DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS FOR ENGINEERS

                                                                    MA 311

 

 

Catalogue Description

 

            This course is more thorough than Math 310 and is designed for Pre-Engineering students. 

4 credits.  Prerequisite: Ma 292 Calculus and Analytic Geometry III or equivalent.

 

Goals

 

            A.   To help students develop the skills needed to solve Differential Equations of Order One and Higher Degrees.

            B.   To introduce miscellaneous topics (Linear Systems of Equations, Variations of Parameters, Power Series).

            C.   Computer Applications

 

Procedures

 

            A.   Lecture/Discussion

            B.   Assigned Problems

            C.   Assignments

 

Course Content

           

            A.   Introduction

                        1.   Definitions

                        2.   Elimination of Arbitrary Constants

                        3.   Families of Curves

 

            B.   Equations of Order One and Degree One

                        1.   General solutions of Ordinary Differential Equations

                        2.   Separation of Variables

                        3.   Equations with Homogeneous Coefficients

                        4.   Exact Equations

                        5.   The Linear Equation of Order One

                        6.   The Determination of Integrating Factors

                        7.   Bernoulli's Equations

                        8.   Substitution: Coefficients Linear in 2 Variables

 

            C.   Orthogonal Trajectories

                        1.   Rectangular Coordinates

                        2.   Polar Coordinates

 

            D.   Linear Differential Equations

                        1.   The General Linear Equation

                        2.   Linear Independence

                        3.   The Wronskian

                        4.   General Solution of a Homogeneous Equation

                        5.   General Solution of a Non Homogeneous Equation

                        6.   Differential Operators

                        7.   The Fundamental Laws of Operation

 

            E.   Linear Equations with Constant Coefficients

                        1.   The Auxiliary Equation; Distinct Roots

                        2.   The Auxiliary Equation; Repeated Roots

                        3.   The Auxiliary Equation; Imaginary Roots

                        4.   Systems of Equations

 

            F.   Equations of Order One and Higher Degree

                        1.   Factoring the Left Member

                        2.   Singular Solutions

                        3.   The c Discriminant Equation

                        4.   The p Discriminant Equation

                        5.   Clairant's Equation

 

            G.   Miscellaneous Topics

                        1.   Linear Systems of Equations

                        2.   Variation of Parameters

                        3.   Power Series

 

            H.   Computer Applications     

 

            Evaluation Methods

                        1.   (2) - In-House Exams

                        2.   (1) - Take Home Exam

                        3.   (5) - Quizzes

                        4.   Final Exam

 

Bibliography

 

Required Text:       Zill, Dennis G., A First Course in Differential Equations, 6th Ed., PWS-Kent, Boston, Mass., 1996.

 

                                 Boyce, William E., and DiPrima, Richard C., Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, 4th Ed., John Wiley & Sons, New                                                                    York, 1986. *

 

                                 Rainville, Earl D. and Bedient, Phillip E., Elementary Differential Equations, 7th Ed., MacMillan Publishing Co., 1989.

 

                                 Zill, Dennis G., A First Course in Differential Equations with Applications, Prindle, Weber & Schmidt.

 

Software

 

                                Phase Portraits by Herman Gollwitzer, MacIntosh, available from Kinko's Academic Courseware Exchange.

 

                                 DE Graph by Henry C. Pinkham, MacIntosh, available from Kinko's Academic Courseware Exchange.

 

                                 Phaser by Huseyin Kocak, Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y., 1989.

 

                                 * means in New Jersey City University Library