MATH 3113 - Introduction to ODEs

This is the syllabus for Mathematics 3113, for the Fall Semester 2009. It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with all the information in this syllabus, and with any modifications to it that may be announced in class.

Instructor: Dr. Lucy Lifschitz.
Office: 904 Physical Sciences Center [PHSC].
Phone: 325-0159 E-mail: llifschitz@ou.edu
Office Hours: Monday 10:30-12:00pm

Text and Course Outline: The textbook for this course is Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems ($4th$ Edition), by C.H. Edwards and D.E. Penney. We will cover:

• Chapter 1: First-order Differential Equations
  
• Chapter 3: Linear Equations of Higher Order
  
• Chapter 4: Introduction to Systems of Differential Equations
  
• Chapter 5: Linear Systems of Differential Equations
  
• Chapter 7: Laplace Transform Methods
  

Lectures: You are expected to attend all lectures, and are responsible for all information given out during them. In particular, this includes any changes to the midterm dates or content. The Class Schedule gives a rough indication of what topics we hope to cover on specific days. Remember that this is just a rough guide. As the semester develops, we may deviate slightly from this schedule. As in any course, you should try to read the relevant sections of the textbook before attending lectures. Not attending lectures is the road to disaster!

Grading Scheme: Grades will be assigned by weighting your totals from Homework, Midterms and a Final Examination as follows:

Homework 15%

3 Midterms 45%

Final Examination 40%

Below, there is a detailed description of each of these components.

Homework:  Homework will be due at the start of class on Tuesdays. Homework assignments can be found on the Class Schedule. Minor modifications to the homework sheets may be announced in class during the semester. You are responsible for turning in your homework on time. Late homework will not be accepted.

The homework assignments are there to provide you with a minimum level of exposure to the materials outside of class time. You will need to do many more problems before you feel comfortable with the concepts involved. Take it from experience (of generations of students!) that the way to succeed in a math course is to work (and understand) a large number of problems.

Midterms: There will be three Midterms held during regular lecture time on Tuesday, September 22, on Tuesday, October 20 and on Thursday, November 19.

Final Examination: The final examination is is scheduled for Tuesday, December 15, 8:00 - 10:00 am.

Taking Examinations: Here are a few notes on taking Examinations.

• There will be extra Office Hours before the Midterms and Final Examinations. You are strongly encouraged to attend Office Hours regularly.
• You cannot use books or any type of notes during the examinations.
• All examinations must be taken at scheduled times, except in very extreme circumstances. Otherwise, an absence at an exam will result in a score of zero. So be careful not to make travel arrangements that conflict with examination times.

Withdrawal Policy: Until September 4, there is no record of grade for dropped courses. From September 8 through October 2, you may withdraw and receive a W grade, no matter what scores you have so far achieved. From October 5 through December 11 you will need to see me about W versus F grades if you wish to withdraw. From November 2 on, University regulations specify that you may withdraw only with the permission of the Dean.

Academic misconduct: The following is taken from the University Academic Misconduct Code. It is the responsibility of each instructor and each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. Cases of academic misconduct are inexcusable. Don't do it. All cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Dean of Arts and Sciences for adjudication.

Accommodation of Disabilities: Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible to discuss the accommodations necessary to facilitate his or her educational opportunity and ensure his or her full participation in the course.