This course is devoted to the study of boundary value problems for three fundamental partial differential equations of mathematical physics: the wave equation, the heat equation, and the potential equation (Laplace's equation). Fourier series turn out to be a key tool in solving such equations. Some other systems of orthogonal functions, such as Bessel functions and Legendre functions, are discussed also.
The textbooks for the course are Boundary Value Problems, third edition, by David L. Powers (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987) and Fourier Series by Georgi P. Tolstov (Dover, 1962). The course covers parts of Chapters 1-5 of the former and Chapters 1-2 of the latter.
The prerequisite course is Math 308 (Differential Equations).
The class meets Tuesday and Thursday in ACAD 225 from 15:55 to 17:10.
The dates of the three major exams are Tuesday 11 February, Thursday 20 March, and Tuesday 15 April. The comprehensive final exam is scheduled by the registrar for 13:00-15:00 on Tuesday, May 6.
The three major exams, the final exam, and the homework each count for 20% of the course grade. Final letter grades are based on the standard scale: 90% is an A, 80% is a B, 70% is a C, 60% is a D. Class participation is encouraged and counts positively in borderline cases.
An outline of the course schedule is given in the first-day handout.
The course enrollment is 21, mainly students from physics.