Homework 3 is posted. We are almost caught up in the 3:30 class, except for a few short examples; however, some of the homework questions are based on these examples.

So, Homework 3 is due Thursday and not Tuesday. I feel pretty confident that after this, we’ll be back to the original schedule.

Also, as a reminder: please preview the notes for section 2.9 before class on Tuesday; this section is computationally ugly.

Stay warm this weekend!

1. Homework 2 is available. It’s due in class on Tuesday.
2. Grades for Homework 1 are posted. This was a “for completion” grade, so there’s not much surprise here; take a moment, though, to make sure you can view your grades on here.
3. Quiz 1 will take place during the last 15 minutes of class on Tuesday Thursday. The quiz will be a mixture of multiple choice and short-answer questions, and topics that I’ll quiz you on include:
   • Test a function to see if it is a solution to a differential equation.
   • Given a general solution and an initial condition, solve an initial value problem.
   • Be able to work with the vocabulary we’ve used. (For example, “Which of the following equations is homogeneous”?) Other terms we’ve covered include regular, order, linear, autonomous, equilibrium, isocline.
   • Use Theorem 2.1 to find the largest interval where a solution to a differential equation is guaranteed to exist.
   • Match direction fields to the equations they represent.
   • Use the Method of Integrating Factors to solve a first-order linear differential equation.

Have a great weekend!

edit: I was going off my prepared schedule; and posted that the quiz was on Tuesday. We’re still catching up in the 3:30 class, so the quiz is on Thursday, not Tuesday. Sorry about that.

Hi there –

I’ve made a few changes over the next two weeks in order to try to get the two classes back in synch following yesterday’s early closure. These changes apply to both sections:

• Thursday, January 28: Quiz 1 is postponed; the remainder of the problems from Homework 1 will be due instead.
• Thursday, January 28 (evening): I’ve scheduled an optional review session in McB 558 from 6:30 pm–8:00 pm to go over questions from Chapter 1 before the Emporium Quiz is due that Sunday. Feel free to bring your laptops.
• Tuesday, February 2: Quiz 1 will take place during the last 15-20 minutes of class. It will cover sections 1.2–2.2 only, even though the 11:00 class will be further along than that. Homework 2 is postponed so that people can prepare for the quiz.
• Thursday, February 4: Homework 2 is due.
• Thursday, February 4 (evening): I’ve scheduled an optional review session in McB 558 from 6:30 pm–8:00 pm to go over questions from §2.1–2.2 before the Emporium Quiz is due that Sunday. Feel free to bring your laptops.

Also: I have updated the course notes for section 2.3. I’ve filled in the computational details on Example 4, so that in the 3:30 class we can cover that example more quickly. We’ll still talk about how to set up the example, but I’ll leave it to you to verify the computations outside of class.

Hope you all have a good weekend!

The university has cancelled classes for the afternoon beginning at 3:30 pm. Since the 11:00 class has already met, the two sections will be out of synch for a while until we can catch up.

For Homework 1, section III, prepare only the problems from sections 1.2 and 1.3 to hand in on Tuesday — you may omit the problems from sections 2.1 and 2.2. In fairness to the 11:00 class, this applies to both sections.

E-mail me if you have any questions.

Welcome to Differential Equations — I look forward to working with you this semester.  Feel free to look around the website.

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