This course was offered during the Spring 2015 semester at Harvard University by Professor Michael Brenner and Dr. Sabetta Matsumoto.
This course was offered during the Spring 2015 semester at Harvard University by Professor Michael Brenner and Dr. Sabetta Matsumoto.
Section 1 - Constructing exact solutions for first-order ODE's; solution for ODE's using dominant balance; using MATLAB to see how solutions behave.
Section 2 - Exact solutions for linear second-order ODE's; linear dependence/independence; more dominant balance.
Section 3 - Method of undetermined coefficients solving for in-homogeneous second order differential equations; characterizing qualitative behavior of ODE through fixed points and phase planes.
Section 4 - Finding fixed points; characterizing stability; determining nullclines; and piecing everything together to sketch dynamics in phase plane.
Section 5 - Using power series approach to solve ODE's with variable coefficients; solve an eigenvalue problem; learn to expand in Fourier series.
Section 6 - Convergence of Fourier series and the Gibbs phenomenon; solving Sturm-Liouville problem.
Section 8 - Solving Laplace equation; deriving the diffusion equation from random walkers; solving the diffusion equation.
Section 9 - Solving diffusion equation with in-homogeneous boundary conditions; dealing with diffusion equation in polar/spherical coordinates; solving the wave equation.
Section 10 - Thinking qualitative about solutions to PDE's combining: ODE's with advection, ODE's with diffusion, and advection with diffusion; dealing with separation of variables in three dimensions.