MAT 275: MODERN DIFFERENTIAL
EQUATIONS
August 20 to October 9, 2020
(subject to change)
Course and Faculty Information
Course Description:
The terms differential and equation suggests that the course is about equations involving
derivatives of some function y = y(x) that is unknown for example y'' + 5y' + 6y = 6x +1, and that
solving such equations would mean finding the unknown functions that satisfies the
equations. The order of a differential equation is the highest derivative in the equation. The
example above is a second order equation. The course primarily deals with first order and
second order equation equations, and the various techniques of solving these equations.
Since the derivative of a function is basically the rate of change of the function, differential
equations model real-life situations, describing, for instance, the rate of change of a population or
the rate of spread of a disease. Mathematical and geometric solutions to the models give us
insight into the dynamics and qualitative properties of the solutions.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: MAT 266 or MAT 271 with a C or better
Instructor: Professor Rosemary Renaut
Contact Info: renaut@asu.edu
Office: GWC 650 (But no visits during Fall 2020)
Office Hours: MW from 8:30am to 9:30am and by by appointment (See information on Virtual
Office Hours by Zoom)
Zoom Etiquette: During the Zoom sessions for office hourse, please assure that you have a
reasonably secure connection. Please use your full name or first name-last initial. No outside
attendees will be allowed, and during the sessions, please keep your microphone's audio muted
1 of 14
except when needing to talk to the instructor. The instructor reserves the right to remove anyone
from the Zoom sessions for disruptive behavior.
Correspondence: All course related correspondence should be done through your ASU email
account with subject line containing your course number and class name. Email sent through
ASU email address will be addressed within 36 hours from the time it is received.
According to ASU policy, all online students are required to have an official photo on file with
the university. If you do not have an official photo on file, please click on this link to upload
one:https://webapp4.asu.edu/cardservices/ . There is no charge for uploading the picture.
Course Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Solve First-Order Equations that are Linear, and that are Separable;
2. Investigate conditions for the Existence of a Unique solution;
3. Solve autonomous Equations and the Stability of the equilibrium solutions;
4. Model Mixture Problems, Population Growth, Motion, Newton’s Law of cooling;
5. Numerically solve first order Initial Value Problems;
6. Solve Second-Order Equations that are Linear, Homogeneous, and with Constant
Coefficients;
7. Solve Nonhomogeneous Equations using the Method of Undetermined Coefficients;
8. Study the Mechanical Vibrations of a mass-spring system both in the absence of an
external for and in the presence of an external force;
9. Use Laplace Transform to solve differential equations
10. Use Linear Algebra, in particular the Eigenvalue Problem to solve Systems of first order
equations with constant coefficients;
11. Use MATLAB to solve all the above.
Textbooks (Hard copy and virtual)
Elementary Differential Equations, by Boyce dePrima - WileyPLUS, 11th edition. Custom
edition is fine. Students will be required to read the book and exams will contain problems from
the textbook and WeBWorK.
Please note that the book is available virtually using Inclusive Access. Specifically:
The required materials for this course are provisioned as a RedShelf e-book through Canvas and
made available at a discounted rate significantly cheaper than if purchased directly from the
publisher. If you wish to take advantage of this discounted group rate, no additional action is
needed. Following the drop/add period, a charge will post to your student account under the
header “Bkstr Publisher Negotiated Rate” and your access will continue uninterrupted.
2 of 14
OPT OUT INSTRUCTIONS:
If you would rather purchase the material directly from the vendor or from an alternate source,
you may choose to opt out of the program by using this
link: https://includedcp.follett.com/1230 Enter your ASU e-mail address AS IT APPEARS
IN THE ASU DIRECTORY (http://asu.edu/directory), then follow the instructions
provided. Be aware that if you do opt-out, your access to the required material in Canvas will be
turned off after drop/add and you’ll have to purchase the required materials elsewhere. To
access the e-book, log into Canvas and click on the RedShelf e-book link. If prompted to create
an account, please use your ASU e-mail address EXACTLY AS IT APPEARS IN THE
DIRECTORY. You'll also receive e-mails directly from Brytewave/Redshelf and the ASU
Bookstore with more info. If you have questions, please e-mail Bookstore support
To use Virtual Access for Fall ’20, you will receive 150-day access to the Boyce, Differential
Equations eBook for a reduced cost of $35.00 retail.
This includes:
• Downloadable (offline) access to the full e-text on up to 3 devices
• Access to the Boyce worked example video series
• Access to the Student Solutions Manual (by itself retails for $64.95 on wiley.com)
Calculators: A graphing calculator (e.g. TI84 or Casio CFX-9850GB Plus) is
recommended. Graphing calculators which perform symbolic manipulation (e.g. TI89,
TI92, Casio FX2 or 9970G) will not be allowed for tests or quizzes.
ASU Online Video Lessons:
https://math.la.asu.edu/~pvaz/mat275/mat275videos.html
https://vidman.asu.edu/
https://math.la.asu.edu/~surgent/video/mat275_exp.html
Course Access
Your ASU courses can be accessed by both my.asu.edu and myasucourses.asu.edu; bookmark
both in the event that one site is down.
Computer Requirements
3 of 14
This is a fully online course; therefore, it requires a computer with internet access and the
following technologies:
• Web browsers (Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari)
• Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
• Adobe Flash Player (free)
• Webcam, microphone, headset/earbuds, and speaker
• Microsoft Office (Microsoft 365 is free for all currently-enrolled ASU students)
• Reliable broadband internet connection (DSL or cable) to stream videos.
Note: A smartphone, iPad, Chromebook, etc. will not be sufficient for completing your work in
ASU Online courses. While you will be able to access course content with mobile devices, you
must use a computer for all assignments, quizzes, and virtual labs.
Student Success
To be successful:
• check the course daily
• read announcements
• read and respond to course email messages as needed
• complete assignments by the due dates specified
• communicate regularly with your instructor and peers
• create a study and/or assignment schedule to stay on track
• access ASU Online Student Resources
Grading
The grade will be computed from the Final exam (30%), Test 1 (20%), Test 2 (25%), Labs
(15%), WeBWorK (10%).
Your grade will be determined based on the following grading schema:
Grade
Percentage
A
90 – 100%
B
80 – 89%
C
70 – 79%
D
60 – 69%
E/F
Below 60%
Y Grades:
4 of 14
The Y grade is equivalent to a C or higher, but does not count in grade-point calculations. You
are advised to speak with an advisor in your major's college to understand how the Y grade may
affect your student standing, requirements for your major, your scholarships, and so forth.
Requests for the Y grade should be made to your instructor no later than September 9 for Session
A class. (This is the withdrawal date). In general, requests for the Y made after September 9 will
not be considered.
Homework
Homework will be problems from WeBWorK, an online homework system. WeBWorK can be
accessed at http://webwork.asu.edu . If you are not familiar with WeBWorK you should start by
working out the Introduction set (the Introduction will not count towards the grade). No late
assignments will be accepted. Due dates for WeBWorK are listed on the webpage. Students are
required to publish their labs using the publish tab in Matlab.
MATLAB Labs
There will be a total of seven MATLAB computer labs. Lab 0 is an extra credit lab and will be
worth half the points of a regular lab. 5 best scores of the remaining six labs will be counted
towards your grade. The modules on which these labs are due are listed on the Course Summary
in this syllabus; however, these dates may be subject to change at the discretion of your lab
instructor. After submitting the labs you can preview your uploaded work and double check if it
got uploaded correctly. Grading guidelines will be emailed to students in first module of classes.
You are not required to purchase MATLAB
MATLAB is installed on the computers in ECA 221. You can also use MATLAB at home and
on any computer on campus through https://myapps.asu.edu/home. Also students can
download Matlab software from (Links to an external site):
https://asu.secure.force.com/kb/articles/How_To/Matlab-for-Engineering-Students
Academic Integrity
It is a violation of the academic integrity policy to seek out solutions to course
assessments, labs included. It is not acceptable to copy solutions. It is not acceptable to
reference solutions. If you search for additional resources outside of what's provided in the
course, be certain they are resources on the
general
topic (math or MATLAB programming)
and that they are not about the
specific
assessments of this course. If you are still having
trouble completing an assessment after reviewing course and general resources, please post a
question on the Discussion forum in Canvas. Instances of academic dishonesty may be
sanctioned as outlined in the Academic Integrity Policy.
5 of 14
Any (parts of) exams, assignments, reports, or solutions to these, from current or
previous semesters, posted to any website not affiliated with ASU will result in
academic integrity disciplinary actions against the students posting them and the
students using them.
Also: All internet-capable devices such as computers, phones and smart-watches,
etc., are to be turned off and made inaccessible for the duration of an exam.
Accessing one for any reason will result in an automatic score of 0 for the exam.
Exams
One un-proctored and two proctored tests will be given during the semester.
Exam
Sections
Test Dates
TEST 1
Chapters 1, 2
Not proctored and available
on WebWork
Available: 09/08 12:00am to 09/09
11:59pm MST
TEST 2
3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,
3.5, 3.7, 3.8
Taken through RPNow, available
on Webwork
Available: 09/22 12:00am to 09/23
11:59 pm MST
FINAL
Comprehensive
Taken through RPNow, available
on Webwork
Available: 10/08 12:00am to
10/09 11:59pm. MST
Submitting Assignments
All assignments, unless otherwise announced, MUST be submitted to the designated area of
Canvas and Webwork. Do not submit an assignment via email. There is NO extension for the
due dates. After submitting the labs you can preview your uploaded work and double check if it
got uploaded correctly
Assignment due dates follow Arizona Standard time. Click the following link to access the Time
Converter to ensure you account for the difference in Time Zones. Note: Arizona does not
observe daylight savings time.
Grading Procedure
6 of 14
Grades reflect your performance on assignments and adherence to deadlines. Graded
assignments will be available within 48 hours of the due date via the Gradebook.
NOTE: Any photograph or screenshot taken during an exam is grounds for a 0 score on the test
and academic dishonesty charges.
ASU contracts with online proctoring software companies. Each company has been carefully
reviewed for software security and the protection of student data and must meet the standards of
the ASU Internet Security Office. In addition, any company employee, including proctors, who
would have access to student data must have a background check and be finger printed. Students
can take exams in any location that has a reliable Internet connection. It is best to select a quiet
location where the student can be alone in a room.
Cell phones and Electronic Devices during EXAM
Picture taking on your cell phone or usage any electronic device, except the computer you are
using to take the exam, during an exam, is prohibited and will disqualify your attempt at the
exam.
STATEMENT: Students in face-to-face or online courses taking exams and quizzes at Arizona
State University should expect to be proctored. The process includes verifying the identity of the
student and providing either live proctors or other forms of proctoring during the exam or quiz.
In the case of face-to-face courses, students can be required to show a valid identification card,
and expect to be monitored by proctors while taking either an exam or quiz. Proctoring of online
students requires presenting a valid identification card as part of the verification process and
monitoring by online proctoring software.
Missing Due dates for Homeworks, Labs, and Exams
Unless arrangements have been made, homeworks, labs and exams MUST be submitted/taken on
the day that they are scheduled. A score of 0 will be given for any missed homeworks, labs or
exams. If arrangements have been made, homeworks, labs or exams can be rescheduled. You
should call, email, or otherwise communicate with me in advance anytime you anticipate or
expect that you are going to miss the above mentioned activities.
Rescheduling the above activities are done at the discretion of the instructor in the case of
• verified medical or other emergency;
• work related reasons like rescheduling or work related trips;
• family emergencies.
The reason for missing an activity must be documented. The instructor must be notified before
the activity is scheduled. Call the instructor, email the instructor, or directly notify your
instructor.
Course Time Commitment
7 of 14
This three credit course requires a total of 135 hours of work. Students taking short sessions are
expected to spend about 20 hours each week.
Drop and Add Dates/Withdrawals
This course adheres to a compressed schedule and may be part of a sequenced program,
therefore, there is a limited timeline to drop or add the course. Consult with your advisor and
notify your instructor to add or drop this course. If you are considering a withdrawal, review the
following ASU policies: Withdrawal from Classes, Medical/Compassionate Withdrawal, and
a Grade of Incomplete. To qualify for an Incomplete, you should be passing the class (at least a
grade of C) at the time of application.
Instructor-Initiated Drop
At the instructor's discretion, any student who has not shown an activity by way of webwork
homeworks, syllabus quiz, or Lab 0 during the first week of classes may be administratively
dropped from the course. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of their registration status
at all times during the semester.
Grade Appeals
Grade disputes must first be addressed by discussing the situation with the instructor. If the
dispute is not resolved with the instructor, the student may appeal to the department chair per
the University Policy for Student Appeal Procedures on Grades.
Midterm and Final Exam
Students take Exam 2 and the Final through RPNow meaning these exams are proctored. Make-
up exams will NOT be given for reasons of a non-refundable airline tickets, vacation plans,
undocumented change in work schedules, weddings, family reunions, and other such
activities. Students should consult the final exam schedule before making end-of-semester travel
plans.
Late or Missed Assignments
Notify the instructor BEFORE an assignment is due if an urgent situation arises and you are
unable to submit the assignment on time.
Follow the appropriate University policies to request an accommodation for religious practices or
to accommodate a missed assignment due to University-sanctioned activities.
Communicating With the Instructor/Peers
8 of 14
Discussion Board on Canvas
This course uses the discussion board in canvas. "Discussions" in canvas is a forum site
specifically created for math and science courses. It features a clean interface that makes
following threads easy. The threads are sortable and searchable. The discussion forum is a
collaborative site in which students are encouraged to post questions and other students are
encouraged to offer assistance. The instructor and any teaching assistants will also monitor the
discussion board regularly, offering feedback whenever necessary. Prior to posting a question,
please check the syllabus, announcements and existing posts. If you do not find an answer, post
your question.
The discussion forum is built into the online course shell and is a required aspect of the course.
The instructor will also post messages to the class through this site.
Student Rules of Engagement on the Discussion Forum:
• All questions related to classwork should be posted under the right header (Section #).
Any homework or classwork questions emailed directly to the instructor will not be
answered.
• Please include the question number in the header (e.g. Problem #7).
• Please include a couple lines of your work. You may also photograph your written work
and insert the image within the post. Please trim the image size if possible.
• Please be courteous at all times. No vulgar, demeaning, or aggressive language will be
tolerated.
• Do not use the forum to air grievances or to campaign.
• Do not use the forum for personal messages. In such a case, email the instructor directly.
• Stay on topic. Do not use forum for discussions not related to this class.
• Keep a civil and friendly atmosphere. The forum works best when we have a lot of
students willing to engage the forum.
• Please do not expect immediate replies. Instructors usually check the forum daily. In the
meantime, other students are encouraged to add feedback and commentary. Instructors
may also deliberately stay in the background so as to promote student-led discussions.
Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in your posting privileges being revoked.
Email questions of a personal nature to your instructor at renau[email protected]. You can expect a
response within 36 hours. So submit your questions well in advance of due dates.
Chat
The Chat tool in Canvas allows students and teachers to interact in real time. Use Chat only for
informal course-related conversations unless your instructor informs you otherwise. Chat is not
ideal for questions about assignments; instructors are not required to monitor it and
conversations may be buried or lost.
Email
9 of 14
ASU email is an official means of communication among students, faculty, and staff. Students
are expected to read and act upon email in a timely fashion. Students bear the responsibility of
missed messages and should check their ASU-assigned email regularly.
All instructor correspondence will be sent to your ASU email account.
ASU Online Course Policies
View the ASU Online Course Policies
Accessibility Statements
View the ASU Online Student Accessibility page to review accessibility statements for common
tools and resources used in ASU Online courses.
If any other tools are used in this course, links to the accessibility statements will be listed below
this sentence.
Homework, Lab and Exam Schedule
Session A: Monday 08/20/20 - Friday 10/09/20
ACTIVITIES/ASSIGNMENTS
OPEN
DATE
DUE
DATE
All
assignments
are due at
11:59pm on
dates shown
WEEK 1: TOPIC(S)
Assignment 1: Webwork 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
08/20
08/25
Assignment 2: Webwork 2.1, 2.2
08/20
08/26
Assignment 3: MATLAB 0
08/27
10 of 14
Syllabus Quiz
08/20
08/27
WEEK 2: TOPIC(S)
Assignment 1: Webwork 2.3, 2.4, 2.5
08/20
08/31
Assignment 2: Webwork 2.7, 3.1
08/20
09/02
Assignment 3: MATLAB 1
09/03
WEEK 3: TOPIC(S)
Assignment 1: Webwork 3.2, 3.3
08/20
09/08
Assignment 2: Webwork 3.4, 3.5
08/20
09/08
TEST 1 : Includes sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7
(Not proctored. Available on Webwork)
09/08
09/09
Assignment 3: MATLAB 2
09/10
WEEK 4: TOPIC(S)
Assignment 1: Webwork 3.7,3.8
08/20
09/14
Assignment 2: Webwork 6.1, 6.2
08/20
09/16
Assignment 3: MATLAB 3
09/17
Practice Quiz RPNow
09/10
09/17
11 of 14
WEEK 5: TOPIC(S)
Assignment 1: WeBWork 6.3, 6.4
08/20
09/21
TEST 2: Includes sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7, 3.8 (Proctored by
RPNow)
09/22
09/23
Assignment 2: MATLAB 4
09/24
WEEK 6: TOPIC(S)
Assignment 1: WeBWork 6.5, 7.1
08/20
09/28
Assignment 2: WeBWork 7.2, 7.3
08/20
09/30
Assignment 3: MATLAB 5
10/01
WEEK 7: TOPIC(S)
Assignment 1: WeBWork 7.4, 7.5
10/05
Assignment 2: WeBWork 7.6, 7.8
10/07
Assignment 3: MATLAB 6
10/08
FINAL EXAM (Proctored by RPNow) - Comprehensive
10/08
10/09
Academic Dishonesty
Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, laboratory work,
academic transactions and records. The possible sanctions include, but are not limited to,
appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated on the transcript as a grade of E), course
failure due to academic dishonesty (indicated on the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of
registration privileges, disqualification and dismissal. For more information, see
http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity.
12 of 14
Students with Disabilities
Disability Accommodations: Qualified students with disabilities who will require disability
accommodations in this class are encouraged to make their requests to me at the beginning of the
semester either during office hours or by appointment. Note: Prior to receiving disability
accommodations, verification of eligibility from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) is
required. Disability information is confidential.
Establishing Eligibility for Disability Accommodations
Students who feel they will need disability accommodations in this class but have not registered
with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) should contact DRC immediately. Their office is
located on the first floor of the Matthews Center Building. DRC staff can also be reached at:
480-965-1234 (V), 480-965-9000 (TTY). For additional information, visit:
www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/ed/drc. Their hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through
Friday.
Policy on Threatening Behavior
All incidents and allegations of violent or threatening conduct by an ASU student (whether on-or
off campus) must be reported to the ASU Police Department (ASU PD) and the Office of the
Dean of Students. If either office determines that the behavior poses or has posed a serious
threat to personal safety or to the welfare of the campus, the student will not be permitted to
return to campus or reside in any ASU residence hall until an appropriate threat assessment has
been completed and, if necessary, conditions for return are imposed. ASU PD, the Office of the
Dean of Students, and other appropriate offices will coordinate the assessment in light of the
relevant circumstances.
Inclusion:
The School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences encourages faculty to address and refer to
students by their preferred name and gender pronoun. If your preferred name is different than
what appears on the class roster, or you would like to be addressed using a specific pronoun,
please let your instructor know.
Policy on Sexual Discrimination
Arizona State University is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination,
harassment, or retaliation for the entire university community, including all students, faculty
members, staff employees, and guests. ASU expressly prohibits discrimination, harassment, and
retaliation by employees, students, contractors, or agents of the university based on any protected
status: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation,
gender identity, and genetic information.
13 of 14
Title IX:
Title IX is a federal law that provides that no person be excluded on the basis of sex from
participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education
program or activity. Both Title IX and university policy make clear that sexual violence and
harassment based on sex is prohibited. An individual who believes they have been subjected to
sexual violence or harassed on the basis of sex can seek support, including counseling and
academic support, from the university. If you or someone you know has been harassed on the
basis of sex or sexually assaulted, you can find information and resources at
https://sexualviolenceprevention.asu.edu/faqs.
As a mandated reporter, I am obligated to report any information I become aware of regarding
alleged acts of sexual discrimination, including sexual violence and dating violence. ASU
Counseling Services, https://eoss.asu.edu/counseling, is available if you wish to discuss any
concerns confidentially and privately.
Syllabus Disclaimer
The syllabus is a statement of intent and serves as an implicit agreement between the instructor
and the student. Every effort will be made to avoid changing the course schedule but the
possibility exists that unforeseen events will make syllabus changes necessary. Remember to
check your ASU email and the course site often.
14 of 14
