110.302 Differential Equations w/ Applications, Sections 5 & 6, Fall 2006
This page is for sections 5 & 6 for Differential Equations with Applications with Dr. Bernard Shiffman
Section Info
Me (Your TA): Duncan Sinclair
My Email: 
Course Webpage: http://www.math.jhu.edu/~shiffman/302/
Office Hours: Teusday, 3-5pm, in my office, Krieger 200. I'm also in the Math Help Room (Krieger 213) Fridays, 9-11 AM. You may always check to see if I'm in my office (Krieger 200).
Section 5: Friday, 12-1, Shaffer 300 (lectures meet MTW 1-2 in Krieger 205)
Section 6: Thursday, 10:30-11:30, Shaffer 304 (lectures meet MTW 1-2 in Krieger 205)
Announcements
I shall be holding a review session Thursday, December 14, from noon till 2pm in Krieger 205. The location is tentative, and I'll put up a sign on the door of Krieger 205 if the location changes at the last minute. I'll also take a moment to pass out the last remaining bits of homework.
There were a couple of questions for Dr. Shiffman that came up in my review session, so here are the questions and synopses of the replies. He said he would respond to these concerns in class, so ANYTHING DR. SHIFFMAN SAID IN CLASS TODAY SUPERCEDES WHAT FOLLOWS:
- Q: Are students expected to know all of the equations in section 3.9?
A: They don't need to memorize (4)-(9) but should know how to compute R for a given equation. The same applies to (12)-(13).
- Q: Are students expected to memorize the difference between the classifications of critical points of linear vs non-linear systems? Essentially, would they be expected to remember the Table 9.3.1 on page 508 of the text?
A: Yes. but it's not hard to memorize if one understands the concepts. I explained it in lecture in a simplified form--i.e. asymptotically stable if and only if the real parts of the eigenvalues are both negative, etc.
- Q: In section 9.3, the latest homework does not include problems that would invoke the use of the method of taylor approimations as it applies to non-linear systems (they can all be showing a system can be "almost linear"). Will they be expected to know the method using taylor approximations? Also To use the taylor series approx method, one must show that F(x,y), G(x,y) are C^2 (i.e. all second order derivatives are continuous). Many of the students thought this might be a hassle to show this on the exam. Would they be expected to prove this for each applicable problem on the exam?
A: I explained that all systems that are C^2 are "almost linear". They don't need to prove it on the exam. They should use the Jacobian matrix.
I will hold a review session in Krieger 300 on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 5 pm. It should last about an hour. Please bring questions.
I will hold a review session in Krieger 205 on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 6 pm. It should last about an hour. Remember that you have homework due on Monday, and that you have an exam on Tuesday, Oct 10. The exam will not include material from section 3.6.
Office hours will be held from 3:30-5:00 pm Tuesday, Oct 3. Also, a review session for the exam will be held sometime Sunday afternoon/evening. Please email me if there are any particular times you cannot make.
I have sent out an email to both sections as of 6:20pm Tuesday. If you did not get it, please email me so I can put your email address on the list
NOTA BENE! The information on this page is a work in progress and the finer details are subject to change. Please check this page frequently for more up-to-date information.
Homework & Grading Policies
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The policies can be found on the course webpage. Solutions to problem sets will be posted there as well. Homework is due in lecture on Mondays, and will be returned the following section. Homework is graded out of ten points and requests for regrades must be made within one week of the section in which it was returned. No late work is accepted for any reason, but the two lowest scores will be dropped.
Advice
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At present, I have three pieces of advice. First, please check my course reviews. This is an assessment of my effectiveness from your peers over previous terms. Make sure you know what you are getting into so your are not surprised after the drop/add period by how wonderful/dreadful I am. Second, I highly recommend working in groups. It will be very difficult to learn all of the material by yourself, but you can find additional support amongst your peers. Third, I recommend reading Dr. Zucker's comments. If you want a good grade, read it. If you want to learn how to ace college and learn for the rest of your life, read it twice.