BE5B01DEN: Syllabus

Instructor: Petr Habala
E-mail: https://math.fel.cvut.cz/en/people/habala/ (replace # with @)
Web page: http://math.feld.cvut.cz/habala/
Office: Jugoslávských partyzánů 3, 5nd floor.     Office hours: se the web page.

Textbook: 1. Epperson, J.F.: An Introduction to Numerical Methods and Analysis. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
2. Boyce W.E., DiPrima R.C. & Meade D.B.: Boyce's Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, John Wiley & Sons, 2017.
3. Instructor's web pages.

Course description: Standard introduction to ordinary differential equations: separable and linear ODEs, systems of linear ODEs. Basic numerical methods for solving typical problems: Integration, fanding zeros of functions, solving systems of linear equations.

Prerequisites: Calculus of one variable, essentials of more variables. Linear algebra, most of all systems of linear equations. Basic knowledge of Maple is helpful but not necessary.

Lectures will cover all material needed for passing the course. Attendance is not obligatory, but we highly recommend it. It is also highly recommended that you take with you printed slides.

Labs supplement lectures and help develop practical (and sometimes theoretical) skills, they should prepare students for exams. Attendance is obligatory, two absences are tolerated.
A midterm will be written during a lab. It can yield up to 20 points, 10 is the minimum for passing it. Any points over that count towards the final exam.

Homeworks are handed in in labs, where they serve as an indicator of presence. To have ten accepted homeworks is one of the requirements for zapocet (assessment).

Assesment (zapocet): Requirements: Active participation in labs, scoring at least 10 points from the midterm test and succesfully completing at least ten homeworks.

Final exam has two parts, a written test (obligatory) and an oral exam (optional). Only students with assessment (zápočet) will be admitted to the final exam.
Written test will consist of 4 problems for 20 points each, with 90 minutes allowed for solving them. One of them will require the use of computer. Sample exam with typical problems will be available.
Oral exam will look at theory, it can bring up to 10 points and allows students to improve their grade. It can be taken only by students who already passed the final based on their tests (see below). A typical oral exam asks for a proof of some statement, or a question testing understanding of concepts and definitions. Difficulty of the question depends on the grade that is to be reached and on how many points are needed for that.
If your oral exam performace is not satisfactory, you can still keep the grade corresponding to the points you earned in written tests.

Grading: The grade is based on three inputs. S is the points earned in the midterm decreased by 10, yielding a number from the range 0–10; P is points from the written test (range 0–80); and U is points from the optional oral exam (range 0–10). The grade is determined by the following algorithm:
1) If a student did not score at least 40 pts on the final written test, the student failed the exam.
2) Assume that a student scored at least 40 pts on the final written test. If the sum P + S is not at least 50, the student failed the exam.
3) Assume that a student scored at least 40 pts on the final written test and also P + S is at least 50. Then the student passed the exam, we set U = 0 and the student can try to improve this number at the oral exam. The grade is then determined by the total P + S + U according to the following key:
  50 –  59 pts: E
  60 –  69 pts: D
  70 –  79 pts: C
  80 –  89 pts: B
  90 – 100 pts: A
You have at most three attempts to pass the final exam, each is entirely independent (it is not possible to write the written test in one attempt and keep its score for a second attempt, just trying the oral). Repeating the exam is obvious in case you fail, but you can also refuse a grade when you are not happy with it, then you are assigned the grade F and you can try again (if you still have attempts left).

Tests (midterms and the final test) are subject to the following rules: No textbooks, notes, nor calculators are allowed. Cell phones must be switched off. Only permissible ways of acquiring information are permitted :-). You are provided sample tests that should make it clear what to expect from a test.

Advice: It is best to work throughout the semester. If you run into trouble, don't hesitate and approach me in my office hours, that's what they are for. I am also quite accessible through e-mail. Do not forget to check out the course webpage occasionally.