An integral part of the new course will be its laboratory component: You will participate in in-class computer experiments and will regularly write outside-of-class laboratory reports!

---

• Instructor. Dr. H. Knaust, Bell Hall 219, tel. 747-7002,
  e-mail: helmut@math.utep.edu,
  

• Office Hours. MWF 10:30-11:30, or by appointment.

• Other Help.
  • Visit our department's S.O.S. Mathematics web site at the URL: http://www.math.utep.edu/sosmath
  • The Tutoring and Learning Center, located on the third floor of the UTEP Library, tel. 747-5366, offers free tutoring.
    

• Textbook. Blanchard, Devaney and Hall, Differential Equations. Preliminary Edition. PWS, Boston. The textbook is required at all class meetings, and the parts covered in class are intended to be read in full.

• Prerequisites. The instructor will assume that you have a thorough knowledge of the material covered in your Precalculus and your first two Calculus courses. In particular, it is essential that you are comfortable with techniques of integration and the method of partial fractions.

• Contents. The course will cover the following material:
  • Chapter 1.1-1.8 (4 weeks)
  • Chapter 2.1-2.6 (3 weeks)
  • Chapter 3.1-3.6 and Chapter 4.1 (5 weeks)
  • Chapter 8.1-8.4 (2.5 weeks)
  Parts of the remaining chapters will be covered as time permits.

• Graphing Calculators. You may use a calculator in class and on exams. Some programs for the TI-85 will be made available in class.

  ---

• Tests. Three tests will be given on the following dates:
  • Friday, February 13
  • Wednesday, March 11
  • Monday, April 13
  Each test counts 15% of your grade. Make-up tests will only be given under extraordinary circumstances, and only if you notify the instructor prior to the exam date.

• Laboratory Work. There will be regular laboratory team assignments. The written lab reports will be graded; each team member receives the same score. Your worst score will be dropped, the other lab report scores count a total of 15% of your grade.

• Homework. The instructor will regularly assign homework. Although the homework will not be collected or graded, it is essential for your success in this class that you diligently work all the homework problems. Homework will include reading assignments.

• Quizzes. There will also be some unannounced quizzes. Quiz problems will be identical to prior homework assignments and/or designed to check on your understanding of the assigned reading material. Your worst two quizzes will be dropped, the others will make up your quiz score, which accounts for 10% of your grade.

• Final. The final on Wednesday, May 6 at 10:00-12:45 is mandatory and comprehensive. It counts 30% of your grade.

  ---

• Fair Warning. The course's approach to differential equations is intended to be different. If you have had a differential equations course already you will probably find much that is unfamiliar and a very different emphasis on things you may think you know already. Be alert to this and remember that previous experience is unlikely to be enough to coast on. Treat each topic as if you were meeting it for the first time, and be alert to make sure you understand each day's material before the next class meeting.

• Time Requirement. It is expected that you spend an absolute minimum of six hours a week outside of class on solving homework problems, working on the lab assignments, reading the textbook and reviewing your class notes.

• Drop Policy. The drop policy at UTEP has changed! The class schedule lists Friday, March 6 as the last day to drop with an automatic "W". There will be no more faculty-initiated course drops. After the deadline, the instructor can only drop you from the course with a grade of "F". Consult the current Class Schedule, page 3, for details.

• Information on the Web.This syllabus and all home work assignments can be found on my homepage http://helmut.knaust.info.
  The laboratory assignments, some Mathematica files and some practice tests can be found at http://www.math.utep.edu/classes.