Math 241 Ordinary Differential Equations Syllabus
This is the course syllabus for Winter 2020 Math 241 Ordinary Differential Equations.Instructor Info
Rob Thompsonrthompson@carleton.edu
Anderson 238 x4366
Office hours: see here
Course Description
This class is an introduction to ordinary differential equations (ODE), mathematical modeling and applied mathematics in general. We'll study some methods for solving ODE explicitly, but our focus will be on the "language" of ODE in applied math and ways we can get qualitative information about the way that solutions to ODE behave. Major topics will include: separation of variables, phase portraits, equilibria and their stability, non-dimensionalization, and bifurcations of many kinds. We'll look at using ODE to model physical, biological, chemical, and social processes.Classroom climate
Our classroom is a community where everyone should feel respected and empowered to succeed. We are here to learn (myself included), and learning means cooperating, asking lots of questions, taking risks, and making mistakes! Please be kind to one another and help make our classroom a place where everyone is encouraged to participate.Readings
We will follow the (really great) textbook:- Strogatz, Steven H. Nonlinear dynamics and chaos: with applications to physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering. CRC Press, 2018.
Mathematica
We will write code in Mathematica to solve differential equations, work with data and create visualizations. You can install Mathematica on your computer for no cost, use it in the Carleton computer labs. If your computer will run it, you should install Mathematica. To install it, follow the instructions at Carleton's Mathematica portal.Note-taking duties
I will ask for two volunteers every class period to be note-takers. On a day that you are a volunteer, you will take extra careful notes, then promptly scan them into a single pdf document and email them to me. I will post them in our Notes directory for everyone to access.Assessment
Your grade in this class will be based on weekly problem sets, participation, three take-home exams, two labs and a final project in the proportions below.Problem Sets | 15% |
Participation | 5% |
Exams (3) | 20% each |
Labs (2) | 5% each |
Final Project | 10% |