Weekly Topic Schedule
Grading Policy
Disability Resources
Homework Assignments
Exams and Solutions 
Math 266, Elementary Differential Equations, Cr. 3. Prereq: Grade of C- or better in Math 166. Solution methods for ordinary differential equations. First order equations, linear equations, constant coefficient equations. Eigenvalue methods for systems of first order linear equations. Introduction to stability and phase plane anlysis.
Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems (8th Ed.) , by W. Boyce and R. DiPrima .
| Week | Dates | Tuesday | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan. 14-18 | 1.1-1.3 | 1.2-1.3 | |
| 2 | Jan. 21-25 | 2.2 | 2.1 | |
| 3 | Jan. 28 - Feb. 1 | 2.3 | 2.1-2.3 | |
| 4 | Feb. 4-8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | |
| 5 | Feb. 11-15 | 2.1-2.6 | Exam 1 | |
| 6 | Feb. 18-22 | 3.1-3.2 | 3.3-3.4 | |
| 7 | Feb. 25-29 | 3.4 | 3.5 | |
| 8 | Mar. 3-7 | 3.6 | 3.6-3.8 | |
| 9 | Mar. 10-14 | 3.8-3.9 | Exam 2 | |
| 10 | Mar. 17-21 | Spring | Break | |
| 11 | Mar. 24-28 | 4.1-4.3 | 7.1 | |
| 12 | Mar. 31 - Apr. 4 | 7.2-7.3 | 7.3-7.4 | |
| 13 | Apr. 7-11 | 7.5 | 7.1-7.5 | |
| 14 | Apr. 14-18 | 7.6 | 7.7 | |
| 15 | Apr. 21-25 | 7.7 | Exam 3 | |
| 16 | Apr. 28 - May 2 | 7.9 | review | |
| 17 | May 5-9 | final exams | semester ends |
Course grades will be determined from student performance on exams and quizes. There will be four exams: three 50 minute in-class exams and a final exam. The three in-class exams, which are indicated on the syllabus above, will be given during the hour normally used for lecture. Each of these exams will test only the material covered since the previous exam. In contrast the final exam, which will be given during the week of final exams, will be a cummulative exam. All of the exams will be written by the instructor and consist of problems similar to the homework problems assigned throughout the semester. The exams will be weighted as follows:
| Exam 1 | 100 points |
| Exam 2 | 100 points |
| Exam 3 | 100 points |
| Final Exam | 150 points |
| -------- | |
| Total | 450 points |
A short quiz will be given each Thursday, except for those weeks in which an exam is scheduled. The quizes will be weighted as 20 points each, so that 5 quizes will count a much as one exam in determining course grades. The final course grades will be determined by the percent of points earned out of the total number of points. A straight scale will be used so that A's, B's and C's correspond to the percent ranges 100-90, 90-80 and 80-70 respectively. At the discretion of the instructor these percentage cut-offs may be lowered to allow for "curving" of difficult exams. However they will not be raised for any reason, and in this sense are guaranteed grade ranges. Plus/minus grading will be used.
Homework will be assigned on a daily basis and should be done before the next class. Althought typically not collected, these homework assignments are an essential part of the course for learning and understanding the course material. They should be thought of as required for success in the course
Iowa State University complies with the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You should contact the Disability Resources office for information on appropriate policies and procedures. The Disability Resources office is located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076; their phone is 515-294-6624.
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Maintain by course instructor, last updated: April 29, 2008