MAP2302 Elementary Differential Equations (Spring 2010)

Instructor Basics	Course Basics
Instructor: William Mitchell Office: 432 Little Hall Office Hours: TBA and by appointment Email: wjm@ufl.edu Phone: (352) 392-0281 ext 284	Time: MWF 9th period (4:05–4:55 pm) Place: 127 Little Hall Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in MAC 2312, MAC 2512 or MAC 3473. Text: Fundamentals of Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, 5th Edition, by R. Kent Nagle, Edward B. Saff and Arthur David Snider Web Site: http://www.math.ufl.edu/~wjm/class/diffeq/

Course Goals: Differential Equations are ubiquitous in the sciences and engineering. This course is designed to serve students in engineering, physics, mathematics and related areas with the aim of applying, understanding qualitatively, and solving ordinary differential equations of the most usual types. The course starts with an introduction to the concept of differential equations. It covers first order methods, including separability, exactness, integrating factors, first order linear equations, Bernoulli's equations, and second order equations reducible to first order ones. It also includes some applications, possibly including mechanics. The course continues with higher order methods for constant coefficient linear equations including particular solutions and general solutions by the method of undetermined coefficients. It includes variation of parameters operator methods, linear independence and the Wronskian. Applications include vibrating springs, resonance, and electrical circuits. The course also covers Laplace transform methods, including properties of the Laplace transform, solution of initial value problems, and series solutions.

Course Format:

Exams and Grading:

Work: There will be near weekly assessment in the form of collected homework assignments or quizzes. Three times in the term, the results will be totaled and scaled to 20 points for a maximum possible of 60 points over the term.

Exams: There will be three 60-point midterms during the term and a 120-point comprehensive final examination. At the end of the term I will drop the lower of half the grade from the final exam or the lowest score from the three midterms. Thus the total exam score will be 240 points.

(Continued on other side)

Point Distribution

Tentative Exam Dates

Three Midterms:		180
Final exam:		120
One Dropped:		(-60)
Three Work Grades:		60
Total Points:		300

Exam 1: Friday, February 5

Exam 2: Friday, March 5

Exam 3: Friday, April 16

Final Exam: Wed. Apr. 28 at 12:30--2:30 p.m.

Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C D E

Percent 90–100% 87.0–89.99% 84.0–86.99% 80.0–83.99% 77.0–79.99% 74.0–76.99% 70.0–73.99% 60–69.99% 0–59.99%

Grade	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	D	E
Percent	90–100%	87.0–89.99%	84.0–86.99%	80.0–83.99%	77.0–79.99%	74.0–76.99%	70.0–73.99%	60–69.99%	0–59.99%

Letter Grade	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D+	D	D-	E
Total Points	140–150	135–139.9	130–134.9	125–129.9	120–124.9	115–119.9	110–114.9	105–109.9	100–104.9	95–99.9	90–94.9	0–89.9

Mailing List: The mailing list for this course is SPRING-7742-L@lists.ufl.edu. I will use this list to provide information on assignments and on what you should read for the next class. You will automatically be subscribed to this list; email me if you want to change your subscription.

Important Notes:

Come on time to class and be prepared to answer questions about the most recent reading. Be kind to one another as you ask and answer questions so that all will benefit.
If you miss class, you are responsible for finding about homework and/or announcements made during the class.
No late homework will be accepted; no makeup quizzes will be given.
Make up tests require that the instructor be contacted (in person, by email, by phone) before the test, if at all possible.
Your written work should be neat and show all steps.
You will find it helpful to form study groups; you may work on homework together.
You are expected to follow the University Academic Honesty Guidelines and the Student Honor Code

Specifically, you are expected to refrain from cheating, to stop others from using your work to cheat, to be clear about giving credit to others rather than plagarizing, and to make only fair use of copyrighted materials and software.
Honor Code adopted by the Student Body: We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
Before requesting a classroom accommodation, you must first register with the Disability Resource Center of the Dean of Students Office. They will provide documentation for you to give me when requesting an accommodation. Early notice will enable us to better serve you.