Webpage for MA 231 Honors Differential Equations

Webpage for MA 231 Honors Differential Equations, Fall 2025

Course Information

Lecturer: Ryan Goh
Lectures: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:20pm-1:10pm; PSY B37
Discussion: Wednesday 10:10 am-11:00am; CAS 218
Office Hours : Tuesday 10:30 - 12:30pm
Wednesday 1:30-2:30pm
or by appointment (please provide your availability when requesting an appointment).
Syllabus: HTML here
Textbook: "Differential Equations," by Blanchard, Devaney, Hall, 4th edition; ISBN 978-1133109037. A copy is available on reserve at the BU science & engineering library. It may also be helpful to obtain a copy of the DE tools software that comes with the textbook, this can be downloaded for free on the publishers website . Note you will need Java Runtime 8 to run this software. Amazon Coretto 8 seems to work best. See also this link


  • Additional Reference: "Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering," by Steven H. Strogatz, Second Edition. An online copy of the textbook can be found via the BU library here.

    Homework

    All assignments must be uploaded via the Gradescope application which can be accessed in Blackboard under the tab "Homework Turn-In." See these links for guidelines and an example of a homework solution. Problems only listed in the "Assignment" category should be turned in. Homeworks are due each Friday at 5pm.

    See the aforementioned guideline document for how to compose your homeworks and submit them. There you will also find links on how to scan/upload and submit them using Gradescope. The suggested exercises are not to be turned in.

    Due Date Reading Assignment Suggested problems
    9/3 HW 1: On a piece of paper, write out what you hope to get out of this class and how you wish to use it going forward, then scan and submit it via Gradescope. This will help me calibrate lectures and help you get acquainted with Gradescope. Any assigment uploaded by the due date will be given full credit. Pg. 14-18 1.1: #1,3,5,7,
    Pg. 33-36 #1,3,5,7,25
    Pg. 47-48 #1,3,9
    9/17 HW 2: Section 1.1, 1.2,1.3 Pg. 14-18 #12;
    Pg. 33-36 #2, 40, 43
    Pg. 47-51 #19
    		Pg. 14-17 #1,3,5,7,
    Pg. 33-36 #1,3,5,7,25
    Pg. 47-51 #1,3,9, 15, 16,
    9/24 HW 3: Section 1.3,1.4, 7.1,7.2, 1.5 Pg. 47-51 #14, ;
    Pg 61-63 #6,11
    Pg. 644 #4,
    Pg. 654 #11
    Pg. 72-73 #6,8;
    		 Pg. 47-51 #13, 17,21,;
    Pg 61-63 #1,3,5,11,19;
    Pg. 644 #1, Pg. 671 Lab 7.1 Pg. 72-73 #1,5,7,8,11, 13,17;
    10/1 HW 4: Section 1.6,1.7,1.8,1.9 Pg. 89 - 93 #40
    Pg.106 -107 #12, 14, 20;
    Pg. 121 - 124 #22 ;
    Pg. 133 - 134 #10;
    		 Pg. 89-93 #1,5, 7,9,13,17, 19,21,29,31,33, 39,43;
    Pg 106-107 #1,3,5,7,9,11,13, 15,17,19;
    Pg. 121 - 124 #1,3,5, 7,9,11,16, 17, 19-22,25,29;
    Pg. 133 - 134 #1,6,9,15,19;
    10/15 HW 5: Section 2.1, 2.2,2.3,2.4, Pg. 161 - 166 #8,10-12;
    Pg. 178 - 183 #12,
    (Note: use the links/codes posted on blackboard, or another phase plane plotter for problems which ask you to plot solutions using DETools/HPGSystemSolver) Pg. 194-195 #13; Pg. 202-204 #4
    Pg. 208 - 209 #2
    See Gradescope for an additional problem about your pet system     		Pg. 161 - 166 #1-4,7,9,15,16,20,21,22,23,24; Pg. 178 - 183 #1-6,7,10,11,15,19,21,23,25;
    Pg. 187-188 #1,3,5,9,10
    Pg. 194-195 #5,7, 9,11;
    Pg. 202-204 #3,5,7;
    Pg. 208 - 209 #1,3-5,9,11
    10/22 HW 6: Section 3.1 - 3.3 Pg. 258-264 20,24,34;
    Pg. 277-280 2,6,14, 16, ;
    Pg. 293- 296 2,4,12; Combine the problems of 3.3 which correspond to 3.2 problems, they will be graded together     		Pg. 258-264 1-4,6-8,12,15,17, 20-23,25, 26,31,33,35;
    Pg. 277-280 1-8,11,14,17,18, 21,23;
    Pg. 293-296 1-9,12;27
    10/29, HW 7: Section 3.4,3.5,3.7,3.8,5.1 Pg. 310-314 6,12 (graded together)
    Pg. 327-330 2,6 (graded together)
    Pg. 358-360 4
    Pg. 374 18
    Pg.472-477 4,8
    		Pg. 310-314 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,19,21, 23
    Pg. 327-330 4,8,10-13,16,17-19,20-23
    Pg. 358-360 3,9,10,12,13
    Pg.472-477 1,2,11,13,17,20,22
    11/5 HW 8: Section 5.1,5.2,5.3,5.4 Pg.472-477 16, 18,19
    Pg 487 - 490 6,14,
    Pg 503 - 508 2, 4, 5,7,8
    		 Pg.472-477 1,2,11,13,17,20,22
    Pg 487 - 490 1,5,7,13,21,22
    Pg 503 - 508 1,3,11,13,15
    11/14 HW 9: Section 3.6, 4.1, 4.2,4.3 Pg. 342-346 38
    Pg. 399-402 20
    Pg. 412-414 4,
    Pg. 424-426 4, 16
    		Pg. 342-346 13-28,39,30
    Pg. 399-402 9,11,13,15,25,27, 28
    Pg. 412-414 5-9,15,16,17,21,22
    Pg. 424-426 12,15,16,21
    11/19 HW 10: Section 4.R, 6.1 Pg. 449-451 7, 10, 24
    Pg. 577-578 2,18
    		Pg. 449-451 1 - 10, 23, 27
    Pg. 577-578 1,3,7,9,11,13,15,17,23,25
    11/25 HW 10: Section 6.2,6.3,6.4 Pg. 585 - 587 16,18,20
    Pg. 599-601 28
    Pg. 608 - 609 6
    		Pg. 585 - 587 2,1 - 19 odd, 20
    Pg. 599 - 601 1 - 33 odd,22,
    Pg. 608 - 609 1-9 odd,10

    Midterm and Final Project Information

    There will be two in-class written midterms, tentatively scheduled for Friday, October 3rd and Friday, November 7th during the regular lecture time. It will consist of problems simular to practice problems, homework problems and examples discussed in class. The specific material covered on the exam will be outlined a week or two before the exam. There will be an in-person final exam during finals week. More detail will be forthcoming and please do not schedule your end-of-semester travel until the date and time is confirmed. See the BU final matrix for the tentative time, Wednesday, December 17th, 12:00pm-2pm . The problems will be roughly similar to examples done in class and in homework. The use of the internet or other resources, unless explicitly mentioned, will not be allowed. You must do the exam on your own and will not be allowed to communicate with others about it.

    Grades

    Your course grade will be based on your Homework scores (25% - two lowest scores dropped), Semester Project (20%), Midterm (15% each ), Final Exam (25%) See the syllabus for guidance on how the homework problems will be graded. Records for assignment grades will be kept on Gradescope and the course blackboard website.

    Additional References, papers, and example codes mentioned in class will be posted on the course blackboard page

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