A Course in Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems

Book excerpt: A Course in Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems, 2nd Edition adds additional content to the author’s successful A Course on Ordinary Differential Equations, 2nd Edition. This text addresses the need when the course is expanded. The focus of the text is on applications and methods of solution, both analytical and numerical, with emphasis on methods used in the typical engineering, physics, or mathematics student’s field of study. The text provides sufficient problems so that even the pure math major will be sufficiently challenged. The authors offer a very flexible text to meet a variety of approaches, including a traditional course on the topic. The text can be used in courses when partial differential equations replaces Laplace transforms. There is sufficient linear algebra in the text so that it can be used for a course that combines differential equations and linear algebra. Most significantly, computer labs are given in MATLAB®, Mathematica®, and MapleTM. The book may be used for a course to introduce and equip the student with a knowledge of the given software. Sample course outlines are included. Features MATLAB®, Mathematica®, and MapleTM are incorporated at the end of each chapter All three software packages have parallel code and exercises There are numerous problems of varying difficulty for both the applied and pure math major, as well as problems for engineering, physical science and other students. An appendix that gives the reader a "crash course" in the three software packages Chapter reviews at the end of each chapter to help the students review Projects at the end of each chapter that go into detail about certain topics and introduce new topics that the students are now ready to see Answers to most of the odd problems in the back of the book