Differential Equations

Math 2552, Spring 2017


Lecture: Monday & Wednesday 11:05-12:25 (Red Room)

Recitation: Tuesday & Thursday 10:05-10:55 (Red Room)

Instructor: Dr. Wing Suet Li (email: li@math.gatech.edu)

Office: Rm 214.

Office Hours: Mon. 2:00 - 3:00pm; Wed., 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 noon, or by appointments

Teaching Assistant: Dr. Renaud Puybaret (email: renaudpuybaret@gmail.com)


Course Information


Text Book:

  •  Differential Equations: An Introduction to Modern Methods and Applications, 3rd Ed. , by James R. Brannan and William E. Boyce, published by Wiley.

    Course Website and Other Classroom Management Tools:

    Lecture Slides, Mathlab codes, and other resources will be posted on resources section of the T-Square. Weekly assignments will be posted on the class website. We will also use Piazza to fostering exchange and discussion. All questions related to the content of the course should be posted on Piazza. For procedure and personal questions addressed to the instructor, you are welcome to send an email to me.

    Tentative Course Schedule:

  • Introduction, Phase lines and Direction fields. (1/10-1/13)
  • Sections 1.1 - 1.3
  • First order differential equations and Systems of first order equations. (1/16 - 2/11)
  • Sections 2.1 - 2.7; 3.1 - 3.5; 6.2 - 6.5
  • Feb. 14 (Tuesday), Test I
  • Second order linear equaionts; Laplace transform methods (2/27 - 3/24)
  • Sections 4.1 - 4.3, 4.5, 4.7; 5.1 - 5.9.
  • April. 4 (Tuesday), Test II
  • Nonlinear Differential Equations, Stability, and Applications. (3/27 - 4/25)
  • Sections 3.6, 4.4, 4.6, 5.8, 5.9, 6.1, 7.1 - 7.4

    • Homework/Quizzes/Exams:

    Weekly homework assignments will be posted on this site regularly. Doing homework is essential in learning the course material. The homework problems will not be collected. Instead, weekly quizzes will be given and the problems of the quizzes will be chosen directly from the homework assignment.
    We will follow the 3rd edition of Brannan and Boyce. If you have a different edition of the book, it is your responsibility to make sure that you have the correct homework assignments.
    Quizzes will be given on Jan. 19, 26, Feb. 2, 9, March 2, 9, 16, 23, April 13, 20. There will be no makeup for a missed Quiz, except under proven impossibility to come to class, such as a medical emergency or official travel. <
  • Quizzes count 15% of the grade.

    • Participation counts towards 5% of the grade. This includes class attendance and answering and posting questions on Piazza. Attending 90% (respectively 80%, 70%, 60%, 50% and above) of the classes will automatically get the full 5% (respectively 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%) participation points. Attending less than 50% of classes will get 0% for participation grade. Piazza participation can make-up upto 4% of the total participation grade.
  • Participation counts for 5% of the grade.

    • There will be two midterms. They will be on Feb. 14 and April 4. Final exam will take place at the official time.

  • Midterm exams count 40% of the grade.

  • Final exam counts 40% of the grade.

    • All quizzes, midterm exams, and finals are closed books, closed notes, no calculators, no smart phones.

    Grading:

    Total there are 10 quizzes and you are allowed to drop the lowest two score. The final grade will be based on the following rules: 40% final, 40% midterms, 15% quizzes, 5% class participations (class attendance and/or Piazza participation). Curving will be done on the final result. You are guaranteed an A if 88% and above, B if 76%-87%, C if 65%-75%, D if 50%-64%, and F if below 49%.

    Student-Faculty Expectations Agreement:

    At Georgia Tech we believe that it is important to strive for an atmosphere of mutual respect, acknowledgement, and responsibility between faculty members and the student body. See http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/22/ for an articulation of some basic expectation that you can have of me and that I have of you. In the end, simple respect for knowledge, hard work, and cordial interactions will help build the environment we seek. Therefore, I encourage you to remain committed to the ideals of Georgia Tech while in this class.

    Academic Integrity:

    Georgia Tech aims to cultivate a community based on trust, academic integrity, and honor. Students are expected to act according to the highest ethical standards. For information on Georgia Tech's Academic Honor Code, please visit http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/18/ Any student suspected of cheating or plagiarizing on a quiz, exam, or assignment will be reported to the Office of Student Integrity, who will investigate the incident and identify the appropriate penalty for violations.
    In particular, I expect that you will not attempt to cheat or violate the above policies during Quizzes and Exams. Transgressors will receive a grade of 0 on the exam and will be reported to the Office of Student Integrity.

    Cell Phones, Laptops, and Related Technology:

    Use of portable technology during class time is not permitted unless prior arrangement has been made with the course instructor. Please leave your laptop in your bag, turn off your cell phone, and resist the urge to make Airbnb reservations or book train tickets.

    Weekly assignments

    Week 1&2:  Jan. 10 - 19

    Week 3:  Jan. 23 - 26

    Week 4:  Jan. 30 - Feb. 2

    Week 5:  Feb. 6 - 9

    Week 6:  Feb. 13 - Feb. 16

    Week 8:  Feb. 27 - Mar. 2

    Week 9:  Mar. 6 - 9

    Week 10:  Mar. 13 - 16

    Week 11:  Mar. 20 - Mar. 23

    Week 12:  Mar.27 - Mar. 30

    Week 13:  Apr. 3 - 7

    Week 14:  Apr. 10 - 14

    Week 15:  Apr. 17 - 25