WHY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS?
Why should I be interested in learning about differental equations? Many laws that govern the natural and technolgical world are relations (equations) involving rates (derivatives). Equations containing derivatives are . . .differential equations. So to investigate topics like fluids dynamics, circuits, heat transfer, populations changes, vehicle trajectories, seismic waves, machine dynamics, . . . for these I need to know something about differential equations? Correct. Are differential equations easy to solve? Some are. A great many are not. What is a “solution”, anyway? Solutions are functions. If they can be expressed symbolically, they are mathematical formulas. Otherwise they are curves. In this course will I learn how to solve all the differential equations that I will probably ever be interested in? Probably not. Too many equations, too little time. What the course CAN do is help you to become familiar with some powerful methods and tools that you can use to investigate many ki
