Overview

Instructor

Jeffrey Wong ( main site)

Email

jtwong at math dot duke dot edu

Office

Physics 029B

Office Hours

M11-12, F4-5 or by appointment

Lectures

TTh 4:40-5:55 (Physics 259)

Syllabus

Available here.

Textbook

Required: Haberman, Applied Partial Differential Equations with Fourier Series and Boundary Value Problems, 5th Edition.
Also suggested: Riley, Hobson and Bence, Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering: A Comprehensive Guide

Course Objectives

We will cover the essential analytical methods for solving linear partial differential equations and boundary value problems, with a focus on the types of problems that arise in the context of physical modeling and engineering. By the end of the course, you should be equipped with the knowledge and intuition required to solve and (more importantly) understand solutions to problems you may encounter in practice or in numerical simulation.

Prerequisites

The basics of Fourier series and ordinary differential equations (at the level of the typical undergraduate course). We will briefly review Fourier series at the start of the course. Comfort with the fundamental concepts of linear algebra (eigenvalues/vectors, linear operators and so on) is essential.

Grading

Your grade will be based on the following components:

• Weekly homework (see below)
• Two midterm exams
• A final exam

Note that the final grade will be based on a complete evaluation of your performance in the course; not just an average of the scores on each component.

Homework

• Homework will be assigned weekly, except before midterms and the final exam. Due dates will be listed on Sakai; typically one week after assigned.
• Homework should be turned in by the deadline to receive full credit (barring exceptional circumstances for extensions as per Duke policy). If you miss a deadline, you should still complete the homework and turn it in for feedback (this, more than the numerical score, is the point of the assignments!). The lowest homework score will be dropped, and it is expected that you may have some busy periods where you may focus on other priorities instead of completing all the problems by the deadline.
• Working and studying in groups is encouraged (you will get much more out of doing homework if you discuss it with others!). However, you should write your own solutions to each problem in your own words.
• Solutions should be complete arguments; the process by which you arrive at the solution is far more important than a correct answer.
• Solutions should be clearly readable and in the order of the assigned problems.

Ethics

Students are expected to follow the Duke Community Standard. If a student is found responsible for academic dishonesty through the Office of Student Conduct, the student will receive a core of zero for that assignment. If a student’s admitted academic shonesty is resolved directly through a faculty-student resolution agreement approved by the Office of Student Conduct, the terms of that ent will dictate the grading response to the assignment at issue.