Math 256: Differential Equations

Fall 2019

Class Meetings:

 MWF 9:10-10:10 am, Ford 204

Professor McNicholas

  • emcnicho@willamette.edu
  • Office: Ford 211
  • Phone: (503)370-6590

"Newton’s fundamental discovery, the one which he considered necessary to keep secret and published only in the form of an anagram, consists of the following: Data aequatione quotcunque fluentes quantitae involvente fluxions invenire et vice versa. [Given an equation involving any number of fluent quantities to find the fluxions, and vice versa.] In contemporary mathematical language, this means: It is useful to solve differential equations." - V. I. Arnol’d, page vii, Geometrical Methods in the Theory of Ordinary Differential Equations, Spring, New York (1988)

 

Office Hours:   In addition to times posted on my website, I am also available by appointment.

Math Tutoring:   Available in the Math Hearth (near the big cube), Ford Hall, 2nd Floor.   Times will be announced soon

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Sunday

 

 

 

 

 

Syllabus: 

http://willamette.edu/~emcnicho/courses/Syllabi/SyllabusMath256DiffEQF19.pdf

WeBWorK site:  


Tentative Schedule - Subject to Change

Assessments and Weighting

• Homework & Labs (40%) : There will be regular on-line WeBWorK assignments accounting for 30% of your grade and two labs, each accounting for 5%.

• Celebrations of Knowledge (32%): There will be two in-class exams, each accounting for 16% of your final grade

• Final Celebration or Research Project (25%): You will have the option to conduct an independent extended research project in teams or 3, writing up a final report describing your methods and results; or take an individual, cumulative, final exam during the final exam period Wednesday, December 11, 8-11am.

• Colloquium Attendance and Class Participation (3%): Students are expected to attend 2 of the math colloquium talks given throughout the semester. These talks will be announced in class and a schedule can be found on the Math Department website and linked from the course WISE site. An excellent essay on how to approach math colloquium talks is available here:  How_to_listen_to_a_Math_Lecture. The goal of this attendance requirement is to introduce you to the diversity and vitality of current mathematics research, and to include you in the Math Department culture.

Grades: Your grade will be based on the percentage of points you earn out of the total possible points. 90% and above guarantees you an A-, 80% and above guarantees you a B-, 70% and above guarantees you a C-, and 60% and above guarantees you a D.