MA776 - PDEs - Fall 2015

MA776 - Partial Differential Equations - Fall 2015

TR 130-300pm in MCS 144

Contact Information

Instructor: Margaret Beck
Office: MCS 228
Phone: 617-358-3314
Email: mabeck -at- math.bu.edu
Office Hours: M 1-2, R 3-4, or by appointment

Announcements

Our first class meeting will be on Tuesday, Sept 15.
Starting Tuesday Oct 20 and for the rest of the semester we will meet on TR from 130-300. Also, starting on Thursday Oct 22 and for the rest of the semester my Thursday office hours will no longer be from 330-430 but will instead be from 3-4.
On Tuesday, Nov 3, class will be held in STH B20.
On Tuesday, Nov 17: we will not have lecture, because the Brown/BU PDE seminar will meet at BU from 2-6pm. You are all strongly encouraged to attend the seminar, especially the part from 2-3, when our class usually meets. More details.
On Tuesday, Nov 17: Please turn in your HW by placing it in my mailbox by 130pm. Thanks!

Course Info

Syllabus and detailed course information: [.pdf] file
Grading: 100% homework, assigned every 1-2 weeks.

This course is a graduate level introduction to the mathematical theory of partial differential equations. The basic plan for the course is to cover Chapters 1-2, parts of Chapter 3, most of Chapter 5, and parts of Chapters 6-7 in the book by Evans. Topics will include (time-permitting)

Basic introductory examples
Explicit representation of solutions for the transport, Laplace, heat, and wave equations
The method of characteristics
An introduction to conservation laws
Sobolev spaces
Some theory for linear elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic equations.

Books

The main book we will use is

L. C. Evans, "Partial Differential Equations."

Another book which you may find useful is

M. Renardy and R. Rogers, "An introduction to partial differential equations ."

Homework

Homework 1 (due Thursday, Oct 1): [.pdf]
Homework 2 (due Thursday, Oct 15): [.pdf]
Homework 3 (due Thursday, Oct 29): [.pdf]
Homework 4 (due Tuesday, Nov 17): [.pdf] (Since we won't have lecture that day, please place it in my mailbox by 130pm. Thanks!)
Homework 5 (due Thursday, Dec 3): [.pdf]
Homework 6 (due Wednesday, Dec 16, 930am): [.pdf] (Please place it in my mailbox of under my office door by 930am on 12/16, thanks!)