This is an introduction to ordinary differential equations. We describe the main ideas to solve certain differential equations, like first order scalar equations, second order linear equations, and systems of linear equations. We use power series methods to solve variable coefficients second order linear equations. We introduce Laplace transform methods to find solutions to constant coefficients equations with generalized source functions. We provide a brief introduction to boundary value problems, eigenvalue-eigenfunction problems, and Fourier series expansions. We end these notes solving our first partial differential equation, the heat equation. We use the method of separation of variables, where solutions to the partial differential equation are obtained by solving infinitely many ordinary differential equations.
4.0 out of 5 stars Weird page layout
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2020
What can I really say about a required textbook? It covers the material in a fairly clear way, has plenty of practice problems, no problem with content in general.However, the layout of the pages is kind of dumb. There is a very wide left margin on every page; on some pages, diagrams go in that spot, but on most pages it's just a big blank waste of space. I suppose a student could use it to make notes directly in the textbook but most people don’t deface their books that way, and the wide empty space means the actual content in the chapter is squished over to one side. Hard to look at and makes the textbook way thicker than it needs to be.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2020
What can I really say about a required textbook? It covers the material in a fairly clear way, has plenty of practice problems, no problem with content in general.
However, the layout of the pages is kind of dumb. There is a very wide left margin on every page; on some pages, diagrams go in that spot, but on most pages it's just a big blank waste of space. I suppose a student could use it to make notes directly in the textbook but most people don’t deface their books that way, and the wide empty space means the actual content in the chapter is squished over to one side. Hard to look at and makes the textbook way thicker than it needs to be.
4.0 out of 5 stars Weird page layout
By LegoGirl on June 15, 2020
What can I really say about a required textbook? It covers the material in a fairly clear way, has plenty of practice problems, no problem with content in general.
However, the layout of the pages is kind of dumb. There is a very wide left margin on every page; on some pages, diagrams go in that spot, but on most pages it's just a big blank waste of space. I suppose a student could use it to make notes directly in the textbook but most people don’t deface their books that way, and the wide empty space means the actual content in the chapter is squished over to one side. Hard to look at and makes the textbook way thicker than it needs to be.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2020
This bih was really useful and saved me in differential equations class. I’m an international student in US so I have a hard time understanding the teachers and they talk so fast. Bc of that I usually zone out in class a lot. But when i do my hw or study for an exam i just read the book and work out the problems. And i passed it with flying colours.
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2017
I thought the ebook version had webassign access code, it did not come with it. I'll just buy the physical book at my school.
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2018
Problems assigned in this textbook are obtusely difficult and the examples don't explain the steps taken to solve problems.
Even as a 3rd year 3.9gpa math student, this textbook assumed I know obscure
algebra and integrals I've never seen before to solve otherwise easy differential equations and problems.
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2017
no surprises that all I ask for
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2018
Garbage, totally useless and unintelligible. Don't buy!
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2021
The book does not have enough examples, and the examples that do exist in the book are usually skipping steps, and have gaps in logical thinking.
The author fails to tell readers of any assumptions or definitions upfront, instead he relies on you to magically understand after practicing a bunch of problems, which is hard to do when you don't know what you are doing.
The book truly is unintelligible, I could understand chicken scratch better than any of the chapters of this book, in particular with series solutions and phase portraits, of which the steps to drawing the actual phase portraits are never mentioned clearly, the author just sorta hints at the portrait and why it look the way it does.
To be honest, I find the 4 and 5 star ratings questionable, unless the people who used it were ONLY introducing themselves to differential equations, which is the only thing the book gets right. The author has no regard for the students who are learning differential equations and trying to understand its essence, and I know for a fact that although no diff. equat. book is perfect, this book is perhaps in the lowest tier out of all differential equations books. No person who is truly studious and trying to understand the concepts behind differential equations would use this book. The Dover, Wiley, and Pearson books are light years ahead of this one regarding conceptual explanation.
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2020
Follows Nagle's format yet without the clarity. Using an older edition of Nagle to learn differential equations for my class.
Book is so worthless that the Professor cannot even teach from the book. It is mandated by the department so they are stuck with it. Essentially, the more difficult the topic the more terse the explanation. The complete opposite of what should be done. Total laziness on the author's part. Insufficient examples and, because of this, problem sets are difficult to ascertain what is being asked for. Overpriced.