In everything we see, we observe change: in the growth of a population,
in the positions of the stars and the planets, in the motion of a mass
attached to a spring. You have learned how to mathematically express change
in your calculus courses. Taking the limit of the ratio of the change in
one quantity to the change in another yields an instantaneous rate of change,
or derivative. So if we wish to mathematically describe real-world phenomena
that involves change, we are naturally led to equations that include one
or more derivatives. Such equations are called differential equations,
and by analyzing them, one can gain very useful insights into the situation
modeled.
In this class, we will focus on analyzing differential equations and the
interpretation of our analysis. We will approach problems in several
different ways, including algebraically, graphically, and numerically.
While some of your assignments will require you to solve a given
problem using a particular technique, others will require you to explain
ideas, make arguments, and interpret answers. In all your assignments,
both the correctness and clarity of your exposition (including grammer
and spelling) will count.
Mikil Foss
| Office: | 46C Cardwell Hall |
|
| Office Hours: |
M W, 2:30-3:30 T Th, 12:30-1:30 |
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| Phone: | 532-0568 | |
| Email: | foss@math.ksu.edu | |
| Web: | www.math.ksu.edu/math240 | |
| Text: | Elementary Differential Equations: A Geometric Approach, Andrew G. Bennett (available at the Union and Varney's) |
Preparation: The sections to be covered in class will be posted on the class web page and updated throughout the semester. For extra credit, you may prepare a 4" x 6" note card about the section to be turned in at the beginning of the lecture (don't be late). The specific instructions for preparing the cards will vary somewhat over the course of the semester and will be announced in lecture.
Homework: Written homework will be assigned weekly and is due in the homework box by 5:00pm on the due date. Homework assignments will be announced weekly in class and posted on the class web page. Late assignments and assignments submitted to a wrong box may not be accepted. There will also be regular online homework assignments posted on the class web page. These assignments will be computer graded with immediate feedback. The problems are randomly generated for each student, and you may try an assignment as many times as you want before midnight of the due date. You will receive the highest score from all your attempts on each assignment.
Labs: The course has a weekly computer lab. The assignments will be posted on the class web page and the labs can be accessed from the class web page as well. You will need to attend the lab session to get specific instructions and help on carrying out the labs. You can continue to work on the labs from any computer with a web browser (that supports Java) to finish your work, or to review material while writing up your lab report or while preparing for an exam. Written lab reports will be turned into the lab box by 5:00pm on the due date. Please be careful to turn homework into the homework box and labs into the lab box; different graders pick up the different types of assignments.
Extra Credit: In addition to extra credit for preparing note cards, there will also be a number of extra credit assignments during the term. These assignments will give you a chance to show how well you can do on more involved problems given a week's time. Extra credit assignments will be posted on the class web site and announced in class.
Exams: The exams for this course will be from 7:30-9:00 on the following Tuesdays: September 23, October 21, and November 18. Rooms for the exams will be announced later. Exams may include material from lectures, homework, and labs. The final exam will be comprehensive and will run from 11:50-1:40 on December 16, in CW 101. Exams will be closed book, but you will be permitted one 8.5" x 11" sheet of handwritten notes. You will also be permitted a calculator (without a QWERTY keyboard). Please let me know as soon as possible (preferably in advance) if you must miss an examination. After each exam is graded, a scale will be posted listing the minimum A, B, C, and D scores on that exam.
Assessment: Grades will be computed mechanically. We will scale
written homework, online homework and lab scores to 60 points each. Exams
will be worth 80 points and the final will be worth 120 points. Note cards
will be scaled to 10 points and extra credit will be worth between 40 and
50 points (depending on the number of assignments). We will then total
your scores. We will also total the minimum A on the homeworks, labs, exams,
and final. Observe that the minimum A score doesn't include the note cards
or extra credit assignments - those are extra credit that add to your score
without changing the cutoffs. If your score is greater or equal to the minimum
A score, you've earned an A. If your score is one point below the minimum
A score, you've earned a B (and you should have done some extra credit).
Students who have 420 points or more before the final (which is possible
if you earn sufficient extra credit) will be excused from the final with
an A for the course. If you are excused from the final, you will receive
written notification, signed by your recitation teacher. If you don't have
a signed note, you aren't excused from the final.
Portfolio: It is your responsibility to maintain a complete portfolio
of graded assignments, lab reports, extra credit, and exams. You
should collect your graded work during the class period in which it is
returned; your instructors are not required to safeguard your uncollected
work. In addition, whenever the need arises, your portfolio of graded
work will be used to verify, update, or correct your records for the course.
If your collection of graded work is incomplete, then this will have
a negative impact on your final grade.
I do not include the usual announcement about the honor code because I feel it is inappropriate. In this class you are allowed and even expected to work together unless otherwise informed. I will have you sign the honor pledge on any work where you are not to work together.
If you have any condition, such as a physical or learning disability,
which will make it difficult for you to carry out the work as I have outlined
it or which will require academic accommodations, please notify me in the
first two weeks of the course.