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Introduction

MA 214 is a course in ordinary differential equations.  Emphasis is on first and second order equations and applications.  The course includes series solutions of second order equations and Laplace transform methods.  Prerequisite:  MA 213 or the equivalent.

Please see the syllabus for more details.  If you are taking the course and have not filled out the survey, please do so now and bring it to class.

Course Style

    Every class will begin with a question and answer period.  Homework will be collected and assigned at the beginning of class.  If you do not understand a point being made during a lecture, please interrupt the lecture and ask a question or point out errors on the blackboard.  Do not be bashful!  Should part of a lecture require a computer demonstration, the class will move to 327 McVey Hall where a computer beamer is available.

    The one hour exams will be during the second hour of the class unless stated otherwise (and posted on the class web page).  Exams will start before 7pm if the lecture is completed early.  You are responsible to be in class the entire two hours on exam nights.

Symbolic/Numerical Mathematics Software

    The University of Kentucky has a site license for Maple.  Private licenses for undergraduates are not part of the site license, unfortunately.  There are many Matlab software keys available in the engineering college.  This still does not cover undergraduates' own computers, unfortunately.  I would recommend that you consider buying a copy of the latest Student Edition of Matlab 5.3 from The Mathworks, Inc. (not the Academic Press version which has a limit on the workspace size that will irritate you at some point).  The Mathworks wants $99 plus shipping/handling for its version.  It includes a copy of its Maple toolkits.  I have a copy and think that it is pretty neat.  The latest version of Maple (V.5) is also useful.  Do not buy both, however.

    Before I buy a book on the web, I check with AddALL.  They search and compare results from about 30 web bookstores and give an indication of how much a book would be and how long it might take to get it.  I still check with the suggested web stores to see for sure, however.

    One October 19th, I tried to use Maple in class.  You can click on the table below to see the work done in class.  You can also download the maple worksheets (.mws files) or the Matlab equivalents (.m files).

Worksheet	Maple Output	Matlab File	Description
euler.mws	Euler	euler.m	Forward Euler method
heun.mws	Heun	heun.m	Improved Euler (Heun) method
		f.m	Sample right hand side f(t,y)
functions.mws	Functions		Use dsolve to solve the differential equation and plot it
		oboyle.zip	Euler, Heun, RK, AB, and AM (supplied by Ryan O'Boyle)

You probably want to get a copy of the worksheets (hold down a shift key while clicking on the .mws hyperlinks in the table). Then modify them to see how Maple really works.  Try the help system to find out about obscure features of the worksheets.

Grading

    The grading currently is what is stated in the syllabus.  Any changes from that policy will be listed here during the semester.  The current grade cutoffs are 85-100% (A), 70-84% (B), 60-69% (C), 50-59% (D), and below that a failing grade.

Calendar

    This section will change weekly.  Please consult this web page often.  In particular, what will be on the exams will only be accurate at most 6 days in advance.

Date	Special	Homework Due	Book Sections
8/31	none	none	1.1
9/07	none	1.1 (2, 3, 5, 15, 16), 50 points	1.1, 2.1, 2.2
9/14	none	2.1 (13, 27), 2.2 (12, 23), 40 points	2.3, 2.4, 2.11
9/21	none	2.3 (11, 23), 2.4 (3), 30 points	3.1, 3.2
9/28	Exam, 7-8pm, 100 points	3.1 (3, 9), 3.2 (3, 23) 40 points	3.3 Exam 1 (1.1, 2.1-2.4, 2.11, 3.1-3.2)
10/05	none	3.3 (1, 7, 15) 30 points	3.3, 3.4, 3.5
10/12	none	3.4 (4, 17), 3.5 (12, 16) 40 points	3.6, 3.7
10/19	Exam, 7-8pm, 100 points	3.6 (13, 20), 3.7 (3) 30 points	Exam 2 (3.1-3.7)
10/22	Drop date	none	none
10/26	327 McVey	none	8.1, 8.3, 8.4
11/02	none	8.1 (1), 8.3(1), 8.4(1) 30 points	8.2, 8.5, 8.6
11/09	none	8.5 ((1,3)(a,b)) 20 points	4.1-4.4
11/16	Exam, 7-8pm, 100 points	none	Exam 3 (8.1-8.6, 4.1-4.4), Answers
11/23	no class	none	none
11/30	none	4.2 (31), 4.3 (15), 4.4 (3) 30 points	chapters 5, 6
12/07	#2 pencil required	5.1 (8), 5.2 (3, 7, 17) 40 points	chapters 5, 6
12/14	Final due 8pm	none	Exam 4* (all discussed) and any hints
* 327 McVey Hall will be open from 6-8pm on 12/14.

Suggested Problems from the Textbook

Do not turn in any of the following problems from the textbook unless you are instructed to do so:

Section	Problems
1.1	1-6, 15, 16
2.1	13, 15, 17, 27, 29
2.2	1, 3, 11, 21, 23, 35, 37, 39
2.3	3, 7, 9, 13, 21, 23
2.4	3, 7
2.5	3, 7, 9 (a), 15, 21, 23, 25
2.7	3, 7, 9, 15
2.8	3, 7, 11, 13, 15
2.9	1, 5, 9, 13 (just do (a), (b))
2.10	1, 3, 7, 21, 23, 37
3.1	3, 5, 9, 15
3.2	3, 7, 11, 21, 23
3.3	2, 5, 9, 15
3.4	1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 12, 17, 20, 25
3.5	5, 7, 12, 15, 16, 20, 38
3.6	3, 6, 11, 13, 15, 20, 32**
3.7	1, 3, 7, 13, 29
4.1	1, 7, 11, 13
4.2	11, 16, 18, 31, 38
4.3	1, 3, 13, 15
4.4	2, 3, 13, 14
5.1	2, 8, 10
5.2	2, 3, 7, 15, 17
5.4	1, 19, 20
8.1	1, (3,6)(a,b)
8.2	1, 3
8.3	1, 3, 9
8.4	1, 3, 9
8.5	1, 3, 9(a,b)
8.6	1
** will not be on an exam

Some of the suggested problems may appear on exams, however.  You should do them as soon as possible, but no later than the week that we are discussing the sections in class.

Cheers,
Craig C. Douglas

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