MATH 436/536 - Partial Differential Equations

Instructor: Barbara Zubik-Kowal

Office: MG 241 B, Phone: 426-2802

Office Hours: MWF 12:40-1:30pm

Textbook:
 "Solution Techniques for Elementary Partial Differential Equations" by Christian Constanda,  Chapman & Hall/CRC (2002)
 

• Fundamental equations of mathematical physics
• Fourier series
• Sturm-Liouville problems
• Method of separation of variables
• Laplace transformations
• Method of characteristics
• Numerical methods

As an applied mathematics course, the objectives of Math 436/536 reflect three of the Department's teaching goals, that students be aware of nontrivial applications of mathematics, that students master suitable mathematical tools, and that students use mathematics as a language. Math 436/536 does not stress the aesthetic side of mathematics or the idea of mathematics as the study of patterns. Upon completion of this course, students should:

1.Be able to explain the meaning of a partial differential equation, both geometrically and analytically.
2.Be able to formulate a partial differential equation describing a situation in the sciences or engineering, given a clear statement of the scientific or engineering principles involved.
3.Be able to solve simple partial differential equations with a variety of elementary techniques.
4.Be able to apply numerical algorithms and the computer software implementing them to a partial differential equation for the approximation of its solution.
 
 
 
 

 

Tests, Quizzes (never dated), Homework, Final Exam
Test 1: 09/22/2008	comprehensive problems
Test 2: 11/03/2008	comprehensive problems
Link to homework assignments	full solutions collected each Monday
Final Exam	comprehensive problems

Grading Policy
Two tests & quizzes	100/3 %
Homework	100/3 %
Final Exam	100/3 %
Total	100 %
A+: 97% and above; A: 93%-97%; A-: 90%-93%; B+: 87%-90%; B: 83%-87%; B-: 80%-83%; C+: 77%-80%; C: 73%-77%; C-: 70%-73%; D+: 67%-70%; D: 63%-67%; D-: 60%-63%; F: below 60%.

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