Syllabus for Math 204: Differential Equations
Koç University, Fall 2016
Instructors, their offices & office hours:
Section 1: Varga Kalantarov, Sciences Building 162, Thursdays 13:30-15:30
Section 2 & 3: Ali Mostafazadeh, Sciences Building 154, Mondays and Wednesdays 11:20-12:20
Section 4: Doğan Bilge, Sciences Building 111, Mondays and Wednesdays 13:30-14:30
Web address: http://home.ku.edu.tr/~amostafazadeh/math204/F2016/math204.htm
Textbook: W. E. Boyce and R. C. DiPrima, Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, 10th Edition.
Topics to be covered: Introduction to differential equations (Chapter 1), First order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) (Chapter 2), Second and higher order ODEs, Power series solution of ODEs, The Laplace transform, Systems of linear ODEs , Partial Differential equations and Fourier Series (PDE’s) .
Objective: To provide the student with a basic knowledge of ODEs and PDEs. This includes the general theory of and solution techniques for general first order ODEs, second order linear ODEs, systems of first order ODEs, and the heat and wave equations.
Homeworks: Suggested homework problems will be assigned regularly but not collected for grading. Students are advised to solve these problems in order to gain a better understanding of the subject.
Evaluation method: Students’ progress will be evaluated according to their performance in two midterm and one final exams. Each of the midterm exams will contribute as 30% to the total grade while the final exam will have a 40% weight.
Eligibility to take the final exam: Students will be permitted to take the final exam, only if the average of their midterm exam grades is 25 or higher (out of 100).
Make-ups: The final exam will be the make-up exam for the missed midterm exams. If a student takes the final as the make-up for a missed midterm exam(s) and as a result the average of his (her) grades for the midterms is below 25, the final exam (s)he had taken will serve only as the make-up for the missed midterm(s) and not as the final exam. If a student is eligible to take the final exam but misses it and has a valid excuse, (s)he will be given a make-up exam.
Suggested method of study: Reading the lecture notes and the books is necessary for grasping the subject, but it is by no means sufficient. Students must try to reproduce the definitions and proofs of the theorems, and apply the techniques to other problems.
Attendance and bonus points: Students are advised to attend all the lectures and PSs. Attendance will be taken during the lectures on random dates. These will usually correspond to dates when the number of attending students is unusually low. Depending on the attendance record of each student a maximum of 5 bonus points will be added to his/her total numerical grade. An addition of 5 bonus poiunts will typically translate into an improvement of the letter grade.
Academic dishonesty: If a student is caught cheating in an exam, (s)he will be punished according to the YÖK regulations. These consist of one or two semesters of prohibition from attending the university.