Methods in Applied Mathematics:
Dynamical Systems and Differential Equations

Instructor: J.D. Meiss
Class: MWF 10:00-10:50, ECCR 131
Office Hours:M,Th 1-2, F 11-12 (Other times by appointment)
Text: Differential Dynamical Systems,
J.D. Meiss		 ($79 list, $55 if you are a member of SIAM)

Course Materials

  1. Syllabus
  2. Lecture Schedule and HW
  3. Typos in the Text (second printing)
  4. Projects Topic selection due Feb 15.

Outline

The Damped Pendulum

Grading

Grades in the course will be based on:
  1. homework sets (assigned roughly bi-weekly during the semester).
  2. class participation (extra points for helping me to make this class a lively one)
  3. projects (written project due at the end of the semester).
Homework Ground rules for the homework sets are as follows. You may use any reference book from the library. You are encouraged to discuss the homework problems with other students in the class, and even to work on the problems together, until you get to the point that you understand how to solve the problem. Each student is required to write up and to submit his/her own homework set. You are not permitted to copy another student's homework, even if you worked on the problems together.

Projects: I will give a list of possible projects around the 2rd week of class. You should select your project and have it approved by me by the 4th week. Projects will consist of a 25 minute presentation to the class during the last week of the semester or the final exam period and a written report. Project can involve computation, but need not.

Some Dynamics Resources

The Encylopedia of Dynamical Systems at Scholarpedia is a good reference for all things dynamical. My Frequently Asked Questions on Nonlinear Science is somewhat out-of-date, but still has some elementary information.

Here is an (also out-of-date) list of software for dynamics. I will use a Macintosh for classroom demonstrations, and extensively use the software Maple and Matlab.

Examples, Programs and Worksheets