MATH 334 Ordinary Differential Equations A Great and Enjoyable Class!!!! WELCOME

South America

Education and Experience EDUCATION Bs, Ms Universidad Central de Venezuela (Caracas, Venezuela) PhD Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, New York) TEACHING AND RESEARCH Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1 year) Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois (2 years) Universidad Central de Venezuela (10+ years) New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey (1 year) Brigham Young University (6 years)

Education and Experience At BYU, I have taught: Math 334. Ordinary Differential Equs. Math 311. Num. Analysis Math 214. Multivariable Calculus. Math 511. Num. Soln. Of Partial Diff. Equs Math 343. Elementary Linear Algebra Math 521. Methods in Applied Mathematics Research interest: Numerical and Asymptotic Methods Applied to Linear and Nonlinear Partial Differential and Integral Equations Wave Propagation: Acoustic, Electromagnetic, and Elastic Scattering.

BYU Mission The mission of Brigham Young University founded, supported, and guided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is “To assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life. “

Pres. G. B. Hinckley 1992 This institution is unique. It is remarkable. It is a continuing experiment on a great premise that a large complex university can be first-class academically while nurturing an environment of faith in God and the practice of Christian principle. You are testing whether academic excellence and belief in the Divine can walk hand in hand. And the wonderful thing is that you are succeeding in showing that this is possible. Not only that it is possible, but that it is desirable and the products of this effort show in your lives qualities that are not otherwise attainable. BYU Devotional Oct 13, 1992

Syllabus

Homework You are strongly encouraged to work on homework problems everyday. You should be willing to put in at least three hours outside the classroom for each hour of class. Late homework won’t be accepted. To make up for this, your four lowest (Sections) homework grades will be dropped

Exams The best way to prepare for the exams is to go over the homework problems and the examples worked in class (they constitute your best study guide) and then try to solve related problems that you haven’t seen before. If you can reach the point where you can do fresh problems without help in all sections, I can anticipate that you will be able to successfully solve all problems on the midterms and final exam.

Levels of Learning Level 1: Remember. Level 2: Understand. Level 3: Apply Level 4: Analyze Level 5: Evaluate Level 6: Create

Learning at the University Level High School Level Reproduce Class Class is everything Instructor programs students Almost no readings Slow-paced style University Level Apply what is learned to new situations Much learning occurs outside classroom Instructor guides students Read for comprehension. Many hours. Fast-paced style

Teaching and Learning Mathematics Mathematics can be learned only by doing. Don’t expect to read mathematics the way you read a novel. If you zip through a page in less than an hour you are probably going too fast. Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler

Test Difficulty Challenging but possible tests. From the syllabus: “ If you are able only to do problems similar to those you have seen before, you are doing an average work. To earn a better grade, you need to understand the theory and different techniques for solving Differential Equations, and be able to solve new and interesting problems”

Test Difficulty (cont.) Best advice: 1 Corinthians 10:13 …God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Application to Math 214 …God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tested above that ye are able; but will with the exam also make a way for you to study hard, that ye may be able to obtain a good grade.

Motivation to Learn Love of Learning “The more I consider what learning is, the more I see it as a sacred privilege, an act of wonder. I believe that when we are learning we feel most alive. When we are learning we feel closest to God” Russ Osguthorpe, 1996

My Challenge Love of Learners “If we want to influence learners for good, we should not merely love to teach; we should love each person we teach.” Teaching, No greater Call, 1999

Pres. G. B. Hinckley Here we are doing what is not done in any other major university of which I am aware. We are demonstrating that faith in the almighty can accompany and enrich scholarship in the secular. It is more than an experiment. It is an accomplishment.