Summer1 2008 Course Syllabus
Course: 3041.012.
Course Title: Differential Equations.
Time: TWR 5:15-7:15PM.
Place: BB 201.
Instructor: Thornton, H. Frank.
Instructor Office: Wachman Hall 440.
Instructor Email: frank.thornton@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: 215-204-1648.
Office Hours: TWR 4:30-5PM and 7:30-8PM. And by appointment.
Prerequisites: Calculus I and Calculus II with a grade of at least C; Calculus III is a co-requisite.
Textbook: Schaum Outline of Differential Equations, 3rd edition, by Bronson and Costa.
Course Goals: Students will learn basic concepts, methods, and applications of ordinary differential equations.
Topics Covered: First order differential equations, second and higher order differential equations, Laplace transforms, series solutions, systems of first order equations, initial value and boundary value problems.
Course Grading: I expect to give a test every two weeks. The third test will be comprehensive. The first two tests will count about 30% each; the third test will count about 40%.
Exam Dates: The exams will be given every two weeks.
Attendance Policy: I expect students to attend every class, to bring the text with them, and to be prepared and willing to participate. Since the course meets on three consecutive evenings, it is essential to keep up. Students are encouraged to look ahead.
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at (215) 204-1280, 100 Ritter Annex, to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here.
Students will be charged for a course unless a withdrawal form is processed by a registration office of the University by the Drop/Add deadline date given below. For this semester, the crucial dates are as follows:
- The first day of classes is Monday, May 19.
- The last day to drop/add (tuition refund available) is Friday, May 30.
- The last day to withdraw (no refund) is Tuesday, June 17.
- The last day of classes is Tuesday, July 1.
During the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester or summer sessions, students may withdraw from a course with no record of the class appearing on the transcript. In weeks three through nine of the fall or spring semester, or during weeks three and four of summer sessions, the student may withdraw with the advisor's permission. The course will be recorded on the transcript with the instructor's notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. After week nine of the fall or spring semester, or week four of summer sessions, students may not withdraw from courses. No student may withdraw from more than five courses during the duration of his/her studies to earn a bachelor's degree. A student may not withdraw from the same course more than once. Students who miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in will be graded F.
The grade I (an "incomplete") is reserved for extreme circumstances. It is necessary to have completed almost all of the course with a passing average and to file an incomplete contract specifying what is left for you to do. To be eligible for an I grade you need a good reason and you should have missed not more than 25% of the first nine weeks of classes. If approved by the Mathematics Department chair and the CST Dean's office, the incomplete contract must include a default grade that will be used in case the I grade is not resolved within 12 months.