Mathematics (MATH) |
202 Fenton, 541-346-4705
College of Arts & Sciences
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Course Data
| MATH 320 Theo of Diff Equations |
4.00 cr. |
| An introduction to differential equations for students with background in linear algebra, with a mixture of applications and theory. Topics include linear and nonlinear equations, systems of equations, and questions of existence and uniqueness. |
| Grading Options: |
Optional; see degree guide or catalog for degree requirements
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| Instructor: |
Sinha D |
Office:
307 Fenton Hall
Phone:
(541) 346-5627
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 Prereqs/Comments: |
Prereq: MATH 281, MATH 342; one from MATH 232, MATH 262, MATH 307. |
| Course Materials |
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CRN |
Avail |
Max |
Time |
Day |
Location |
Instructor |
Notes |
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33483 |
27 |
36 |
1100-1200 |
mwf |
00 REMOTE |
Sinha D |
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Academic Deadlines
| Deadline |
Last day to: |
| March 28: |
Process a complete drop (100% refund, no W recorded) |
| April 3: |
Drop this course (100% refund, no W recorded; after this date, W's are recorded) |
| April 3: |
Process a complete drop (90% refund, no W recorded; after this date, W's are recorded) |
| April 4: |
Process a complete withdrawal (90% refund, W recorded) |
| April 4: |
Withdraw from this course (100% refund, W recorded) |
| April 5: |
Add this course |
| April 5: |
Last day to change to or from audit |
| April 11: |
Process a complete withdrawal (75% refund, W recorded) |
| April 11: |
Withdraw from this course (75% refund, W recorded) |
| April 18: |
Process a complete withdrawal (50% refund, W recorded) |
| April 18: |
Withdraw from this course (50% refund, W recorded) |
| April 25: |
Process a complete withdrawal (25% refund, W recorded) |
| April 25: |
Withdraw from this course (25% refund, W recorded) |
| May 16: |
Withdraw from this course (0% refund, W recorded) |
| May 16: |
Change grading option for this course |
 | You can't drop your last class using the "Add/Drop" menu in DuckWeb. Go to the “Completely Withdraw from Term/University” link to begin the complete withdrawal process. If you need assistance with a complete drop or a complete withdrawal, please contact the Office of Academic Advising, 101 Oregon Hall, 541-346-3211 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday). If you are attempting to completely withdraw after business hours, and have difficulty, please contact the Office of Academic Advising the next business day. |
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Expanded Course Description
| Differential equations are at the heart of most applications of calculus to the sciences. The motion of the planets, the behavior of the earth's atmosphere, the population growth of owls and mice, and black holes can all be modeled by differential equations. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The theory of differential equations runs very deep, and one can easily take ten courses on the subject and still only know a fraction of what there is to know.
This course is an introduction to differential equations, for students who have already had linear algebra. The first two weeks of the course will be an in-depth study of linear systems of differential equations. This topic will be familiar from MATH 342, and part of what we cover here will be review; but we will also concentrate on geometrical perspectives that are different from what you saw in MATH 342, which will be important later in the course.
With the linear case as our base, we will then proceed to the heart of the course:non-linear differential equations. Although linear systems do appear in applications, most differential equations that appear in "real-life" are non-linear. This is where things get complicated - but also fun! Solutions to non-linear systems can have strange and exotic behavior, if they exist at all. This is the beginning of "chaos theory", and we will touch upon issues around chaos in our investigation.
As we discuss the basic theory of non-linear differential equations, we will also consider some applications. In biology we will look at the spread of infectious diseases and predator-prey systems, and in mechanics we will look at the pendulum as well as motion in a central force field (e.g., planetary motion). |
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