The City College of New YorkCCNY
Department of Mathematics
Division of Science

Differential Equations 39100

Syllabus and Class Schedule

Syllabus

Schedule

Textbook

Elementary Differential Equations, 12th Editiuon. I suggest each student purchase his/her own hard copy of our textbook. You will be reading it over and over and it is easier to read a hard copy. You can even buy an older edition (9th, 10th, 11th) of the textbook online for cheaper and then go to the library to make sure you are doing the correct suggested hw problems. I will put copies on hold in the Marshak science library.

Here is some good advice: Read assigned sections from our textbook before class. Learning how to read a math textbook will be helpful in this course as well as in all your future math courses. Read the section we will cover in class before coming to class. You will not fully understand the topic after a first reading. Do not worry. You will pick up enough of the idea to make your time in class more productive. After class you will then most likely need to reread the section multiple times to become comfortable with the material.

Exercise Sets

The best way to learn the material is to consistently do many Suggested Textbook Problems . After each section in our text there are problems. It is better to spend a couple hours every day solving end of section problems from our textbook rather than spending the weekend before the exam cramming for eight hours a day. Consider the final exam like running a marathon and the problems as your training sessions. If you consistently do problems (train) then you will be well-prepared for the final exam. However if you have long gaps between working on problems you will always have difficulty getting back into the math mindset necessary to complete the problems. The first day of training is always the most painful.

Most answers are in the back of the book. After working through a few problems with pen and paper only, check your answers. Do NOT check the answer before spending some time and making a serious effort to solve the problem yourself. Getting stuck doing a problem is one of the best ways to learn math.

HW 1 (due Tuesday 6/25) Section 3.1: #9, Section 3.2: #12, 18, section 3.3 #16, section 3.4 #12, section 3.5 #12, 14, section 3.6 #6 (problems chosen from 11th edition)

HW 2 (due Tuesday 2 July): Section 3.6 #10, Section 3.7 #5, Section 3.8 #5, Section 4.2 #13, Section 4.3 #1, 2.

Topic Summaries, Videos, Practice Problems

Topic Summaries, Videos, Practice Problems

Getting Help

Final piece of good advice: Form study groups and go to office hours or tutoring when you inevitably get stuck. I will be available for each most classes. A quick conversation with me or with a group of students after class sometimes clears up a confusing point. Do not spend more than a day or two being stuck on a problem or try to master a concept from class or our textbook. There is not enough time in the semester to remain stuck and not practicing. Ask for help instead.

Grading Factors

HW Average: 10% of course grade.

Quiz Average: 10% of course grade.

Midterm Exam 1: 20% of course grade.

Midterm Exam 2: 20% of course grade.

Final exam 40% of course grade

However, at the end of the course if your final exam average is superior to your quiz average, your midterm 1 grade, or your midterm 2 grade, then you can use your final exam grade to replace all lower average(s). For instance, if your quiz average is 85, midterm 1 grade 70, midterm 2 grade 77, and final exam grade 81 then your course grade will be computed as 20% * 85 + 80% * 81 = 81.8 course grade. Even if you miss multiple quizzes and both midterms but do well on your final exam, you will then use your final exam grade as your full course grade. One way to think of these grading factors is that your performance on quizzes and midterms cannot hurt your final grade, as compared to your final exam grade. Your performance on the quizzes and midterms can only help your grade in comparison to your final exam score.

If possible, you should take all the quizzes and midterms because the quizzes and midterms will help you prepare for the final exam. With these grading factors you will be less stressed taking quizzes and midterms knowing that you can replace a bad score with your final exam score. Moreover, if you feel ill, test positive for covid, are a close contact, or must assist a sick family member or friend, you can skip any assessment, except the final. You must take the final. If you are sick for the final, do not come to campus. There will be a make-up. There will be no other make-ups. Please remain off campus when you are feeling unwell.

Quiz and exam questions will be similar to the assigned textbook homework questions, exact replicas sometimes. You should attempt all the assigned homework problems to learn the material and prepare for quizzes and exams. If you have done all assigned hw problems, there should be no surprises on quizzes and exams.

Sample Exams

All quiz and exam questions will be modeled on the suggested textbook exercises, sometimes the quiz and exam questions are identical to suggested textbook exercises. If you've worked through a wide portion the suggested textbook exercises, there should be no surprises on exams.

We will usually take two 15 minute quizzes every Wednesday when there is not a midterm exam scheduled.

Suggested Textbook Problems

Consistently work through many exercises from the end of the section after reading the section.

Suggested Textbook Problems

Sample CCNY 391 Final Exams

Old Final Exams at CCNY

Supplementary (Optional) Materials

Arthur Mattuck's Supplementary Notes and Exercises (with solutions)

Arthur Mattuck's Videos

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