Schedule

The schedule below is a record of what we have done as well as a rolling 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
  • 1/13: 1.1,2 Introduction and basic concepts. Suggested problems in 1.2: 2, 4, 6, 8.
  • 1/14: 1.3 Direction fields. Suggested problems in 1.3: 1-11.
  • 1/16: 2.1 Linear equations. Suggested problems in 2.1: 2-10, 16-24, 30-36 all even.
• Week 2
  • 1/20: A worksheet on 2.1 and a lesson on 2.2 Separable equations.
  • 1/21: 2.2 Separable equations. Suggested problems in 2.2: 2-12, 18-22 all even. WeBWorK 1 due at 6:00 PM today.
  • 1/23: 4.1,2,3 Growth and decay, cooling and mixing, elementary mechanics through a worksheet. WeBWorK 2 due at 6:00 PM today.
    • 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
• Week 3
  • 1/27: 4.4 Autonomous second order equations. Suggested problems in 4.4: 2-8 even (convert to the phase plane equivalent and solve for v if possible).
  • 1/28: 2.4 Transformations of nonlinear equations into separable equations. WeBWorK 3 due at 9:00 PM today.
  • 1/30: 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). Sample exam problems.
• Week 4
  • 2/3: 3.1,2 Euler's method. Suggested problems in 3.1: 2, 4, 6.
  • 2/4: 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.
  • 2/6: 5.1,2 Constant coefficient homogeneous linear equations. WeBWorK 4 due at 9:00 PM today.
• Week 5
  • 2/10: 5.2 and 6.1,2 (intro). Suggested problems in 5.2: 1-20 even. Ambitious students may also want to try problem 22 and any of 23-28.
  • 2/11: 6.1,2 Spring problems I and II (no external forces). Suggested problems in 6.1: 2-10 even. Suggested problems in 6.2: 2-16 even. A worksheet.
  • 2/13: 5.3,4 Nonhomogeneous, second-order, linear differential equations. WeBWorK 5 due at 9:00 PM today.
    • 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.
• Week 6
  • 2/17: 5.4,5 and 6.1 Spring problems with external forces.
  • 2/18: 6.1 (a worksheet) and 7.1 Review of power series (maybe). Suggested problems in 7.1: 1, 2, 3.
  • 2/20: 7.2,3 Series solutions near an ordinary point I and II. WeBWorK 6 due at 9:00 PM today.
    • Suggested problems in 7.2: 2, 4, 12, 16, 22-26 even
    • Suggested problems in 7.3: 2-10 even
• Spring break and contagion: the rest of the semester will happen online.
• Week 7
  • 3/10: Worksheet (solutions) and lesson on series solutions.
  • 3/12: Worksheet (due 3/18) and videos (A and B ) on 8.1 Laplace transforms.
    • Suggested problems in 8.1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9.
    • Solutions to the worksheet on series solutions.
    • Zoom Q&A at 1:30 (click the link and follow the instructions).
• Week 8
  • 3/17: Worksheet (due 3/20, solutions) and video lessons (A and B) on 8.2 Inverse Laplace Transforms.
    • Suggested problems in 8.2: 2-8 even (enough of each to feel comfortable).
    • WeBWorK HW07 opens, due 3/25
  • 3/18: Worksheet (due 3/20, solutions) and video lesson on 8.3 Solution of IVPs.
    • Zoom Q&A at 1:00 (link).
    • Suggested problems in 8.3: 2-36 even.
  • 3/19: Zoom Q&A at 1:00.
  • 3/20: Exam 2 covering weeks 4-6. Practice exam.
• Week 9
  • 3/23: Exam 2 due at 6:00 PM.
  • 3/24: Worksheet (due 3/27, solutions) and video lessons (A and B) on 8.4 The unit step function (aka the Heaviside function) and 8.5 Constant coefficient equations with piecewise continuous forcing functions.
    • Suggested problems in 8.4: 2-14, 20-24 even.
    • Suggested problems in 8.5: 2-20 even.
  • 3/25: Zoom Q&A at 1:00. WeBWorK WW_07 due today at 6:00 PM PST.
  • 3/26: Zoom Q&A at 1:00. WeBWorK WW_08 opens.
• Week 10
  • 3/30: Extra video on solving problem 8.5.7 (an IVP involving a peicewise continuous forcing function).
  • 4/1: Worksheet (solutions)and videos on 8.6 Convolutions and 8.7 Constant coefficient equations with impulses.
    • Suggested problems in 8.6: 2, 4, 8.
    • Suggested problems in 8.7: 2-28 even.
  • 4/2: Zoom Q&A at 1:00.
  • 4/3: Zoom Q&A at 1:00. WeBWorK WW_08 due at 6:00 PM PST.
• Week 11
  • 4/6: Summary of Laplace transforms and table of Laplace transforms. Zoom Q&A at 1:00 Pacific.
  • 4/7: Zoom Q&A at 1:00 Pacific. WeBWorK 09 due at 6:00 PM Pacific.
  • 4/8: Zoom Q&A at 1:00 Pacific. Exam 3 distributed (due by 6:00 PM Friday). Optional Practice WebWorK due at 6:00 (solutions are available after 6:00).
  • 4/10: Start thinking about systems of differential equations:
    • Introduction to the SIR model of disease spread (there's a small mistake at about 6:00 when the presenter uses r instead of b: the model should have just two parameters, so r = b).
    • Text intro to the SIR model
    • How to implement the SIR model in GeoGebra. This one's very good and it sets you up to create your own models.
  • 4/11: Exam 3 due by 6:00 PM. Lesson on 10.1,2 Introduction to systems of differential equations and a worksheet (due 4/14, solutions).
    • Paul's notes on systems of differential equations (recommended)
    • Chapter 6 of these lecture notes
    • Suggested problems in 10.2: 2, 4, 8.
    • How Pixar animators use double spring systems (actually double pendulums, but they're almost the same)
• Week 12
  • 4/14: Zoom Q&A at 1:00. Begin 10.3-6 Constant coefficient homogeneous linear systems.
    • Worksheet (due by 6:00 PM Friday, solutions)
    • Video lessons A and B
    • Summary of the methods
    • pplane Java applet
    • Suggested problems in 10.3: 8, 10, 12.
    • Suggested problems in 10.4: 2-8, 16-20, 30-40 evens.
    • Suggested problems in 10.5: 2-8, 14-18, 24, 36-44 evens.
    • Suggested problems in 10.6: 2-6, 18-22, 34-40 evens.
  • 4/16: Zoom Q&A at 1:00.
  • 4/17: Zoom Q&A at 1:00.
  • 4/20: WeBWorK HW_10F due at 6:00 PM Pacific.
• Final exam (take home, cumulative, distributed 4/20 and due 4/22)
• Useful materials:
  • The textbook
  • Formulas and methods through exam 2
  • Summary of methods for Laplace transforms
  • Table of Laplace transforms
  • Summary of methods for linear systems

Resources

• Syllabus
• Math 260 Spring 2018
• Textbook
• dfield and pplane
• Academic calendar
• WolframAlpha
• ODEs at Khan Academy
• Desmos

Office hours

• 10:30-11:30 Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
• 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 4/20/2020