Schedule

The schedule below is a record of what we have done as well as an estimate for what we will do. Course materials will be posted here and distributed in class. Suggested problems are in William F. Trench's Elementary Differential Equations. Solutions to even-numbered problems can be found in the corresponding Student Solutions Manual.

• Week 1
  • 1/20: 1.1,2 Introduction and basic concepts. Examples (.tex).Suggested problems in 1.2: 2, 4, 6, 8.
  • 1/22: 1.3 Direction fields. Suggested problems in 1.3: 1-11.
• Week 2
  • 1/25: 2.1 Linear equations. Suggested problems in 2.1: 2-10, 16-24, 30-36 all even.
  • 1/27: Continue 2.1 with worksheet (pdf) (.tex). WeBWorK 1 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 1/29: 2.2 Separable equations and 2.3 Existence and uniqueness of solutions.
    • Suggested problems in 2.2: 2-12, 18-22 all even.
    • Suggested problems in 2.3: 4, 6, 8, 10, 14.
• Week 3
  • 2/1: 4.1,2,3 Growth and decay, cooling and mixing, elementary mechanics through a worksheet (.tex; due Friday).
    • Suggested problems in 4.1: 2, 4, 12, 14, 16
    • Suggested problems in 4.2: 2-10 even
    • Suggested problems in 4.3: 2, 4, 6, 10
  • 2/3: 4.4 Autonomous second order equations. WeBWorK 2 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 2/5: 4.4 continued (graph 1 and 2). Fern Hunt bio. Suggested problems in 4.4: 2-8 even (convert to the phase plane equivalent and solve for v if possible).
• Week 4
  • 2/8: 2.4 Transformations of nonlinear equations into separable equations. Suggested problems in 2.4: 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16.
  • 2/10: 3.1,2 Euler's method (table, sheet). Practice problems (.tex). Suggested problems in 3.1: 2, 4, 6. WeBWorK 3 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 2/12: Exam 1 covering chapter 1, sections 1-3 of chapter 2, and topics in sections 1-4 of chapter 4 (exponential and logistic population growth, Newton's law of cooling, terminal velocity, and autonomous second order equations). Class is optional review; use the time as you see fit to take or prepare for the exam.
• Week 5
  • 2/15: Presidents' day--NO CLASS
  • 2/17: 5.1 Homogeneous linear equations. Suggested problems in 5.1: 2-8 even, 24. Ambitious students may also want to try problem 9 and any of 10-23.
  • 2/19: 5.2 Constant coefficient homogeneous linear equations. Suggested problems in 5.2: 1-20 even. Ambitious students may also want to try problem 22 and any of 23-28.
• Week 6
  • 2/22: More of 5.1,2. Start 6.1 Spring problems I. A worksheet (.tex; due Friday in Gradescope).
  • 2/24: 6.1,2 Spring problems I and II (no external forces). WeBWorK 4 due at 11:59 PM today. Suggested problems:
    • 6.1: 2-10 even
    • 6.2: 2-16 even
  • 2/26: 6.2 Spring problems II (no external forces) continued.
    • Images of underdamped, critically-damped, and overdamped oscillations.
    • A worksheet (.tex; due Sunday in Gradescope).
    • Building community bridges.
    • Doctors Taylor, Weeks, and Bentil.
• Week 7
  • 3/1: 5.3,4 Nonhomogeneous, second-order, linear differential equations.
    • Suggested problems in 5.3: 2-8, 16-22 all even.
    • Suggested problems in 5.4: 2-26 even.
    • Suggested problems in 5.5: 2, 4.
  • 3/3: 5.4,5 The method of undetermined coefficients on a worksheet (.tex; due Friday in Gradescope). WeBWorK 5 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 3/5: 6.1 Spring problems with external forces and 7.1 Review of power series.
    • Suggested problems in 7.1: 1, 2, 3.
    • A Youtube video on resonance and the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse.
• Week 8
  • 3/8: 7.2 Series solutions near an ordinary point I. Suggested problems in 7.2: 2, 4, 12, 16, 22-26 even.
  • 3/10: 7.3 Series solutions near an ordinary point II. Suggested problems in 7.3: 2-10 even. WeBWorK 6 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 3/12: Reading day--NO CLASS. Celebrate Women's History Month by learning about some women in mathematics:
    • Maryam Mirzakhani (Fields Medal winner) briefly discusses her history and interests
    • Lisa Piccirillo discussing the problem of whether Conway's knot is slice (short description of her work)
    • An article on Maryanthe Malliaris's work comparing sizes of infinity
    • An interview with Christine Darden, NASA mathematician/engineer
    • A NYT article about Sarah Hart, Gresham professor of geometry
• Week 9
  • 3/15: Exam 2 covering everything since exam 1 (5.1-5, 6.1,2, and 7.2,3).
  • 3/17: 8.1 Laplace transforms. Suggested problems in 8.1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9.
  • 3/19: 8.2 The inverse Laplace transform. Suggested problems in 8.2: 2-8 even (enough of each to feel comfortable).
• Week 10
  • 3/22: 8.3 Solution of IVPs. A worksheet (.tex; due Friday in Gradescope). Suggested problems in 8.3: 2-36 even.
  • 3/24: 8.4 The unit step function (aka the Heaviside function). Suggested problems in 8.4: 2-14, 20-24 even. WeBWorK 7 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 3/26: 8.5 Constant coefficient equations with piecewise continuous forcing functions. A worksheet (.tex; due Monday in Gradescope).
• Week 11
  • 3/29: Continue 8.5. A worksheet (.tex; due Friday in Gradescope). Suggested problems in 8.5: 2-20 even.
  • 3/31: 8.6 Convolutions and 8.7 Constant coefficient equations with impulses. Suggested problems in 8.6: 2, 4, 8. WeBWorK 8 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 4/2: Good Friday holiday--NO CLASS.
• Week 12
  • 4/5: Easter Monday holiday--NO CLASS.
  • 4/7: 8.7 continued. A worksheet (.tex; due Friday in Gradescope). Suggested problems in 8.7: 2-28 even.
  • 4/9: Review/recap of Laplace transforms. Summary of Laplace transforms (.tex).
• Week 13
  • 4/12: Exam 3. WeBWorK 9 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 4/14: 10.1 and introduction to linear algebra. See Paul's notes (recommended) or chapter 6 of these lecture notes.
  • 4/16: Linear algebra. A worksheet (.tex; due Monday in Gradescope). Suggested problems in 10.2: 2, 4, 8.
• Week 14
  • 4/19: 10.2,3 Introduction to systems of differential equations. Suggested problems in 10.3: 8, 10, 12.
  • 4/21: 10.4,5 Constant coefficient omogeneous systems I, II. Start a worksheet (.tex; due Monday in Gradescope). WeBWorK 10 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 4/23: 10.4,5 Suggested problems:
    • 10.4: 2-8, 16-20, 30-40 evens.
    • 10.5: 2-8, 14-18, 24, 36-44 evens.
• Week 15
  • 4/26: 10.4-6 Constant coefficient homogeneous linear systems I-III. Start a worksheet (.tex; due Friday in Gradescope). Suggested problems in 10.6: 2-6, 18-22, 34-40 evens.
  • 4/28: Constant coefficient homogeneous linear systems. WeBWorK 11 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 4/30: Review/recap.
• Finals week
  • Office hours:
    • Monday: 4-5
    • Tuesday: 9-10
    • Wednesday: 9-10
  • Exam open dates: 8:00 AM Tuesday to 8:00 PM Thursday. Two sections, each with a 90-minute time limit.
  • Final exam schedule

Resources

• Syllabus
• Math 260 Spring 2020
• Math 260 Spring 2018
• Textbook
• Gradescope
• WeBWorK
• Slope field plotter
• Phase plane plotter
• Geogebra
• Desmos
• Academic calendar
• WolframAlpha
• ODEs at Khan Academy

Worksheets (and solutions)

• Introductory Examples (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 1 Linear Equations (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 2 Models (.tex; solutions)
• Euler's method (.tex; partial solutions)
• Worksheet 4 Homog. linear 2nd order equations (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 5 Vibrations w/ damping (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 6 Undetermined coefficients (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 7 Solving IVPs with Laplace transforms (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 8 Laplace and the piecewise continuous forcing function (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 9 on the Gamma function (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 10 on Convolutions and impulses (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 11 introducing Linear systems (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 12 on Solving linear systems (.tex; solutions)
• Worksheet 13 on Bifurcation events (.tex; solutions)

Office hours

• Monday 10:10-11:10
• Tuesday 12:00-1:00 in the Math Lab
• Wednesday 10:10-11:10
• Friday 10:10-11:10
• or by appointment

Logan Axon
Department of Mathematics
MSC 2615
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA 99258
Office: Herak 307A
Phone: 509.313.3897
Email: axon@gonzaga.edu

Last updated 4/28/2021