Math 2584, Section 004

Spring 2024

Information on this syllabus is subject to change. Any updates will be posted to this site. In particular, any required changes in course delivery, such as transition to remote delivery only, may necessitate significant modifications to this syllabus.

Important dates

Useful documents and links

• Professor Barton's notes on inverse functions, trigonometry, and exponentials (PDF file)
• Some direction field and phase plane plotters:
  • Professor Barton's direction field plotter
  • Professor Barton's phase plane plotter
  • http://www.directionfield.com/. A very simple direction field plotter; this one will work on the iPad. Beware: this one is very finicky about its input. (For example, you must type "3*x" and not "3x", and "pow(x,2)" and not "x^2".)

Course Information

Course Description: First and second order ordinary differential equations, the Laplace transform, and matrix systems of ordinary differential equations.

Prerequisites: MATH 2564 or 2564C (Calculus II) with a grade of C or better, and in particular differentiation and integration techniques as applied to polynomial, rational, exponential, and trigonometric functions. Some familiarity with matrices will be helpful; the basic operations on vectors and matrices (addition, subtraction, multiplication by a matrix, multiplication by a scalar, and finding eigenvalues) will be reviewed in class. MATH 2574 (Calculus III) and MATH 3083 (Linear Algebra), especially the concept of linear dependence and independence, are helpful but not required.

Text: WebAssign access for Differential Equations with Boundary-Value Problems, 9th Edition, by Dennis G. Zill, Cengage Learning. This access includes an electronic version of the textbook. Registration instructions may be found here.

All students registered for this class should have automatically been charged for and provided with WebAssign access as part of the University's Inclusive Access program. Do not opt out of WebAssign access, as this is the only way for us to grade your homework, which comprises 10% of your grade and is the best possible preparation for the exams. If you have accidentally opted out of WebAssign access, please fill out this form to request reactivation of your account.

Drill Sessions: Attendance in your drill section is required, and you must attend the section in which you are enrolled. Drill sessions are led by the course assistants and meet once every week, including the first week. In drill sessions you will normally complete laboratory assignments in groups or prepare for exams.

Notetaking: To benefit the most from in-class attendance, careful note-taking is essential. You may not understand the material that you see in class the first time that you see it, but research shows that the act of physically writing down notes on what you see helps your brain to retain and process the new information that you are seeing. This also gives you a resource to review after class and when you are preparing for quizzes and exams. If you find yourself falling behind, feel free to ask me to pause.

Classroom etiquette: Students and instructors each have an important role in maintaining a classroom environment optimal for learning, and are expected to treat each other with respect during class, using thoughtful dialogue, and keeping disruptive behaviors to a minimum. Both students and faculty perceive abusive language directed towards others as the most disruptive behavior. Other behaviors that can be disruptive are chatting and whispering during class, the use of smartphones or laptops for texting or in other ways unrelated to the course, preparing to leave before class is over, and consistently arriving late to class. Inappropriate behavior in the classroom (whether in a lecture or a drill session) may result in a request to immediately leave the classroom and/or a referral to the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct.

Cell phones: Cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices may be used in class. The expectation is that these devices will be used for taking notes, routine calculations (i.e., calculator apps), accessing course materials, and other course-related uses only. Please do not text or play games in class!

Course grade: Here is how I plan to weigh your grades:

Attendance: Your presence and participation in class are crucial for your own success and the success of your fellow students.

1. The questions that you ask in class may be questions that your classmates hadn’t thought of or were afraid to ask.
2. The notes that you take in class will help you process the material that we are introducing and prepare for quizzes and exams.
3. The people sitting near you may be able to answer your questions in ways that are more helpful than my explanations, and you may be able to return the favor.
4. There is a large body of research supporting the importance of in-class engagement for success in class.

The University has a policy of mandatory class attendance. You are responsible for making timely arrangements with me to make up work missed. Such arrangements should be made in writing and prior to the absence when possible. I will require that you provide appropriate documentation for any absence for which you wish to be excused.

As per the university policy, examples of absences that should be considered excusable include those resulting from the following: 1) disabilities documented by the CEA (see below under “Accommodations”); 2) illness of the student, 3) serious illness or death of a member of the student’s immediate family or other family crisis, 4) University-sponsored activities for which the student’s attendance is required by virtue of scholarship or leadership/participation responsibilities, 5) religious observances, 6) jury duty or subpoena for court appearance, and 7) military duty.

Homework: The online homework for this class will be found at Webassign (also accessible through the WebAssign link in the sidebar in Blackboard) and comes primarily from the text Differential Equations with Boundary-Value Problems, 9th Edition, by Dennis G. Zill, Cengage Learning. All students registered for this class should automatically be charged for and provided with WebAssign access as part of the University's Inclusive Access program. This includes access to an electronic version of the textbook.

Online homework will be assigned based on each day's lecture and is normally due at 11:59 p.m. six days later. Certain assignments may be given extra time to allow study time for the midterm exams. No online homework scores are dropped.

WebAssign has been configured to allow you to request extensions for two weeks after the assignment is due; extensions carry a 30% late penalty. WebAssign is an automatic grading system, and thus deadlines are very rigid (that is, an assignment turned in at 12:00 is still penalized as late). Do your homework well in advance of the deadline!

Group projects: Group projects will be done in drill sections every week (except exam weeks). There will be no makeup group projects. Calculators will be allowed on group projects. Your lowest score (or two scores) will be dropped.

Due to the inclement weather the first week of the semester, Group Project 1 will not be graded; Group Projects 2–11 will compose 15% of your grade.

Tests: There will be three midterms tests and a final exam. I plan to hold midterm exams during class time on the dates indicated in the calendar above. The final exam will occur in our regular classroom at the time indicated on the registrar's website.

Students may use non-graphing calculators and portable timepieces on exams. All other electronic devices, including watches that do anything other than tell the time and date, are prohibited.

As homework for this course is assigned through WebAssign, exam and group project grading will stress clarity of exposition and other stylistic issues that cannot be assessed by a computer. Expect to see lots of questions that require full sentences as answers.

Accommodations: If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact me privately at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. If you require accommodations on an exam, you must contact me at least one week before the exam is to be held.

Please note, for significant accommodations (such as extra time on exams) you must first verify your eligibility through the Center for Educational Access (contact 479–575-3104 or visit http://cea.uark.edu for more information on registration procedures). Some accommodations must be fulfilled using the CEA's resources. Minor accommodations (such as large print exams) are available to any student who requests them in a timely fashion.

Make-up exams: Make-up exam requests also require written documentation as to your conflict. Except in the case of medical or other unforeseen emergencies, make-up exam requests must be made at least one week before the exam is to be held. Make-up exams are at the instructor's discretion; if you do not provide a documented reason why you cannot take the exam at the usual time, if your reason is considered inadequate, or if your request for a make-up exam is not made in a timely fashion, I reserve the right to refuse a make-up exam or to assess a late penalty (deduction from your score).

If you have three or more final exams scheduled for the same date, then under University policy you are entitled to reschedule one of your finals. If you wish to reschedule the final for our class, please notify me by email before the registrar's withdrawal deadline, and I will arrange for you to take a make-up final later in the week.

Make-up exams will be taken in the Mathematics Testing Center maintained by the MRTC. You will be allowed to take your exam on the scheduled exam date at any time when the Testing Center is open. You must finish your exam before the Testing Center closes; it is your responsibility to arrive early enough to allow this to happen.

Inclement weather policy: Class will meet unless the University is closed. On-campus students are expected to be present. Off-campus students should make their own decisions in the best interest of personal safety. Off-campus students will not be penalized for being absent on those days the Fayetteville Public Schools are closed due to weather.

If the University is closed due to inclement weather, our class will default to synchronous distance instruction; that is, I will deliver a lecture over Zoom. Students are encouraged to log in to Zoom and participate in lecture in real time (so that they may ask clarifying questions as necessary); however, a recording of the Zoom lecture will also be made available through Blackboard for any student unable to participate over Zoom.

If the University is closed due to inclement weather, office hours will be held over Zoom unless the instructor is without electricity or internet access.

If the University is closed on a day an exam is scheduled, the exam will be rescheduled to the first succeeding class period during which the University is open. A standard lecture covering new material will be held over Zoom, as described above, to make up the material that would have been covered on the new exam date.

If attendance is severely affected by weather, deadlines and exam dates may be adjusted. Please do not call the Department of Mathematical Sciences with weather-related inquiries. You may contact me for information.

Video recordings: Students are allowed to record lectures for their own use. In addition, if the University is open but the weather is severe, a Zoom meeting will be opened during class so that students may participate remotely in real time.

By attending this class, the student understands the course is being recorded and consents to being recorded for official university educational purposes. Be aware that incidental recording may also occur before and after official class times. Recordings may include personally-identifiable comments submitted to the chat stream during class.

Unauthorized Use of Class Recordings: These recordings may be used by students only for the purposes of the class. Students may not download, store, copy, alter, post, share, or distribute in any manner all or any portion of the class recording, (e.g. a 5-second clip of a class recording sent as a private message to one person is a violation of this provision). This provision may protect the following interests (as well as other interests not listed): faculty and university copyright; FERPA rights; and other privacy interests protected under state and/or federal law. Unauthorized recording, or transmission of a recording, of all or any portion of a class is prohibited unless the recording is necessary for educational accommodation as expressly authorized and documented through the Center for Educational Access with proper advance notice to the instructor. Unauthorized recordings may violate federal law, state law, and university policies. Student-made recordings are subject to the same restrictions as instructor-made recordings. Failure to comply with this provision will result in a referral to the Office of Student Standards and Conduct for potential charges under the Code of Student Life. In situations where the recordings are used to gain an academic advantage, it may also be considered a violation of the University of Arkansas’ academic integrity policy.

Grade Disputes: The instructor is committed to keeping students informed of their standing in the class. Scores on all graded items will be posted in a timely manner. Students are expected to bring any possible errors to the attention of the instructor within one week of posting. This maintains an accurate grade record throughout the semester. All scores posted before Reading Day will be deemed accurate unless a possible error is brought to the attention of the instructor before the scheduled final exam.

Incompletes: Only given in extreme circumstances, and only when the student has satisfactorily completed all but a small portion of the work in the course. Students must make prior arrangements with the professor well before the end of the semester.

Academic Integrity: As a core part of its mission, the University of Arkansas provides students with the opportunity to further their educational goals through programs of study and research in an environment that promotes freedom of inquiry and academic responsibility. Accomplishing this mission is only possible when intellectual honesty and individual integrity prevail. Each University of Arkansas student is required to be familiar with and abide by the university’s ‘Academic Integrity Policy’ at http://honesty.uark.edu/policy/index.php. Students with questions about how these policies apply to a particular course or assignment should immediately contact their instructor.

Unauthorized Websites or Internet Resources: There are many websites claiming to offer study aids to students, but in using such websites, students could find themselves in violation of our University’s Academic Integrity and Code of Student Life policies. These websites include (but are not limited to) Quizlet, Bartleby, Course Hero, Chegg, and Clutch Prep. The U of A does not endorse the use of these products in an unethical manner. These websites may encourage students to upload course materials, such as test questions, individual assignments, and examples of graded material. Such materials are the intellectual property of instructors, the university, or publishers and may not be distributed without prior authorization. Furthermore, paying for academic work to be completed on your behalf and submitting it for academic credit is considered ‘contract cheating’ per the Academic Integrity Policy. Students found responsible for this type of violation face a grading penalty of ‘XF’ and a minimum one-semester academic suspension per the University of Arkansas Sanction Rubric. Please let us know if you are uncertain about the use of a website.

Intellectual Property: Notes, review material, exams, quizzes, videos or other learning material used in this class are the intellectual property of the instructor. Selling or freely sharing this content in electronic or written form is a violation of intellectual property rights and also constitutes a violation of the University’s academic integrity policy. Your continued enrollment in this class signifies your understanding of and your intent to abide by this policy. There are severe consequences for sharing class content online.

Emergency Procedures: Many types of emergencies can occur on campus; instructions for specific emergencies such as severe weather, active shooter, or fire can be found at https: //safety.uark.edu/emergency-preparedness/.

Health and wellness: https://catalog.uark.edu/generalinfo/studentaffairs/#healthcentertext