Contact Info
Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3G1
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 32700
Fax: 519-746-4319
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Offered every fall and spring term.
Brief description:
The course builds on AMATH 250, offering a deeper analysis of linear differential equations (DEs with non-constant coefficients, qualitative analysis and vector DEs), followed by an introduction to perturbation theory and to numerical methods. Applications are discussed throughout.
Prerequisites:
AMATH 250 (Introduction to ODEs) and MATH 237/247 (Calculus 3), or consent of the instructor.
Intended audience:
- AMATH 351 is a required course in all Applied Mathematics programs.
- AMATH 351 will benefit students who are interested in Scientific Computation (e.g. AMATH 342, Computational Methods for Differential Equations), since differential equations form the basis for many mathematical models that have to be investigated using computers.
- AMATH 351 will benefit students who are interested in the Mathematics of Finance (e.g. Pure Mathematics/Finance Option), since ordinary and partial differential equations are being applied in this area.
- AMATH 351 will benefit students in Actuarial Science & Statistics, since differential equations are used in these areas.
- AMATH 351 leads to fourth year courses in dynamical systems (AMATH 451) and control theory (AMATH 455). Most physical systems are described by nonlinear rather than by linear differential equations. Dynamical systems deals with this challenging topic, in which one soon encounters unsolved problems. Control theory is the process of influencing the behaviour of a physical system so as to attain a desired goal, and is based on differential equations.