Instructor: Mikhail "Misha" Shvartsman
Email: mmshvartsman@stthomas.edu
Phone: (651) 962-5527
Fall
2026 Office Hours:
MWF 12:30 PM -
01:30 PM, Office: OSS 213
or by
appointment (office or zoom)
Introduction to Differential
Equations and Systems - MATH 210-01
Fall Semester - 2026
Section 01, CRN ##'s
41830, 10:55 AM - 12:00 PM, MWF, BEC LL03
Text: Differential
Equations, Fourth Edition, by Blanchard,
Devaney, and Hall, Brooks/Cole Cengage (2011), ISBN-13:
9781133109037
Website for the textbook is here
E-Book is delivered via "Course Materials" Tab on Canvas.
It may not be the
cheapest way to get the text. Explore other possibilities, just
make sure it is the
4th edition. If you get the book on your own, please opt
out of the
"Inclusive Access" option
Additional
online references for calculus are here and
here
Additional
reference to read about Differential Equations and their
applications in depth
is Applied Differential Equations by
David Logan, 3rd edition, 2015
Course
Contents -
Sections in Blanchard et al.:
1.1 - 1.4, 7.1 - 7.3, 1.5 - 1.9, 2.1 - 2.4,
2.7, 3.1 - 3.3, App. C, 3.4 - 3.6, 3.8, 4.1 -
4.3, 5.1 - 5.4, 6.1 - 6.4
Topics:
Mathematical Modeling
First-Order Differential Equations
Numerical Methods
First Order Systems
Complex Arithmetic
Linear Systems
Second-Order Differential Equations
Forcing and Resonance
Nonlinear Systems
Laplace Transform
How you
will be evaluated:
Online Homework
100 points
Quizzes
(16)
320 (20 points
each)
Two 60 minutes
Tests:
200 (100 points each)
120 minutes
Final
200 points
Total
Points:
820 points
The letter grade cutoffs are:
| A |
A- | B+ | B | B- |
C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | D- |
| 93% |
90% | 85% | 80% | 78% | 73% | 70% | 67% | 61% | 55% | 50% |
Important
dates for the semester, including the refund plan, can be
found here
IMPORTANT:
Online Homework is
available via
WeBWork and is
available (ONLY)
through Canvas here. Sections
have to be
completed by the
due dates
displayed on
Webwork. The list of the online homework numbers is
available here.
The corresponding
list (almost identical) of the
questions from the textbook will be
available here. The quizzes and tests
in our class will be generally based
on homework but will closer reflect
the related workshop during the class
before the quiz or test.
No calculators or any
other aids will be allowed during quizzes and tests.
In
case we need to review your personal work to improve
your grade or decide what skills you need to
work on, before completing the answers online, write
your solutions clearly and neatly and keep all
your completed homework well organized. And, keep all
your class notes and quizzes and tests with
your notes on reworking the problems.
WRITTEN HOMEWORK SETS
WILL NOT BE COLLECTED AND/OR GRADED
SINCE YOU SUBMIT HOMEWORK
ONLINE, BUT WRITING OUT SOLUTIONS
CAREFULLY IS A CRUCIAL COMPONENT OF
THE LEARNING PROCESS.
It
will force you to learn the material and will ensure
you do well on the tests and quizzes. Quizzes
and tests will
be generally based on
homework but will closer reflect the
related workshop during the class
before the quiz or test.
It may so happen that
some of the quizzes will be on topics not yet covered
in class but in that case you will be given clear
instructions on what sections you have to read and
what homework questions you have to work out.
I encourage you to discuss the homework with your
fellow students. Even if you collaborate on homework,
learn
to write your
own solutions as it gives you important
practice.
You must
strictly adhere to the UST policy of academic
integrity, see the details here
Selected Notes
and Mathematica
Notebooks will be put on Canvas
Mathematica is a helpful tool and is available (free of
charge for UST students) for download on your personal
computer. Please
follow the instructions here
Quizzes:
09/14, 09/18, 09/23, 09/28,
10/02, 10/07, 10/19,
10/23, 10/28, 11/04, 11/09, 11/13, 11/23, 11/30,
12/04, 12/09
Tests:
10/14,
11/18
Missing a quiz/exam: Do
not, if you can at all help it! If your ability to take an
examination is in doubt for any reason,
please consult me as early as possible. Contact me IN ADVANCE for absence due to sponsored
programs or illness
or emergency. Make-up exams and quizzes are not
given. For excused absences an
alternative grade computation
will be used; for unexcused absences the
quiz/exam score will be ZERO.
Comprehensive Final: Thursday, 12/17,
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM, BEC LL03
You are
strongly encouraged to read carefully sections to be covered in
class in advance.
It will greatly facilitate your work and it will save you time.
Note that not all the required material can be
covered
during the class meetings. It is your responsibility to fill up
the gaps if something is not clear to you.
You are welcome to come and see me during the office hours.
You should expect to work at least 3 hours outside the classroom for every hour in class.
Success can be
achieved only through combination of all three activities: Getting your guidance from
lectures,
reading the text, and, most importantly, working out the problems
by yourself, lots and lots of problems.
Some students complain that the text and/or lectures do not
prepare them to solve the problems on the test. It is,
indeed, the case. You will be prepared for the
tests and quizzes only if you do the homework
problems and
acquire skills of doing mathematics on your own. The
class lectures and presentations
are designed to give you guidance for your own work. Attending the
class and reading the text is necessary
but not sufficient to do well on the tests and
quizzes.
Tentative Schedule (subject to change):
| Monday |
Wednesday |
Friday
|
|
| Week 1 09/07 - 09/11 |
Labor Day |
Intro, 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Week 2 09/14 - 09/18 | 1.3, 1.4, Q#1 | 1.4, 7.1 |
7.1, Q#2 |
| Week 3 09/21 - 09/25 | 7.2 |
7.3, Q#3 | 1.5 - 1.7 |
| Week 4 09/28 -10/02 | 1.8, Q#4 | 1.9 |
2.1, Q#5, |
| Week 5 10/05 - 10/09 | 2.2, 2.3 |
2.4, Q#6 | 2.7, 3.1 |
| Week 6 10/12 - 10/16 | Indigenous Day | T # 1 | 3.2, 3.3 |
| Week 7 10/19 - 10/23 | 3.4, Q#7 | App. C | 3.4, Q#8 |
| Week 8 10/26 - 10/30 | 3.5 |
3.6, Q#9 | Mid Break |
| Week 9 11/02 - 11/06 | 3.8 | 4.1, Q#10 | 4.2 |
| Week 10 11/09 - 11/13 |
4.2, Q#11 | 4.3 |
5.1, Q#12 |
| Week
11 11/16 - 11/20 |
5.1 | T # 2 |
5.2 |
| Week 12 11/23 - 11/27 | 5.3, Q#13 | 5.4 | Thanksgiving |
| Week 13 11/30 - 12/04 | 6.1, Q#14 | 6.2, |
6.3, Q#15 |
| Week 14 12/07 - 12/11 | 6.3 | 6.4, Q#16 | Review |
| Week 15
12/14 - 12/18 |
Review | Final: TH, 12/17 | |
| Week 16 12/21 - 12/25 |
|
|