in class
helps a lot in understanding the concepts taught. Moreover, many
exercises in the homework and the exams are variations or direct
applications of such proofs. Therefore, it is advised that these
proofs be well understood.
- A common practice among students is to look at the homework
problems and skip them if they think they understand the
concepts involved. Please know that "math is not a spectator sport",
you actually have to work out the problems even if they seem
simple. This is the only way to avoid the common phrase ``I
understood everything in class but I blanked out on the exam''.
- Often after an exam, some students claim that they did all
questions on the homework except a few they thought were hard
and therefore couldn't be on an exam, and it turned out those
were exactly the exam questions. Well, everything that is taught
or given on the homework is considered fair on an exam. In
particular, to the eternal in-class question: "wow, that is
hard! Are we gonna have something like that at the exam?", the
answer will be invariably the same: "maybe, or maybe not!".
- Do not wait till the last exam to ask for help or if there is
anything that can be done to improve your grade. At that stage,
it's most likely too late.
- Do not wait till the last three days before an exam to do the
homework. At that stage, it's most likely too late.
- Even though class attendance is optional, missing classes is
one of the safest recipes for failure.
- The homework problems listed are just indicative of the
content of the exams. For best results, one should always begin
by doing a few problems in the beginning of the section. Not
doing so might lead to the impression that the homework is
actually difficult!
- Be always aware of your standing in the class and act
accordingly. In particular, last minute pleas about having to
drop out of the engineering program, or any other program, due
to failure to achieve a C will fall unto deaf ears.
Students with disabilities: Any student
who would like to request an accommodation because of a disability
should first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean
of Students Office will provide the student with documentation.
This documentation should be provided by the student to the
instructor when requesting an accommodation.
Academic Honesty: Remember, when you completed the
registration form at the University of Florida, you signed the
following statement:
"I understand that the
University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all
their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to
academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with
this commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and
including expulsion from the University."
Disclaimer : I may amend the above policies at my
discretion .