Office: WEH 6121.
For mathematical email queries other than minor clarifications or typos on the homework, I request you come speak to me in person instead of sending me an email. Mathematics is not easily expressed via email, and a physical in person conversation will be a lot more productive.
For minor clarifications, typos on the homework, and logistical queries, my email address is:
gi1242+372@NoSPAM.edu (replace "NoSPAM" with "cmu")
(Please get the numbers and the plus sign correct, as that will ensure that your email goes to my course folder.) I don't always check email in the evenings, so if you send me a desperate question about the homework at the 11th hour, then you're on your own.
Feedback at any time (either anonymous or signed) is always appreciated. You can use this form to send me (or your course assistant) anonymous (or signed) feedback.
Note: Unfortunately, evil spammers have used this form to clutter my INBOX. Thus I have restricted access to this form to within cmu.edu domain. Any inconvenience caused is regretted.
If you're interested in typing your homework using LaTeX, you can find the LaTeX sources of all the homework here. Be sure you also download the calculus.sty style file.
WARNING: These files are provided as is, with no warranty whatsoever. The files all LaTeX cleanly, with no errors on my system. If they don't compile cleanly on your system, you're on your own.
| Lectures | MWF 11:30--12:20 in WEH 8220. (However, on 1/23, 4/2, 4/9, 4/16 and 4/23 class will be in WEH 7201) |
| Homework due | Wednesdays, beginning of class, unless otherwise noted. |
| Office Hours | Mondays 2:30-3:30, Fridays 3:30-4:30. |
| Mailing list |
math-372?
Mailing listI will use this mailing list for all announcements regarding this course. These usually contain information about class, homework and/or exams, and I strongly recommend all students join this mailing list. I will NOT use BlackBoard. Any student who is registered for this course on the first day of class will be automatically subscribed this mailing list. If you register for the course at a later time, you should join this mailing list yourself, by visiting the mailing list website (linked above). You may read any announcements you might have missed on the list archives. You may also post to this list to contact your classmates about class related issues. (Posters promoting frat parties, girl scout cookies, or any non-class related agenda will be penalized severely.) Please note that the mailing list website also contains instructions on how to un-subscribe yourself! If you drop this course, you should follow these instructions and un-subscribe yourself from this list. Since an easy, clearly listed, un-subscription procedure exists, any emails requesting me to add/remove you from this list will be ignored. |
| Midterm 1 | Fri, Feb 17. (Closed book, in class.) |
| Midterm 2 | Fri, Mar 23. (Closed book, in class.) |
| Final |
Mon, May 7, 8:30--11:30AM in DH-1112?
Final schedulingYour final exam will be scheduled by the registrar at a time that can not be changed by mere mortals. You can find more information here. |
Homework: 20%. The better? midterm: 30%. Final: 50%.
When computing your final grade, I will only use the score from the midterm in which you received a higher percentile rank (and consequently, the higher grade). I will then use statistical methods so that your scores from your homework and exams are all comparable, and then average these corrected scores (as described) to compute your final grade. If you want to know the exact details, read the source of the scripts I use.
Bottom line -- you can safely "bomb" one midterm with no consequence to your grade, and let me worry about how the numbers work.
A Partial Differential Equation (PDE for short), is a differential equation involving derivatives with respect to more than one variable. These arise in numerous applications from various disciplines. A prototypical example is the `heat equation', governing the evolution of temperature in a conductor.
Usually finding explicit solutions for even the simplest (LINEAR) PDE's is a formidable task, which doesn't always have a tractable solution. The mathematical study of PDE's usually focuses on deducing properties of solutions, without use of an explicit solution formula. For instance, the fact that heat doesn't collect at hot points is a consequence of the "Maximum principle"; a fundamental theorem about solutions to the heat equation, which also applies to solutions of a more general class of equations.
This course will serve as a conceptual introduction to PDE's differential equations, focussing more on studying properties of solutions and less on finding explicit (and horrendously complicated) solutions. It is aimed at undergraduate Math majors, however is suitable for students from Physics, Engineering and other disciplines who want to develop a more conceptual understanding of the subject.
Your behaviour should not disturb or distract anyone else. Make sure your cell phone is turned off, or silent. If you must use a laptop, then:
Repeat offenders of this policy will be penalized.
Usually each lecture relies on all the previous ones, and missing one could easily lead to a disastrous domino effect. If you have to miss a lecture, then I strongly recommend you study the material you missed before you return to class. Note, while I don't require "mandatory attendance", I require that you know all material covered in class. You are responsible for making up anything that was covered in lectures you missed.
If you miss a lecture, I recommend doing the following:
After you have done this, you should contact me if you need clarification on any material. You don't have to notify me in advance of occasional absences.
A good practice in any math course is to look over your notes from class, and/or the relevant sections from the text every class day. Again, this is because each lecture will build on the previous. A gap in your understanding in one lecture will cascade catastrophically through future lectures!
To accommodate special and extreme circumstances, I will not count your lowest two homework scores towards your grade. So, for instance, if you have a family emergency you need not turn in the homework for that particular week, and it will not affect your grade. If you turn in every homework on time, then I will automatically drop the bottom two scores from your grade.
Keep in mind, this policy is to accommodate special, and extreme circumstances. If you use up your two freebies early in the semester, then please ensure you and your extended family remain in good health for the remainder of the semester.
Your assignments will frequently contain optional problems (marked with a star). These problems are helpful to think about, but you should not turn them in with your regular homework. Problems are made optional for a variety of reasons: Some problems are optional because they are (easy?) standard facts which I did not have time to do in class. Others are optional because they are interesting `challenge' problems, which may or may not have a tractable solution in the scope of this course.
Optional problems won't be graded, and won't count towards your grade. There is no "extra credit" for doing optional problems. You're welcome to discuss any optional problem with me or your classmates, but don't turn it in with your regular homework.
You're encouraged to work in groups, however you must write up the solution on your own. Photo-copying or blindly plagiarising solutions from members of your study group (or anyone else for that matter) will be treated as cheating, and dealt with severely.
Homework is probably the most important part of this course. Trying such problems on your own is the only way to get a good conceptual understanding of this material. So be sure you give it a good shot!
I will usually write up solutions to the harder problems on each homework. For the remaining problems, perfect, or nearly perfect student solutions may be scanned in and hosted here, with identifying information removed. If you would not like your homework assignments scanned in and hosted, then please let me know.