Xinfeng Liu
Email:
xfliu@math.sc.edu
Phone: 576-5849
Office Location: LC 317Q
Office Hours: MWF 10:40AM-11:40AM or by appointment
Textbook: Elementary Differential Equations, 10th Edition, by William E. Boyce and Richard C. DiPrima
Prerequisite: A grade of C or higher in Math 344 or 544.
Subject Materials: We shall cover most of the material presented in Chapters 1-9.
Learning Outcome:
Students who successfully complete Math 520 will be able to accomplish
the following: a): solve initial-value problems and find general or particular solutions to ordinary differential
equations; b): develop skills to use various solution methods such as integrating factors, substitution, Laplace transforms, and etc.
c): use differential equations to solve practical problems. Students are also expected to master mathematical
concepts and apply these concepts to solve problems
of first order and higher order linear/nonlinear ODEs based upon the methods they learn from this class.
Reading: Reading the textbook
in advance of the lecture is strongly
encouraged. Benefits of this preparation include obtaining a familiarity with the terminology and
concepts that will be encountered (so you can distinguish major points from side
issues), being able to formulate questions about the parts of the presentation that
you do not understand, and having a chance to review the skills and techniques
that will be needed to apply the new concepts.
Important Date: The deadline to change/drop or withdraw the course
without a W being recorded is Monday, January 22, 2018.
Course Outline
Tentative Weekly Syllabus of Sections
Covered
| Week |
Dates |
Monday |
Wednesday |
Friday |
| 1 |
Jan. 15 -- Jan.. 19 |
No Class |
1.1-1.2 |
1.3-2.1 |
| 2 |
Jan. 22 -- Jan.. 26 |
2.1-2.2 |
2.2 |
2.3 |
| 3 |
Jan. 29 -- Feb. 2 |
2.3-2.4 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
| 4 |
Feb. 5 -- Feb. 9 |
2.5-2.6 |
2.7-2.8 |
2.9-3.1 |
| 5 |
Feb. 12 -- Feb. 16 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
| 6 |
Feb. 19 -- Feb. 23 |
3.4 |
3.5 |
3.6 |
| 7 |
Feb. 26 -- March 2 |
3.6-3.7 |
3.8 |
Exam 1 |
| 8 |
March 5 -- March 9 |
Review of Exam 1 |
3.7-3.8 |
4.1-4.2 |
| 9 |
March 12 -- March 16 |
Spring Break |
Spring Break |
Spring Break |
| 10 |
March 19 -- March 23 |
4.3-4.4 |
5.1 |
5.2 |
| 11 |
March 26 -- March 30 |
6.1 |
6.1-6.2 |
6.3 |
| 12 |
April 2 -- March 6 |
6.3-6.4 |
6.5 |
6.5 |
| 13 |
April 9 -- April 13 |
6.5-6.6 |
6.6, review |
Exam 2 |
| 14 |
April 16 -- April 20 |
6.6 |
7.1 |
7.2 |
| 15 |
April 23 -- April 27 |
7.3 |
7.4 |
7.5, 7.6 |
| 16 |
April 30 -- May 4 |
Review |
No Class |
Final Exam |
| Final Exam: May 4, 2018 (Friday),
12:30PM-3:00PM
|
Homework and Quiz:
Homework Assignment
Homework will not be collected, but you are supposed to do them all.
REMEMBER: the more problems you do, the better you understand the material.
Students are encouraged to work independently on homework sets.
There will be approximately one quiz per week on Friday,
and no quiz during the exam weeks.
There are two to four problems for each quiz.
The quiz problems will be either the same as, or very similar to those
from the homework. Thus, if a student has made a good attempt at the
homework, he/she should do well on the quiz.
One lowest quiz grade will be dropped from the final grade calculation.
Exams: There will be two midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam.
Exam 1: Friday, March 2, 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Exam 2: Friday, April 13, 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Final Exam: Wednesday, May 4, 12:30PM - 3:00PM
The exams are "closed book" – no books, no notes, no
calculators, no labtop computer or equivalent technology, etc.
There are no early exams. A make-up exam is only possible for
written legitimate documented reasons of illness, family emergency, or participation
in a University sponsored event.
You must take your exams with the lecture for which you are registered.
Grades:
| Exam 1 |
20% |
| Exam 2 |
20%
|
| Final Exam |
35%
|
| Quizzes |
25%
|
| Total |
100%
|
A straight scale will be used
so that A's, B's C's and D's correspond to the percent ranges 100-90,
90-80,
80-70 and 70-60 respectively. Plus grading will be used. For example:
| 90-100:A |
86-89: B+ |
80-85: B |
76-79: C+ |
| 70-75: C |
66-69: D+ |
60-65: D |
0-59: F |
Attendance: Attendance at every class meeting is important - and expected. Students missing
more than 10% of the class meetings (4 days) can have their grade lowered.
Class Files (Check Blackboard)
Academic Dishonesty: Cheating and plagiarism in any form is not tolerated.
If a student is caught cheating, I will follow the guidelines as set
forth in the USC Honor Code and other University guidelines.