Information and Policies

Instructor:

M. Randall Holmes.

Office number:

MG240A

Office telephone:

426-3011.

Office hours:

TBA, and see ``open office policy'' below.

Home telephone:

345-2899 (please do not use after 8:30 pm or between 6 pm Friday and noon Sunday).

Internet:

E-mail holmes@math.boisestate.edu
Web page

http://math.boisestate.edu/~holmes

This syllabus and other course information will be accessible from my web page.

Title of Course:

Math 333: Differential Equations. This is section 1.

Schedule:

We meet 7:40 to 8:30 am each day except Thursday in MG 124.

Final exam date and time:

Monday, May 12, 8-10 am, in MG124.

Textbook:

Differential equations with boundary value problems, Polking, Boggess and Arnold. This is a new book here, so I would not expect to find many used copies (though I have seen one).

Prerequisites:

The prerequisite for this course is completion of Math 175 (Calculus II) with a C or better, or the equivalent in transferred credit. Students who do not meet the prerequisites will be administratively withdrawn if this comes to my attention: no exceptions will be made.

Calculators:

The following is the usual statement I make about calculators in calculus and pre-calculus classes; I haven't really thought about calculator use in this class, so I'm leaving the statement in its usual form:

You are expected to have a graphing calculator in this class. You will sometimes be permitted to use a graphing calculator on exams and sometimes not, so you also need to have a plain scientific calculator without graphing or symbolic calculation capabilities.

We will probably use the Maple lab from time to time.

Getting into the Class:

If you are trying to get into the class, you should come to class and watch constantly for openings on the web registration. I will not admit students over the capacity of the room. If you intend to drop, please do so promptly so that someone else who is waiting can get in!

Attendance:

Attendance will not be formally taken, except for the first two meetings of the class. Students who do not attend at least one of the first two meetings are subject to administrative withdrawal. In general, you are expected to attend this class every day.

Homework:

Homework will be assigned every day, and will generally be collected at least two class sessions later (not counting exam dates as class sessions), in order to give you time to ask questions as needed in class.

I will award thirty percent of the grade on a homework assignment based on the simple fact of handing in your paper; the remaining seventy percent will be determined by your performance on even-numbered problems in the assignments. You should ask questions in class about problems you do not understand, whether I mark them or not, and take appropriate advantage of the presence of solutions to odd-numbered exercises in the back of the book.

If I assign Maple labs, they will be equivalent to homework assignments.

Exams:

There will be four hour exams and a final exam in this course. Class time will not be officially devoted to review for exams, except that there may (time permitting) be a review day for the final. Dates for exams are tentatively set at Jan 31, Feb 28, Apr 4, and May 2 (all of these dates are Fridays; the last date is firm, as it is the last possible day on which to give an exam).

Late Work and Makeups:

Makeups for exams will be possible, and should if possible be arranged in advance of your absence. I disavow any consistent policy whatever on late homework: homework received on time will be graded as above and returned as promptly as possible, while with late homework I may give you the thirty percent credit and hand it back unmarked, grade the paper normally, or grade it with a penalty, at my sole discretion, and I will attend to it when I have time. Papers handed in late due to participation in official university activities will be graded normally (following university policy).

Computation of Grades:

Exams will usually be scaled linearly so that the median class grade is 75%, then graded with 90's = A, 80's = B, 70's = C, 60's = D, etc. I may change the scaling if I am displeased with the class performance (though this seldom happens); I will never scale grades downward.

Your total homework grade has the same weight as an hour exam; your final exam will have the weight of two hour exams. Your lowest hour exam grade (or your homework grade if it is lowest) may be replaced by your grade on the final exam if this helps you. Your course grade will be the sum of your hour exam grades and your homework grade (the lowest of these four grades being replaced by the final exam grade if this helps) plus twice the final exam grade, divided by six.

Open Office Policy:

My office hours for these classes are to be announced. I will almost always be in my office at the officially scheduled times, and I will try to warn you when I will not be. If I am in my office during a posted office hour, I am available to help you.

Don't assume that these are the only times when you can get help! I am generally in my office most of the working day (I usually take either the 3:40 or the 4:40 bus home) and I am never offended by a student asking me for help if I am in the office (though I may help only briefly if I am very busy).

Academic Honesty:

Collaboration on homework is expected and even encouraged in this class. This does not mean copying of homework. Collaboration on exams is of course not allowed. The penalty for cheating (defined as looking at another student's paper or unauthorized use of books or notes during an exam) will be a grade of zero (0) on the relevant exam. A repeat offense will mean an F in the course.

Courtesy Issues:

Cellular phones must be turned off during class. If there is a good reason that you must await a phone call during class, please inform me in advance and minimize the disruption by sitting near an exit.

You do not need to contact me if you are missing class or if you need to arrive late or leave early; but I do need you to enter or leave the class quietly in either case. Of course, you do need to contact me, preferably in advance, if you are missing an exam.

Definitions:

The word ``yesterday'' is defined to mean the previous class session; the word ``tomorrow'' is defined to mean the next class session, unless I specifically say otherwise :-)