MATH 266/267  Section A1      Spring 2013

    Elementary Differential Equations [and Laplace Transforms]

INSTRUCTOR: PAUL SACKS                                          OFFICE: 436 Carver

TELEPHONE: 294-8143                                                     EMAIL: psacks@iastate.edu

OFFICE HOURS: Mon, Fri 2--3, Tues, Thurs 11--12, Wed 3--4, or by appointment.

CLASS WEB PAGE: www.public.iastate.edu/~psacks/classes/m267/math267.html

TEXTBOOK Fundamentals of Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, 6th ed.,  by R. K. Nagle, E. B. Saff and A. D. Snider

COURSE CONTENT:

The last two topics in this list are covered in MATH 267 but not in MATH 266. MATH 266 will conclude with an evening exam on Thursday April 11.

In some cases these chapters will be covered quite thoroughly and in others only selected topics will be discussed.

COURSE GRADE for students enrolled in MATH 266:
 
Two hour exams   25% of grade each
Quizzes and homework   20% of grade
Final exam   30% of grade

COURSE GRADE for students enrolled in MATH 267:
 

Three hour exams   20% of grade each
Quizzes and homework   15% of grade
Final exam   25% of grade

UNGRADED HOMEWORK: Assignments from the textbook will be made for each class, which are not meant to be handed in. Working these problems in a careful and timely manner is the most important way you have to learn the material. Click here to get an up-to-date list of homework assignments. A little class time will be taken around once each week to go over some of the assigned homework. If you want to request that a certain problem be discussed, let me know ahead of time by e-mail.

GRADED HOMEWORK: Selected problems from the textbook and possibly from other sources will be collected for grading. Click here for homework assignments to hand in.

EXAMS: These will take place during the regular class period on February 12, March 14 (and for MATH 267 students April 12).  Exam problems will be very similar to homework problems. I will clarify a week or so ahead of time exactly what topics will be covered on each exam. The final exam time will be posted here as soon as it is available.

CALCULATORS: Calculators are allowed, but not required, on quizzes and exams unless otherwise stated. During quizzes and exams you may not use a calculator which is also a communications device.  Calculators are meant as a convenience for the routine aspects of problem solving, but not as a replacement for the understanding of the concepts and methods which make up this course. As in any other mathematics course you should expect to have to demonstrate your competence by showing your work on anything which gets graded.

SOFTWARE: There will be some limited use of MATLAB in homework assignments, and I will provide some basic information about how to use it at the appropriate time.  You should  find a computer system that you have easy access to on which MATLAB can be run -- see me if you need suggestions about this. 

ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Cell phones and other communications devices should be turned off during class time. In the event that a student needs to keep his/her cell phone on for an emergency, please notify the instructor before class. During class time, laptop computers should only be used for class appropriate purposes.

OTHER RESOURCES: Course information and announcements can also be found via Blackboard Learn where you can also keep track of your grades.

If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Disability Resources (DR) office for information on appropriate policies and procedures. DR is located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076; their phone is 515-294-6624.