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 a worksheet. WeBWorK 1 due at 11:59 PM today.
  • 1/29: 2.2 Separable equations. Suggested problems in 2.2: 2-12, 18-22 all even.
• Week 3
  • 2/1: 4.1,2,3 Growth and decay, cooling and mixing, elementary mechanics through a worksheet.
    • 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.
  • 2/5: 4.4 continued. 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.
  • 2/10: 3.1,2 Euler's method. Suggested problems in 3.1: 2, 4, 6.
  • 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 for springs and pendulums).
• 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
  • 2/24: 6.1 Spring problems I (no external forces). Suggested problems in 6.1: 2-10 even.
  • 2/26: 6.2 Spring problems II (no external forces). Suggested problems in 6.2: 2-16 even.
• 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 and 6.1 Spring problems with external forces.
  • 3/5: 7.1 Review of power series. Suggested problems in 7.1: 1, 2, 3.
• 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.
  • 3/12: Reading day--NO CLASS
• Week 9
  • 3/15: Exam 2.
  • 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. 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.
  • 3/26: 8.5 Constant coefficient equations with piecewise continuous forcing functions.
• Week 11
  • 3/29: Continue 8.5 with a worksheet. Suggested problems in 8.5: 2-20 even.
  • 3/31: 8.6 Convolutions. Suggested problems in 8.6: 2, 4, 8.
  • 4/2: Good Friday holiday--NO CLASS.
• Week 12
  • 4/5: Easter Monday holiday--NO CLASS.
  • 4/7: 8.7. Constant coefficient equations with impulses Suggested problems in 8.7: 2-28 even.
  • 4/9: Review/recap of Laplace transforms.
• Week 13
  • 4/12: Exam 3.
  • 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.
• Week 14
  • 4/19: 10.2 Introduction to systems of differential equations. Suggested problems in 10.2: 2, 4, 8.
  • 4/21: 10.3,4 Homogeneous Linear systems. Suggested problems in 10.3: 8, 10, 12.
  • 4/23: 10.4 Homogeneous linear systems project. Suggested problems in 10.4: 2-8, 16-20, 30-40 evens.
• Week 15
  • 4/26: 10.6 Constant coefficient homogeneous linear systems. Suggested problems in 10.5: 2-8, 14-18, 24, 36-44 evens.
  • 4/28: Constant coefficient homogeneous linear systems. Suggested problems in 10.6: 2-6, 18-22, 34-40 evens.
  • 4/30: Review/recap.
• Finals week
  • Office hours: TBD.
  • Exam open dates: TBD.
  • Final exam schedule

Resources

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

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 1/22/2021