Syllabus for MTH U343, Spring 2008

 

 

 

 

Texts (packaged together): Differential Equations & Linear Algebra (NU Custom Edition) by Edwards and Penney, and Computer Labs for Differential Equations (McOwen)

Instructor: Professor Mark Bridger, 527 NI.                   E-mail: m.bridger@neu.edu

Office Hours: TBA              Course Homepage: www.math.neu.edu/~bridger/U343/U343.htm

Announcements: Check the homepage frequently.

 

Introduction

The emphasis of this course is on understanding techniques for solving linear systems. These ideas are introduced through examples. 

 

Homework and Quizzes: Homework will be assigned daily, but will not always be collected. We will not be able to go over all homework problems in class. When the term begins, an announcement will be made about optional problem sessions. If you have a lot of questions about the material, you should attend these sessions and/or come to my office hours.

 

There will be weekly quizzes (usually on the same day of the week, to be announced), based on the homework. The lowest grade will be dropped and there will be no make-up quizzes.

 

Computer Labs: There will be four required computer labs – numbers 2,3,4,5 – contained in the supplement bundled with your text. It is expected that students will work on the labs together; however, the write-ups of the labs must be done separately. The Mathematics Department Computer Lab is in 553 Lake Hall. (The flowfield software package DIFFS is available there.) Due dates for these labs will be announced in class and on the homepage.

 

Final: There will be a final exam, common to all sections of the course: check the final exam schedule when it is posted. The final is required of all students and, short of catastrophic illness, there are no excuses for missing it. Do not even consider booking airline tickets or other travel arrangements during final exam week. The final is two hours long and will cover all material in the course.

On the final (not on quizzes) you will be allowed one 8˝ ×11 sheet of notes, although the exam itself will contain most advanced formulas needed (e.g. Laplace transforms).

 

Grading: The course grade will be determined as follows

·                          Final exam: 40%

·                          Quizzes: 50%

·                          Computer Labs 10%

 

If you have issues with this course and/or instructor that you are not comfortable discussing with your instructor, you may contact Prof. Alex Martsinkovsky, Undergraduate Director of the Mathematics Department (617-373-5510, alexmart@neu.edu).

 

 

Labs:  There will be four computer labs assigned: Numbers 2,3,4,5 from the supplement Computer Labs for Differential Equations and Linear Algebra (McOwen) that came with your text. Due dates for these labs will be announced.

 


Schedule of Topics and Assignments

The following table lists the topics and HW problems to be covered. Grouping by week is flexible. Due dates for computer labs 2 – 5 will be announced.

 

Section

Topic

Assignment

1.4

1.5

Separable Equations

First Order Linear

p. 41 #3,4,11,12,20

p. 54 #3,5,13,20

2.2

2.3

10.1

Equilibrium and Stability. 

Acceleration and Velocity Models

Laplace Transforms and Inverses

p. 96 #1,4,7 (Do not solve explicitly.) 

p. 106 #1-5

p. 576 #1,3,7,9,13,15,16

Notes

10.2

Laplace method: 1st Order Linear

Partial Fractions

Problems in notes

p. 588 #17-24

3.1,3.3

3.3

Linear System, Row Reduction

Automated Row Reduction

p. 170  #2-8, 21,22,23, 32

p. 171 #1-4 (Maple/MatLab/Calculator)

3.4

3.5

3.6

Matrix Operations

Inverse Matrices

Determinants

p. 182 #1,9,10,19

p. 194 #1,7,9,19,23

p. 212 #1,3,5,33

4.1

4.2

The Vector Space R3

The Vector Space Rn and Subspaces

p. 233 #1, 5-8,11,17,19,20

p. 240 #1,4,5,7,12, 15-17

4.3

4.4

Lin. Comb., Span and Independence

Bases and Dimension

p. 248 #1,3,11,13,15

p. 255 #1,4,7,15,19

5.1,5.2

5.3

5.4

2nd-Order Linear Equations

Homogeneous Const. Coeff’ts

Mechanical Vibrations

p. 294 #1-5,9,11; p. 306 #7-9

p. 319 #1,3,5,7,21,23

p. 331 #1,3,15,17,20

 

SPRING BREAK

 

5.4,5.5

5.6

Undetermined Coeff’ts

Forced Oscillations and Resonance

p. 346 #1,2,3,9,13,31,32

p. 357 #2,8,19

6.1

7.1

7.2

Introduction to Eigenvalues

First Order Systems

Matrices and Linear Systems

p. 370 #1,3,9,13,17,19

p. 400 #1,3.6

p.  412 #3,4,5,13

7.3

10.2

The Eigenvalue Method

Laplace Transform: 2nd Order Eq.s

p. 425 #1,5,11,17

p. 588 #1,3,5,7,9,10

10.3

10.4

Translation and Partial Fractions

Convolutions

p. 597 #1-17 (Odds), 27,29

p. 606 #1,2,6,7,8,15,16

10.5

10.6

Piecewise and Periodic Functions

Impulses and the Delta Functions

p. 614 #1,3,5,,11,12,13,25,26

p. 627 #1,2,4,5

 

REVIEW