Introduction to Differential Equations

 MATH 2400


Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Peter R. Kramer 

  • Office: 310 Amos Eaton Hall 

  • Telephone:  (518) 276-6896 

  • Email: kramep@rpi.edu 

  • Class Meetings:  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1:00-1:50PM in DCC 330

  • Office Hours:  Tuesday 2:00-3:00 PM (graduate class priority), Wednesday 2:00-3:00 PM (this class has priority), Friday 5:00-6:00 PM (equal priority)


Teaching Assistant: Mr. Adam Boucher

  • Section 5 Recitation:

  •  Monday 9:00-9:50AM in Low 3112

  • Section 6 Recitation:

  •  Thursday 9:00-9:50AM in Low 3112

  • Office: 402 Amos Eaton Hall

  • Email: boucha@rpi.edu 

  • Office Hours:  Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 PM

  • Extra Help Lectures: Wednesdays, 5:00-6:00 PM in Amos Eaton 214



Teaching Assistant: Mr. Da Zhu

  • Section 7 Recitation:

  •  Monday 12:00-12:50PM in Sage 2715

  • Section 8 Recitation:

  •  Thursday 12:00-12:50PM in Sage 2715

  • Office: 316E Amos Eaton Hall

  • Email: zhud2@rpi.edu

  • Office Hours:  Mondays, 4:00-6:00 PM

Resources

Course Objectives

Exams/Grading

Learning Strategy

Honesty 

Schedule
Resources
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Course Objectives

You may also find it worthwhile to read another perspective, which is taken from Dr. Siegmann's course webpage from a previous year.
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Exams/Grading The course grade will be determined by your performance on three in-class exams and an optional final. 
If you miss an exam, you will only be permitted to make up the exam if you obtain an explanatory note from the Dean of Students indicating that you had a valid excuse (such as serious illness).  In any event, you must contact me within 24 hours of a missed exam with at least a preliminary explanation if you wish to make it up.  Unexcused absences (including "forgetting" about the exam) will result in a 0 score for that exam.


The standard grading scale is:
  • A:  90% +
  • B:  80-89%
  • C:   70-79%
  • D:  50-69%
  • F:    0-50%
    • Your grade is based solely on performance, not effort.   There is no official "mercy" clause for a bad exam.  However, I do sometimes adjust the final grade in your favor if your work demonstrates a strong upward trend or a generally consistent performance at a certain grade level with the exception of a rare disaster.  Such grade adjustments are given purely at my discretion, and are not motivated by external matters such as your need to maintain a certain GPA for financial aid, domestic tranquility, etc.  I view grades simply as a means of reporting, as accurately as possible, the demonstrated level of your mastery with the material.
    You may only appeal scores on exams based on factual criteria (a correct answer was marked wrong, or scores were added incorrectly).  Any such legitimate appeals will only be accepted within one week of the date on which the graded exam was returned to the class.  Neither I nor my TAs will  entertain quibbles about how many points of partial credit you think you should have been given on some problem.  Students making frivolous appeals will be given one warning, after which further nuisance appeals will be penalized by as many points as the student was frivolously arguing for. 

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    Learning Strategy
    As noted above, the course grade is determined entirely by exams.  That means you are being entrusted with taking responsibility for your own learning, dedicating your time in whatever manner you find most suited to your objectives and priorities.  I will direct the class according to the following learning strategy:
    • Students preview the textbook sections to be covered in class before the class.  It is not necessary to have a thorough understanding of the section after a first reading, but knowing the basic facts and content should help in following the class discussion.  In particular, I do not plan on spending much time in class on simply stating facts and definitions which students can more easily read in the nicely typeset textbook (as opposed to my childlike scrawls on the overhead projector).  Rather, I will assume students have at least looked over the section enough to have encountered new definitions and classifications, so that I can spend the class time explaining more about the "how" and "why" of the material rather than the "what."
    • Students attend class as much as possible, and obtain class notes from a friend when they are unable to attend.  The material covered in class is intended to supplement, and not simply restate, the material in the textbook.   Moreover, the class discussion will emphasize those aspects of the material which I find most important (and are therefore most likely to appear on the exams).
    • Students then study the material, either alone or with colleagues, to the point that they are able to solve all the suggested homework problems.  Students can check their work against posted solutions.  If they do not feel sufficiently confident with the material through self-study or consultation with colleagues, they first talk to their teaching assistants during their office hours, and, if necessary, to the professor during his office hours.
    • Students review for exams by checking that they are familiar with the material from the classes and textbook sections to be covered, can still do the homework problems from the relevant sections, and by taking one or more practice exams until they are satisfied with their performance.  Further practice can be obtained by working other problems from the relevant sections in the textbook, and from the "Student Companion Site" on the textbook publisher's website.
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    Honesty
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    Schedule

    Dates
    Sections
    		Notes
    January 17-21
    1.1-1.2
    January 24-28
    1.3, 2.1, 2.2
    January 31 - February 4
    2.3, 2.5
    February 7-11
    3.1-3.4

    February 14-18
    3.5, 3.8
    		 Exam 1, Friday, February 18 in class
    February 21-26 
    3.6, 5.5
    		 No lecture February 22 (Monday schedule and recitation)
    February 28 - March 4
    3.7, 3.9
    March 7-11
    10.2
    March 14-18

    		Spring Break
    March 21-25
    10.1, 10.3, 10.4
    March 28 - April 1
    10.5
    		 Exam 2, Tuesday, March 29 in class
    April 4-8
    10.6
    		 No class April 6
    April 11-15
    10.7, 7.1-7.3, 7.5
    April 18-22
    7.6, 9.1
    April 25-29
    9.2, 9.3
    May 2-4

    		Exam 3, Tuesday, May 3 in class
    May 9-13

    		Final, Thursday, May 12, 6:30-9:30 PM


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    Date Last Revised: 05/01/05