AMS 027 - Summer 2006

Welcome to Mathematical Methods for Engineers, AMS27!

Hi, my name is Bruno Mendes and I will be teaching this course in the coming summer session.

The course's main goal is to teach students the main concepts in solving ordinary differential equations. The course covers topics in Linear Algebra (linear systems, matrices, vector spaces, eigenvectors and eigenvalues), first and higher order linear differential equations, linear systems of differential equations, Laplace transform methods, matrix exponential methods and (if we have time) some topics in nonlinear systems and phenomena (mostly concepts in phase plane and qualitative analysis of differential equations).

My teaching strategy focus heavily on helping the students understand the meaning of the mathematical tools, not just how to blindly apply recipes and I also put a lot of effort in showing how the mathematical concepts work in practice, in real life situations. The students are encouraged to commit to the class 100% by going to all sections and completing weekly homeworks. Typically, a student that works hard on a weekly basis does very well in the class. Failing rates are typically low in my classes (ie. most of the students that go all the way to the final exam will do well).

The required text for this class: Edwards, C. Henry and Penney, David E., Differential Equations & Linear Algebra, Second Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall.

Optional texts

Manual for beginners in Matlab software package: Pratap, Rudra, Getting started with MATLAB, Oxford University Press, 2006. (We will provide you with extra supporting material for this course; maybe it's a good idea to hold off buying this book until you see how things go in the first couple of weeks in class).

Excellent book for Linear Algebra: Lay, David, Linear Algebra and its applications, Addison Wesley, 3rd edition, 2003.

Previous book used for this course: Erwin Kreyszig, Advanced Engineering Mathematics, Wiley, 1999.

Index of class resources

General Class Information

Handouts — homework problem sets, homework solutions, other helpful handouts
General Class Information — class and section times, instructor and TA information

• Course Syllabus and guidelines. Course calendar.
• Resources
  • Getting started with Matlab
  • Lecture notes.
  • Practice midterm. Question 9 doesn't conserve car flux as it promises and this affects the type of solution you will get. To get a consistent system you'd need to change the incoming amount of traffic on Pacific St. to be 500 instead of 300.
  • Midterm course evaluation.
  • Practice final. Solutions.
• Lab assignments
  • Lab assignment 1.
  • Lab assignment 2. Practice problems 2.
  • Lab assignment 3.  Practice problems 3.
  • Lab assignment 4. Practice problems 4.
  • Lab scores.
• Homework list
. Homework is due every Friday by 3:00pm.
• Extra homework problems. Applications of matrices.
• Homework, labs and midterm scores.
• Schedule for lab's discussion.

Lecture times:

Every weekday from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, Social Sciences I #135 Computer Lab

Associated Lab:

Will be taught concurrently at lecture time

Instructor:

Name: Bruno Mendes (mendes@ams.ucsc.edu)

Phone: ___

Office: Baskin 141

Instructor Office Hours:

Any day, from 2:30pm to 3:00pm

Teaching Assistant(s):

Name: NAME (EMAIL)

Phone: ___

Office: ___

Office Hours:

DAYS, TIMES