Differential Equations

by Paul Blanchard, Robert L. Devaney, Glen R. Hall

This is one of those rare texts that pioneers a new way of teaching a subject. It balances analytic, numeric, and graphical techniques. It emphasizes modeling, stresses qualitative theory throughout the course, uses technology significantly and consistently, presents linear and nonlinear systems in parallel, and includes an introduction to discrete models of dynamical systems. Throughout this text, technology is used as a tool for illustration, experimentation, and discovery. Using computer graphics as a tool, students investigate systems such as the Lorenz attractor, the double pendulum, and chaotic behavior in logistic models. Students will gain a greater conceptual understanding with this text's emphasis on interpretation, qualitative description, lab reports, and written explanations. This text grew out of the Boston University Differential Equations Project endowed in part by the National Science Foundation.

Genres: Mathematics, Textbooks, Reference, Nonfiction

736 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Paul Blanchard is an art historian, landscape architect and long-time Italy resident.

Reviews

[Greg Meyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is truly terrible. We can even put aside from the fact that it does not teach rather important skills in DiffEQ like the variation of parameters and more advanced separation of variables that are necessary for producing any closed form solution to the Schrodinger Equation, among others. The book fails when it does not teach the fundamental part of differential equations. When you are solving the equation, you are making a guess. But the "guess" is supported by a sort of pattern recognition, you see the form of the differential equation and know that it takes a certain form and WHY it takes a certain form. The book never teaches the principles behind this and, therefore, can never be a good guide to teaching differential equations because, while it focuses on qualitative problem solving, it can never achieve any sort of qualitative solution without knowing why these solutions take the form that they do. While a cookbook may be no better, the cookbooks at least usually answer the question as to why the differential forms are the way that they are.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors had some very humorous lines in this book that helped break up the drudge work of introducing yourself to the subject of differential equations.

[dead letter office · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually pretty great. Readable, and they focus on the right stuff (unlike the geriatric Boyce and DiPrima). Next time...