Hi everybody,

I'm Sebastian M. Marotta, the TF for this course. I enjoy working with differential equations and I hope you will as well. Differential equations are very interesting mathematical objects that are used in many different disciplines to model physical phenomena (e.g. water waves, chemical reactions, electric circuits, population dynamics, neural networks and others).

In this course you will learn how to make models, how to solve differential equations using different techniques and how to interpret the solutions to differential equations. This requires a lot of work, and to make your learning go as smoothly as possible we have organized the course in a detailed manner. I would like to remind you of some important things regarding the discussion sections and homework.

There will be two projects and probably 9 or 10 homeworks assigned this semester. All that count for 26% of the grade. We will drop the lowest homework at the end of the semester, but we expect you to submit all the assignments that are designated for grading. Your projects will count 9% each. The remaining 8% will depend on your homeworks, your extra effort on solving the problems, and/or your participation in section.

Homeworks are due in section, but if you miss your section, you can come to another one. If it turns out that you can't make another section, then you can bring it to my office during my office hours. All homeworks must be turned in to me at some section, at my tutoring room hours, or at my office hours (not during class). Homework cannot be turned in to my mailbox or Prof. Blanchard's mailbox, nor can homework be slipped under my door or Prof. Blanchard's door. Please make sure you hand your homework directly to me at one of my times above. Each week the absolute last time to hand in your homework is at 2:50 pm on Tuesdays in my tutoring room hours.

We'll use a 0-10 score for grading your homework. You can earn partial credit if you work hard on a problem but don't get the right answer.

It is very important that you follow the instructions written in the cover sheet (see *.pdf file in the web page) about paper size, stapling, information to be filled in and due times. Problem sets that do not adhere to those requirements will not be graded. I suggest printing out a copy of the cover sheet and making about 9 or 10 copies. Homework will not be accepted without a cover sheet stapled to the front.

Doing the homework problems will help you do well in the course. So far, we haven't figured out a way of inserting directly into your brains the tools you need to solve differential equations using, for example, a memory card extension (not yet!). So for now we teach you the theory and work out many examples during class and discussion sections. If you do the exercises on the homework you will learn the tools and you will have them available any time you need them (e.g. exams).

If you need my help you are welcome to come to me during the hours I am available, or make an appointment by e-mail. See my contact information in the syllabus or at the end. Finally, the most important thing to keep in mind:

"Never regard study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn."
Albert Einstein

Good luck!

Seb

Contact information:

email: smarotta@math.bu.edu
Office: MCS B44
Phone: 617-353-9547
Office hours: Mondays 11-12 and Tuesdays 1-2.
Tutoring room (MCS 144) hours: Tuesdays 2-3.