Math 23 Fall 2000

Instructor:

Eran Makover
Bradley 414
646-2124
E-mail: eran.makover@daratmouth.edu

Course meeting times: MWF 12:30-1:35 and x-hour Tu. 1:00-1:50

Course meeting place: Moore 202

Office hours: MW 3:00-4:30 or by appointment

Text: Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems By Boyce and DiPrima , plus any handouts distributed in class.

Our finale exam is on Tuesday December 5,9:00-11:00 in 2 Rockefeller.

Some review for the final

Calendar and homework assignments

Dartmouth math department web page

Exams: There will be two "hour exams" and a final. The dates, times, and places of the exams will be announced later, but you should expect them (roughly) during the fourth week and during the seventh week of the term.

Lectures: In addition to the regularly scheduled lectures, we will sometimes use the x-hour for lectures, problem sessions, quizzes, etc. It is very important that you have read the reading assignment before the lecture. This practice will enable you to follow the lectures more easily, to appreciate the examples presented more fully, and to have thought about the material enough in advance to ask the questions that will best enhance your understanding. The feeling that you are not quite understanding the lecture but that you don't quite know what question to ask to clarify matters is very likely a symptom of not having read the assignment carefully enough beforehand. Finally, the classroom presentation will sometimes differ from the treatment in the text, particularly when some elaboration or a change of viewpoint helps motivate the text's approach; of course, in order to appreciate how the lectures complement the text, you must have read the text before the lecture. To furnish some extra incentive for you to do so, a few of the homework problems due each day will typically be drawn from the reading assignment not yet discussed in class; these will be generally be routine problems amenable to easy solution once you have read the section. Occasionally, a few homework problems will also be drawn from material already covered several lectures ago. You will probably find this useful, as it forces you to revisit the same topic two or three times, thereby solidifying your recall of the ideas involved. Finally, I definitely want to cultivate an atmosphere in which you feel free to ask questions and initiate discussion of any confusing points. (Occasionally I may defer my answer shortly until it fits into the discussion at the most illuminating point, but please persevere — don't let me forget your question!)

Homework: Homework will be due daily. Please write legibly and show your work clearly; the graders cannot award partial credit unless you explain clearly what you are doing, and why your approach is justified. Also, please staple the pages of your assignment together; this will minimize the likelihood of some of your homework being lost. In order to insure uniformity in grading, late homework will not be accepted for any reason; however, your lowest four homework grades will be dropped in computing your homework grade. Thus you may miss up to four homework assignments without penalty.

Honor principle: You are expected to be familiar with the Dartmouth Academic Honor Principle. In the case of this course, the principle of Academic Honor takes the following form. Collaboration when thinking about homework is enthusiastically encouraged; you are a very talented group of students, and one of your most valuable resources in learning the material will be your interactions with your peers in the class. However, you should write up what you turn in on your own; thus working together on homework is fine; outright copying is not. However, on any examination or quiz, take-home or in-class, your work is to be entirely your own, unassisted by other people, books, calculators, etc., unless use of other resources is explicitly permitted.

Grades: Your grade will be calculated according to your homework, midterms and final in equal parts. Your homework grade will not be taken on face value. I shall take into consideration your participation and consistent progress in homework. Do not be discouraged if you are unable to solve all the problems but always do try to do your best and give at least a partial solution.

Disabilities: I encourage students with disabilities, including "invisible" disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities, to discuss possible accommodations with me. To receive special accommodations, students must be registered with the Academic Skills Center; contact the Student Disabilities Coordinator, Nancy Pompian, at extension 6-2014, for more information.