Math 246 Texts and Other Resources, Fall 2012

Required Resources

• Principle Texts:
  
  • Elementary Differential Equations, Ninth Edition
    William E. Boyce and Richard C. DiPrima
    J. Wiley and Sons, New York, 2009
    Hardcover: ISBN 978-0-470-03940-3 (new 217.85$ ouch!, used 172.10$ still ouch, best resale value)
    Paperback: ISBN 978-0-470-40404-1 (new 143$ ouch! --- cheaper used, good resale value)
    E-Book: ISBN 978-0-470-45710-8 (69.50$ better --- no resale value)
    Roughly, we will cover Chapters 1-4, 6-9.
    The optional ODE Architect CD is not required for the course!
    The optional WileyPLUS is not required.
    

    Alternative: The identical material is in Chapters 1-4, 6-9 of
    Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, Ninth Edition
    William E. Boyce and Richard C. DiPrima
    J. Wiley and Sons, New York, 2009
    Hardcover: ISBN 978-0-470-38335-3 (This can be a good deal if you find a used copy!)

  • Differential Equations with MATLAB, Third Edition
    Brian R. Hunt, Ronald L. Lipsman, John E. Osborn, and Jonathan M. Rosenberg
    J. Wiley and Sons, New York, 2012
    Paperback: ISBN 978-1-1183-7680-5 (64.95$ new --- best resale value, not available used because of new edition)
    Roughly, we will cover Chapters 1-11, 13-15.
    Do not buy the second edition! Its information about MATLAB is out of date!

  • The bookstore will sell you a "custom" unbound package that contains both books.
    Unbound: ISBN 978-1-1184-4379-8 (new 139.35$ --- not available used because of new edition)
    The unbound custom package has almost no resale value.

  To decide which is the better deal, you also have to know the buyback price.
  If you like keeping your textbooks then the bound books are the way to go.
  

• MATLAB Computer Program:
  
  • MATLAB Student Version R2012a is the most recent. .
    The Mathworks Inc., Natick, MA
    ISBN 978-0-9825-8383-8 (I am not sure of the bookstore price.)
    This software is available in most OIT WAM labs, so you do not have to buy it.
    Avoid versions R2008a through R2009b!

Other Resources

• Khan Academy videos on ordinary differential equations.
  These free on-line videos cover many (but not all) of the recipes in the first three quarters of the course.
  The explanations in some videos are much better than others. In some cases the optimal route to the solution is not shown.
  The website for each video has a forum in which you can ask questions. The answer you get may or may not be helpful.

• Paul's On-Line Notes on ordinary differential equations.
  These free on-line notes cover many (but not all) of the topics in our course.
  Some topics are treated better than others. In some cases the optimal route to the solution is not shown.
  For example, he uses direction fields on problems that are easier to do with phase-lines.

• Getting Started with MATLAB and Simulink Student Version, by Mathworks
  This is a free on-line set of tutorials.

• Chapter 1 of Numerical Computing with MATLAB, by Cleve Moler
  This is a good general introduction to MATLAB.

• MATLAB: An Introduction with Applications, Fourth Edition, by Amos Gilat
  J. Wiley and Sons, New York, 2011
  

• An Introduction to MATLAB for Engineers, by William J. Palm III
  McGraw-Hill, New York, 2010
  

• Getting Started with MATLAB, A Quick Introduction for Scientists and Engineers, by Rudra Pratap
  Oxford University Press, New York, 2009
  (There may be some differences between the MATLAB described in this book and versions 2009b or later.)

• Essentials of MATLAB Programming, Second Edition, by Stephen J. Chapman
  Cengage Learning, Stamford CT, 2009
  (This book covers more advanced material than is needed for this course.
  This is based on MATLAB 7. I do not know if it is current with version 2009b or later.)

• Department of Mathematics Undergraduate Resources Webpage

• Department of Mathematics Archive of Past Exams

• Tips for Doing Well in Math Classes