Office: Van Vleck 413
Telephone: 262 - 3545
email: sottile@math.wisc.edu
WWW:
https://FrankSottile.github.io
Differential Equations and
Linear Algebra, S. Goode, Prentice-Hall.
A packet on MATLAB available at Bob's Copy Shop, Johnson St.
This course will serve as an introduction to ordinary differential equations and linear algebra. Differential equations are `the language of the laws of nature'. Many important physical problems are formulated in terms of solutions to a differential equation.
Linear algebra concerns itself with the structure of systems of linear equations. Such equations are ubiquitous in applications, in part because they arise as first order approximations to more difficult non-linear phenomena. Another reason for their importance is that there are efficient algorithms for solving them and analyzing their solutions.
These two subjects come together in the subject of systems of first order linear differential equations, and a major goal of this course is to study such systems.
An important component of this course will be some numerical experimentation and homeworks. I recommend using the package MATLAB, but you may do these in any computer algebra system you choose. The mathematics departmental computer facilities are located on the first floor of Van Vleck hall, this is the bunker-like structure protruding from the classroom wing of the building.
Computer Text:
A packet on MATLAB available at Bob's Copy Shop, Johnson St.