MA 266

Course Material

Math department website with links to supplementary problems and computer projects
The textbook for the course is: Boyce & DiPrima, Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, ninth edition, hardcover.
Some homework exercises require Matlab. There are many tutorials on Matlab, as well as instructions for the functions ode45, dfield8, eul and pplane8. These functions can be downloaded here. Direction fields and phase portraits may always be sketched by hand instead of using the Matlab plotting tools.
All of the assignments on this list are relevant for the final exam. This includes all supplementary problems, Project 1, Project 2 and Project 3. Old exams are available in this archive.

Homework is generally due on Wednesday but not late until noon on Thursday of the same week. It may be handed in during class or in the instructor's mailbox.
Late homework is not accepted under any circumstances apart from an extended serious illness; a doctor's note or similar proof is required.
The lowest homework score is dropped.
Five randomly chosen exercises are graded each week.
Each homework is worth 20 points.
Quartiles refer to the scores achieved by 25%, 50% and 75% of the class.

#	Due	Assignment	Quartiles
1	W 1/18	p. 7: 2, 12; p. 15: 1(c); p. 24: 2, 6, 7, 11, 18, 20	18 / 19 / 20
2	W 1/25	p. 39: 13, 16, 21; p. 75: 2, 4	17 / 19 / 20
3	W 2/1	p. 47: 3, 7, 22, 28(a)(b), 32; p. 75: 7; p. 99: 1, 4, 16; C, D	17 / 19 / 20
4	W 2/8	p. 88: 3, 9, 22; G, H, I	14 / 18 / 19
5	W 2/15	p. 59: 1, 2, 3, 4, 20, 21	17 / 19 / 20
6	W 2/22	p. 144: 1, 6, 10, 22; p. 155: 4, 24	18 / 20 / 20
7	W 2/29	p. 155: 8, 11, 25; p. 163: 11, 18; p. 171: 3, 6, 14, 16	19 / 20 / 20
8	W 3/7	p. 171: 25; p. 183: 3, 4, 14, 20(a); p. 189: 2, 7, 13	16 / 20 / 20
9	W 3/21	p. 202: 3, 5, 17; p. 215: 5, 7; p. 224: 6; p. 232: 11, 22, 29	19 / 20 / 20
10	W 3/28	p. 237: 4, 15; p. 311: 5(b), 8, 11, 15	19 / 20 / 20
11	W 4/4	p. 320: 2, 4, 10, 11, 26; p. 328: 2, 13, 18, 20; p. 336: 4(a), 9(a), 12(a)	16 / 19 / 20
12	W 4/11	p. 343: 1, 2; p. 350: 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14
13	W 4/18	p. 359: 2; p. 371: 23; p. 384: 16, 20; p. 398: 4, 16; M, N
14	W 4/25	p. 409: 2, 6, 10; p. 428: 3, 7; p. 440: 7; O, P

Further recommended problems: Chapter 1: p. 7: 5, 16; p. 15: 7; A; Chapter 2: p. 39: 1, 3, 24; p. 47: 9, 11, 14, 36; p. 59: 12, 16, 23, 29; p. 75: 8, 17, 19, 22(a)(b); p. 88: 4; p. 99: 2, 13, 18; p. 109: 1, 6; B, E, F; Chapter 3: p. 144: 4, 16, 19; p. 155: 2, 9, 13, 14; p. 163: 14, 17, 23; p. 171: 4, 28; p. 183: 1, 6, 13, 19(a); p. 202: 4, 9, 28; p. 215: 9; J; Chapter 4: p. 224: 4; p. 232: 13, 31; p. 237: 6, 11, 15; K; Chapter 6: p. 311: 3, 10, p. 320: 8, 14, 21; p. 328: 1, 14, 16, 21, 23; p. 336: 2, 7; p. 343: 5, 14(a)(b); L; Chapter 7: p. 359: 1; p. 371: 2, 22; p. 384: 17; p. 398: 1; p. 409: 1

Computer projects using Matlab.
Each project counts as a homework.
Hand in the figures generated by Matlab and answers to the questions, but not the Matlab code.

Due	Assignment	Quartiles
F 3/30	Project 1	18 / 20 / 20	Matlab code
F 4/20	Project 3	17 / 19 / 20

Quiz 1: Date: Monday, January 23; Topics: first order linear equations; Book sections: 1.1-1.3, 2.1 and the first part of 2.4; solution
Quiz 2: Date: Wednesday, February 1; Topics: separable and exact equations, integrating factors; Book sections: 2.1, 2.2, 2.6; solution
Quiz 3: Date: Monday, February 27; Topics: homogeneous second order linear equations; Book sections: 3.1-3.4; solution
Quiz 4: Date: Friday, April 6; Topics: the Laplace transform; Book sections: 6.1-6.6; solution
Quiz 5: Date: Friday, April 20; Topics: review of linear equations including first order and higher order linear equations, the Laplace transform and first order systems, but no applications; Book sections: 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.4, 3.1-3.6, 4.1-4.3, 6.1-6.6, 7.1-7.6; solution

50 min. in class.
You may bring a one page (one side of one letter-size sheet) handwritten summary to the midterm exams.
No calculators allowed.

Midterm 1: Date: Friday, February 17; Topics: first order equations; Book sections: 1.1-1.3, 2.1-2.7; solution; Mean: 77.8, Quartiles 72 / 82 / 94
Midterm 2: Date: Friday, March 23; Topics: linear higher order equations; Book sections: 3.1-3.8, 4.1-4.3; solution; Mean: 71.5, Quartiles 62 / 75 / 86
Final exam: Date & time: Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; Location: Hall of Music; Common exam for all sections of MA 266.; Multiple choice. No summaries or calculators allowed. You will be given a table of Laplace transforms.; Old exams are available in this archive.

The grading scheme is: 10% homework; 10% quizzes; 20% midterm 1; 20% midterm 2; 40% final exam
Exams can only be made up under extraordinary circumstances such as a serious illness; a doctor's note or similar proof is required. Please contact the instructor before the exam or as soon as possible after a missed exam. See also the ODOS webpages on emergencies, absence reporting and grief absence.
The above also applies to quizzes if more than one quiz is missed.
Class participation in the form of completed homework assignments will be reported in the fourth week of the semester.