Mathematics 204 Policies and Syllabus
Elementary Differential Equations
Spring 2010
Instructor:Prof Leon Hall
Office:207 Rolla Building
Phone:341-4641 (main Math/Stat Office where you can leave a message if I am not in)
E-mail:
Office Hours:10:00-11:30 MWF or by appointment.
Prerequisite: Mathematics 22 (Calculus with Analytic Geometry III) with a grade of “C” or better.
Textbook: A First Course in Differential Equations with Modeling Applications (eighth edition) by D. Zill; Brooks/Cole, Belmont, CA, 2005.
Topics to be covered:
Chapter 1Introduction to Differential Equations
Chapter 2First-Order Differential Equations
Chapter 3Modeling with First-Order Differential Equations
Chapter 4Higher-Order Differential Equations
Chapter 5Modeling with Higher-Order Differential Equations
Chapter 7The Laplace Transform
Appendix IIIntroduction to Matrices
Chapter 8Systems of Linear First-Order Differential Equations
Attendance and Drop Policy: You are expected to attend every class period. If you know in advance that you will not be able to attend, please check with me ahead of time to determine what work you will miss. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed, pick up any handouts, returned exams or homework, etc. If you incur three unexcused absences, you risk receiving an academic alert from me with a request to meet with me in my office to discuss your lack of attendance and its causes. If you accumulate six unexcused absences you can be dropped from the course.
Homework: You should make it a practice to do your homework promptly (i.e. daily) and you are expected to turn in homework regularly. Approximately 13 homework sets will be collected, graded, and returned during this course. Up to 10 quizzes may be administered as I deem necessary. Your lowest three homework scores and your three lowest quizzes will be dropped and the remainder will be used to determine your 100-point homework grade. No late homework will be accepted. Homework assignments will be collected on Thursdays. Solutions to selected homework problems will be posted on Blackboard and at Dr. Grow’s electronic reserve files at the S&T library (
Hour Exams: We will have three common hour exams worth 100 points each at 7:30 PMon February 16th, March 23rd, and May 4th. The exams will cover homework problems and examples from lectures and the textbook. Samples of past Math 204 exams, some with solutions, will be posted on Blackboard and in Dr. Grow’s electronic reserve files at the S&T library (
Final Exam: The 200-point Math 204 common comprehensivefinal exam will be given on Thursday, May 13 from 8:00-10:00 AM. The final exam room assignment will be announced about two weeks before the end of the term.
Grading: On all your papers (homework, hour exams, and final exam), you are expected to show your work clearly and completely. You will be graded on your work as well as your answers. However, an answer that is unsupported by your work will not receive credit. Your grade will be determined as follows: There will be 600 total points – 300 in hour exams, 200 for the final exam, and 100 in homework and quizzes. You will need 528 points (88%) to receive an A, 456 points (76%) to receive a B, 360 points (60%) to receive a C, and 300 points (50%) to receive a D. If you earn less than 300 points you can expect to receive an F.
Question/Concern Resolution: If you ever have a question, problem, or concern about anything in this course, please come see me first. However, if this does not resolve it, you should next speak with the Math 204 Course Coordinator, Dr. David Grow, in Rolla 103. If your concern still is unresolved the next two steps are the Mathematics and Statistics Department Undergraduate Coordinator, Dr. Ilene Morgan, in Rolla 212, and then the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Harvest Collier, in Norwood Hall.
Disability Support Services: If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please meet with me early in the semester. Before I can arrange for your accommodations, you will need to request that the Disabilities Services staff in 204 Norwood Hall (, 341-4211) send me a letter verifying your disability and specifying the accommodation you will require.
Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is vital to the intellectual life of the University. Students have a special obligation to be aware of and adhere to the standards of conduct as described on page 30 of the S&T Student Academic Regulations handbook:
In particular, this page offers descriptions of what constitutes cheating, plagiarism, and sabotage.
Emergency Egress Route: In case of an emergency, the egress route for evacuation of our classroom can be found at this web address:
LEAD Sessions: The Learning Enhancement Across Disciplines (LEAD) program sponsors free learning assistance in a wide range of courses for students who wish to increase their understanding and improve their skills. LEAD assistance starts no later than the third week of classes.For more information see the online schedule at contact the LEAD office at 341-4608, or email .
Mathematics Tutoring Room: The Mathematics and Statistics Department maintains a free math tutoring service in room 116 of the Rolla Building. Some math/stat graduate teaching assistants who man the tutoring room are current or former teachers of Math 204 and are well-qualified to assist students with their homework problems in the subject. At the beginning of the second week of the semester, I will announce the tutoring room schedule of those GTAs who are equipped to handle your Math 204 questions.
Spring 2010 TTh Math 204 Course Outline
DateSection and Topic / Homework Assignment
Jan. 12 T1.1 Definitions and Terminology
p. 10: #3,5,9*,13,17,19*,23,27*,29,33
to1.2 Initial Value Problems
p. 16: #3,7*,15,21,25*,26*,31
14 Th2.1 Solution Curves without a Solution
p. 46: #1,7*,9,19,21,25*,29,40*
Jan. 18 M Martin Luther King Holiday - No MS&T classes.
Jan. 19 T2.2 Separable Variables
top. 54: #5,7,9,12*,17*,19,21,23,25*,31,39*
21 Th2.3 Linear Equations
p. 65: #3,7*,13,17*,21,29*,33,37,46
Jan. 26 T3.1 Linear Models
p. 98: #5*,9,11,17*,19,20*,23,29,31,36*
to3.1 Linear Models (cont.) and 3.2 Nonlinear Models
p. 108: #3*,9*,11,15,24; p. 32: # 28; p. 121: # 5.
28 Th 3.2 Nonlinear Models (cont.)
Feb. 2 T4.1 Linear Differential Equations: Basic Theory
p. 137: (Day One) #3,5*,6,9*,11,13*
to4.1 Linear Differential Equations: Basic Theory (cont.)
p. 137: (Day Two) #17,21,24*,27,31*,36*,39
4 Th4.2 Reduction of Order
p. 141: #3,7*,9*,13,17,20*
Feb. 9 T 4.2 Reduction of Order (cont.) and 4.3 Homogeneous Linear DEs,w/ Const. Coeffs
p. 147: (Day One) #1,5,17,27*,31*
to4.3 Homogeneous Linear Equations with Constant Coefficients (cont.)
p. 147: (Day Two) #9,13*,23,38,45*,50
11 Th4.5 Undetermined Coefficients – Annihilator Approach
p. 166: (Day One) #3,8*,13,15,19,23,25*,29
Feb. 16 TReview during regular class time
16 TExam I (at 7:30-8:30 PM in a room to be announced)
18 Th4.5 Undetermined Coefficients – Annihilator Approach (cont.)
p. 166: (Day Two) #37,45*,55,61*,63,66*,71
4.6 Variation of Parameters
p. 172: (Day One) #2*,5,11*,17
Feb. 22 MLast day to drop without a “WD” showing on your transcript. Last day to change
to Hearer status.
Feb. 23 T 4.6 Variation of Parameters (cont.)
p. 172: (Day Two) #23*,26,30*
to4.7 Cauchy-Euler Equation
p. 178: #1,3,11,13*,17*,23*,29*,31,39*,40
25 Th 5.1 Linear Models: Initial Value Problems
p. 207: (Day One) #3,6*,7,18,21,25*,45
DateSection and Topic / Homework Assignment
Mar. 2 T5.1 Linear Models: Initial Value Problems (cont.)
p. 207: (Day Two) #31*,35,41,45,49*,57,58*
to7.1 Definition of the Laplace Transform
p. 283: (Day One) #3*,7,11,13,19,25*,31,33*
5 Th7.1 Definition of the Laplace Transform (cont.)
Appendix I: Gamma Function (Solve #1 and 3, APP-2.)
p. 283: (Day Two) #41,42*,46*,48
Mar. 9 T7.2 Inverse Transforms and Transforms of Derivatives
p. 292: (Day One) #1,7,15,19*,25*
7.2 Inverse Transforms and Transforms of Derivatives (cont.)
p. 292: (Day Two) #33*,36*,37,39
11 ThSpring Recess – No S&T classes.
Mar. 16 T7.3 Operational Properties I
p. 301: (Day One) #3,7*,11,15*,21*,29,33
to7.3 Operational Properties I (cont.)
p. 301: (Day Two) #37,39,43*,45,50,55, 58*,63,69,72*
18 Th7.4 Operational Properties II (convolutions)
p. 312: #19,25,28*,29,31,37*,43
Mar 22 TReview during regular class time
23 TExam II ( at 7:30-8:30 PM in a room to be announced)
25 Th7.5 The Dirac Delta
p. 318: #1,3*,5,9*,13*
7.5 The Dirac Delta (cont.)
Spring Break – March 29 through April 2 – No S&T classes.
Apr. 6 TAppendix II: Introduction to Matrices
APP-18: (Day One) #1,3*,7,13,15,16*,23,29*
toAppendix II: Introduction to Matrices (cont.)
APP-19: (Day Two) #31,39,43*,47*,53,55,61*
8 Th8.1 Preliminary Theory
p. 336: (Day One) #1,6*,7,11,16*
Apr. 13 T 8.1 Preliminary Theory (cont.)
p. 336: (Day Two) #17*,23,25*
to8.2 Homogeneous Linear Systems: Distinct Real Eigenvalues
p. 351: #1,4*,7,12*,13,18*
15 Th8.2 Homogeneous Linear Systems: Repeated Eigenvalues
p. 351: #21*,23*,27,29,32*
16 FLast day for dropping a course.
Apr. 20 T 8.2 Homogeneous Linear Systems: Complex Eigenvalues
p. 351: #36*,37*,41,46,47*
to8.3 Nonhomogeneous Linear Systems
p. 358: (Day One) #3,9*,13*,21
22 Th8.3 Nonhomogeneous Linear Systems (cont.)
p. 358: (Day Two) #25*,28,32
Apr. 27,29 Special Topic or catch up this week
May 4 TReview during regular class time
4 TExam III (at 7:30-8:30 PM in a room to be announced)
6 ThReview
May 13 ThFinal Exam: 8:00-10:00 AM, room to be announced