Math 217: Differential Equations
Fall 2020
General Course Information

Professor: Humberto Diaz Professor: Brett D. Wick Class Meeting Time: Monday/Wednesday/Friday 11:00am - 11:50am.

Lecture Location: Remote/LA.

Recitation Information: Course Content: Math 217 is an introduction to ordinary differential equations: first-order equations, linear equations, systems of equations, series solutions, Laplace transform methods, numerical solutions. Prerequisite: successful completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, Math 233.

Prerequisites are successful completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, Math 233.

The syllabus for the course will be discussed the first day of class and then will be available here.

Textbook: Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems: Computing and Modeling, by Edwards, Penney and Calvis, 5th Edition.

Attendance: Attendance is required for all lectures. The student who misses a class meeting is responsible for any assignments and/or announcements made. Office hours will not be utilized to re-teach material presented in class. In the event of an absence due to travel representing WUSTL, such as an intercollegiate sports competition, you must notify the professor at least two weeks in advance to arrange an early test or other alternative. Otherwise, such absences will be treated as personal.

Homework: This course will have weekly homework assignments that will be adminsitered through Webwork and Crowdmark.

Worksheets: There will be weekly worksheets throughout the semester done during the recitation.

Exams: This course will have five mid-term exams and a comprehensive final exam. The mid-term exams and final exam will be conducted remotely. Dates of exams are: Exam Re-Grading Policy: Exams will be returned in Recitation section and upon return you will have an opportunity to review your exam and its grading. If you disagree with the grading of your exam you are to notify your Instructor of the issue at the time of return, and the Instructor/AI will collect your exam and bring it to me for consideration. If you take the exam when it is returned to you without registering a complaint regarding the grading, then your score is set and no additional regrades will be considered for that exam. If you request a regrading of your exam, you may additionally arrange a meeting to discuss the regrading issue with me directly.

Calculator: Calculators (or computational devices of any sort) shall not be used for tests. No credit will be given on tests for a correct answer without the intermediate steps. Notes or ``cheat sheets'' will not be allowed on exams.

Piazza: This term we will be using Piazza for class discussion. The system is highly catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from classmates, the AI, and the instructors. Rather than emailing questions to the teaching staff, I encourage you to post your questions on Piazza. If you have any problems or feedback for the developers, email team@piazza.com. The link for the Piazza page is: https://piazza.com/wustl/fall2020/fl2020l24math21701

Grades: Computation of your course grade is explained in detail on the syllabus. The usual ten-point scale will be used (A: 90-100, B: 80-89, C: 70-79, D: 60-69, F: 0-59), however, if necessary, adjustments will be made to arrive at a standard grade distribution for the course. On an individual basis, significant improvement over the semester will be taken into account. For students taking the course with the Pass/Fail option, the threshold for a passing grade will be a "C".

Learning Disabilities: It is the right of any student with a certified learning disability to request necessary accommodation. Such requests must be made well in advance of the time that the accommodation is required and a letter of documentation from the Disability Resources office must be presented at the time of any request.

Academic Honesty: It is expected that all students are aware of their individual responsibilities under the WUSTL Academic Integrity Policy, which will be strictly adhered to in this class.

COVID Safety Guidelines: Students are expected to follow university-mandated COVID safety procedures at all times, and stay informed of any changes to these procedures. Failure to do so will result in you being removed from the classroom, and possible university disciplinary procedures. Masks and social distancing are the most important safety measures we can take; it is also important that you wash your hands and clean surfaces as frequently as possible. Masks are mandatory at all times in the classroom; if you have a medical condition that precludes wearing one, contact Disability Resources to discuss accommodations before coming to class. Classroom layout and activity design will account for safe social distancing. Current guidelines allow close contact in groups of 3 for up to 15 minutes. If you are uncomfortable with that level of close contact, you may continue to socially distance; if that isn't working, talk to your instructor about possibly moving to an online section. Classroom capacities have been strictly limited this semester for safety purposes. You may not attend in-person sections other than the one you are assigned to.
Last Modified on 31 Aug 20
Comments and questions to wick[at]math[dot]wustl[dot]edu.