Math 211: Ordinary Differential Equations and Linear
Algebra
Summer 2008
MWF 10 AM-12 PM
Room to be determined
Instructor: Ryan Dunning
Web: http://math.rice.edu/~rdunning/Summer2008Math211.html
Contact: rdunning at rice dot edu
713-348-2785 (office)
Herman Brown Hall, office 45 (basement)
Office Hours: to be determined
Course Description: The first main goal of the course will be to extend our knowledge of differentiation and integration to first- and second-order differential equations, with some applications to population growth and/or finance and/or electrical circuits (to be determined). The second main goal is to develop an understanding of matrix algebra in order to study linear and nonlinear systems of differential equations.
Required Textbook: Differential Equations, Polking, Boggess, and Arnold, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall;
Optional Textbook: Ordinary Differential Equations Using MATLAB, Polking and Arnold, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall. The bookstore does not have this textbook in stock, but I have access to a copy if you need to borrow it. We will use it minimally, if at all.
Grading: Your final course grade will be 25% homework, one project at 10%, two midterm exams at 20% each, and one cumulative final exam counting for the remaining 25%. All assessment will be based on your ability to communicate a correct solution and explain your reasoning. It is absolutely essential to write clearly; it is your responsibility to write in a way that tells me that you understand the problem and its solution. To this end, I reserve the right to take off points for poor presentation.
Homework: Homework will be collected at the beginning of the class period on its due date. Assignments will be announced in class and also posted online. Please work with other students in the class when solving the homework problems, but write them up on your own. Homework is not pledged. To receive credit for homework, it must be handed in on time. In case of a legitimate conflict that you know of beforehand, you may see me to make appropriate arrangements. No late homework will be accepted. Instead, your lowest homework score will be dropped. Feel free to use a numeric solver (graphing calculator or Mathematica, etc.) to check your solutions, but be aware that such tools will not be available for your use on the exams.
Project: The format and date of the project are to be
determined.
Exams: All exams will be closed book and closed notes with no calculator. The format and dates of the exams are to be determined.
Attendance: I will do my best to maintain the course web
page, but it is vital to attend class. It is your responsibility to stay
informed of announcements made in class.
Honor Code: You are expected to abide by the Rice Honor
Code. Please visit http://honor.rice.edu/
and read the Student Handbook. I will remind you of all of the exact rules
prior to the first midterm.
Accommodations:
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or
accommodations is requested to speak with me during the first two weeks of
class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with disabilities
should also contact Disability Support Services in the