Welcome to Math 220, Spring 2020

Instructor Geng Chen

    Office: 623 Snow Hall

    Email: gengchen at ku dot edu

    Class webpage: http://people.ku.edu/~g828c364/math220_20.html

    Class meet: Tu, Th 2:30-3:45 pm, 120 Snow Hall

    Office Hours: Tuesday 11-12, Wednesday 11-12. Other hours are by appointment.

    Textbook: Elementary Differential Equations (11th Edition), by William Boyce and Richard Diprima.

    TA: To be announced

Description of the course:

This course intends to cover some basic topics of ordinary differential equations at the junior undergraduate level: first order differential equations, second order linear equations, the Laplace transform, systems of first order linear equations and nonlinear differential equations.

The tentatively plan is to discuss the following chapters and sections:

Sec. 1.1--Sec. 1.3 in Chapter 1,
Sec. 2.1-- Sec. 2.6 in Chapter 2, (expect that exam 1 covers Chapters 1 and 2).
Sec. 3.1-- Sec. 3.8 in Chapter 3, (expect that exam 2 covers Chapter 3)
Sec. 6.1--Sec. 6.4 in Chapter 6,
and selected material in Chapters 7.

Homework

We plan to have 5 homework assignments. All Homeworks are picked up from the book. The grade of each homework includes two parts (totally 10 points): 2 points for the completeness of the homework, 8 points for the randomly picked problems (decided after you turn in homework in class).
The homework must be stapled. Otherwise, the TA may minus 1 points to each un-stapled homework.

No late homework. The lowest homework grade will be dropped.

The tentatively schedule is below. The due days are all on Thursday. Note, there might be changes later.

Homework 1, Feb 6:
Homework 2, Feb 13:
Homework 3, Feb 27;
Homework 4, April 2:
Homework 5, April 16:
Homework 6, April 30.

Exams

There are two midterms and one final exam. The midterms are both in class. The final exam is an accumulation exam covering all materials.

No Calculators for any exam.

Midterm 1, March 5 (Thursday), in class, Review problems are available at here.
Midterm 2, Late April Take home project.
Final exam is comprehensive, May 13 (Wednesday), 1:30-4:00 pm, in the classroom, Review problems will be available.

Missing exam policy

You are supposed to come to every classes and be available in the final week. But if you meet an emergency in the midterms or final exam. You should let me know right after exam (within 1 day), and also prepare paperwork showing your emergency. Then I would give you a makeup exam. If you have conflict on exams due to reasonable and forseeable reasons, then you must let me know two weeks before midterms, and two weeks before the final exam.

Grade computation


Howmwork: 25%
Midterm 1: 20%
Midterm 2: 20%
Final exam: 35%

A: >= 90
A-: >= 87
B+: >= 83
B: >=80
B-: >=77
C+: >=73
C: >68
D: >58
F: 0-58

Your Responsibilities

Although I do want you to work together and help each other out, everything you turn in must be your own work! If in doubt, ask! Cheating of any type will not be tolerated and will be harshly dealt with. Please let me know in advance of any circumstances which may prevent you from attending classes.