Math 2A Winter 2009 Home Page

Math 2A, Winter 2009 Home page

Green Sheet

Class 19, Mon., Mar. 23
We went over some material from appendix B, also the quiz problem #12 from section 5.2 in detail. In that problem the linearization at equilibrium point (0,2) does not work - see problem 17 from section 5.1, for another example of this, also the last page or two of section 5.1. The problem in this case is that y' has only higher order terms, no linear terms.

Please bring a brown, half-page scantron to the exam, it will be multiple choice. I'll build it from exams 1 and 2 plus new material. Also bring your homework, if you want homework credit.

Class 18, Wed., Mar. 18, 2009
We went over problems from section 5.2, and also sections 6.3 and 6.4.
Ch. 6.3: 15, 17, 27, 29, 31
Ch. 6.4: 3,5,7

Class 17, Mon., Mar. 16, 2009
We went over sections 6.1 and 6.2. We'll go over ch. 5 HW on Wednesday.
Here's a pretty good site on Laplace transforms which has you work simple problems as you go.
Ch 6.1, 1, 3, 7, 9, 15, 17
Ch. 6.2, 1-7 odd

Class 16, Mon., Mar. 9, 2009
We went over more of ch. 5.1, also ch. 5.2
Ch. 5.2: odd, 1-21
No class Wednesday, I'm out of town, but watch this space for another assignment!

Class 15, Wed., Mar. 4, 2009
We went over material from Appendices A and B, and also section 5.1.
Please turn in your moldy bread results by next Monday!
Here are some TI graphing calculator sites:
Data Analysis on the TI-86
This TI-86 site also explains clearly, and mentions logistic regression.
Another TI-86 site.
TI-83/84 site on data analysis.
Doing logistic regression with Excel.
App. B: 3,5,9,13,15
Ch. 5.1: 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 17, 23, 25,29

Class 14, Mon., Mar. 2
We went over rest of section 4.2 and also 4.3, and much of appendix 2.
Ch. 4.2: 1, 5, 9, 11, 13, 17
Ch. 4.3: 1, 3, 9, 21
Appendix A.1: 4,6,10

Please turn in your moldy bread results by next Monday!

Class 13, Wed., Feb. 25
Exam 2

Class 12, Mon., Feb. 23
We went over section 4.1, also a trace/determinant problem.
(Skip section 3.8)
Ch. 4.1 HW: 1,5,9,11,13,20,21

I have not had time to generate a "practice exam." The exam will cover sections 2.2 to 3.7, with approximately one problem per section. If I can, I'll offer more info here later tonight (Tues.)...

Class 11, Wed., Feb. 18
We went over sections 3.6 and 3.7.
Think about: what happens (in 3.7) if both T and D are 0?

Exam 2 will be on Wednesday, Feb. 25th.

Homework:
Ch. 3.6: 1,3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, 21, 23,36
Ch. 3.7: 2, 3, 5, 9, 11

Class 10, Wed., Feb. 11
We went over sections 3.4 and 3.5.
Here is a page of links to free math textbooks.
Here's one on differential equations, by Bob Terrell.
Here's the announcement about the mathematical plays about one-sidedness.
Here's a site with a free phase plane grapher, in Java.
Ch. 3.4: 1,3,5,915,17-20,22
Ch. 3.5: 1-7 odd,11,13,14,21,23
Turn in your bread mold report, if you are done!

Class 9, Mon., Feb. 9
We went over section 3.32 and part of 3.4, also some basic info on complex numbers from Appendix C in the back of the book.
Ch. 3.3 HW: 1,3,9,11,13,17,23

Class 8, Wed., Feb. 4
We went over the rest of Ch. 3.1 and also Ch. 3.2.
Ch. 3.1 HW: 31,32,35 (these are additional problems for 3.1)
Ch. 3.2 HW: 1,3,11,13,15,17,19,21
If your bread is finished molding, you may turn in your report (see below for a description of what you must include).
See also Lab 1.2 at the end of chapter 1, which is like your assignment.

Class 7, Mon., Feb. 2
We got exam 1 back, also went over 2.4, 2.5, and part of 3.1.
How is your moldy bread doing?
Here's an intro to chaos theory. Best introductory book on this is probably James Gleick's Chaos: Making a New Science.
Here's a nice animation of the Lorenz equations.
Ch. 2.4 HW: 1 (use a spread sheet of other technology), 3,7
Ch. 2.5 HW: 1
Ch. 3.1 HW: 1,7,14,15

Class 6, Wed., Jan. 28
We went over sections 2.2 and 2.3
Ch. 2.2 HW: 3,7,11,14,17,21
Ch. 2.3 HW: 4,5-12,13,15

Class 5, Mon., Jan. 26
We went over homework and also section 2.1 and part of 2.2.
Ch. 2.1 HW: 1-6, 9-14,19
First exam is on Wednesday, and will go thru section 2.1

Class 4, Wed., Jan. 21
We went over homework, did a bifurcation problem as a quiz, and went over section 1.8 and (briefly) 1.9.
Ch. 1.8 HW: 3,6,9,12,15,1821,33
Ch. 1.9 HW: 1,4,7,10,13,15
The error at the end of class was actually due to a missed minus sign, ah well...

Class 3, Wed., Jan. 14
No class Monday, Martin Luther King Day.
We went over sections 1.5, 1.6, and 1.7
Ch. 1.5 HW: 1,9,18
Ch. 1.6 HW: 1,4,6,13,16,18,23,30,31,37,45
Ch. 1.7 HW: 1,3,7,911,15,16
We'll probably have some type of quiz on Wednesday on phase lines, etc.
I might check HW during the quiz too!

Class 2, Mon., Jan. 12
We went over HW from 1.1, and went over sections 1.3, 1.4, and start of 1.5.
Ch. 1.3 HW: 1,4,7,9,11,14,16,24
Ch. 1.4 HW: 1,5,14,20

Class 1, Wed., Jan. 7
We went over sections 1.1 and 1.2.
I will upload the instructions for the "Moldy Bread" experiment shortly.
Ch. 1.1 HW: 1,4,6,11-14,20
Ch. 1.2 HW: 3,6,7,15,23,29,34,35

Here's a reference to the article on vampire mathematics that got some media attention.
It covers ghosts and zombies too!

Here are the instructions for the moldy bread experiment:

Take a slice of bread, sprinkle with a half-bottle-capful of water, enclose in a small plastic bag, and store in a lighted place.

1. Measure amount of mold at 24 hour intervals using the grid handed out in class.
2. To determine the amount of mold, count squares if more than 1/2 the square contains mold.
3. Use the transparent grids handed out, 1/5 inch by 1/5 inch squares.
4. Record approximate temperature conditions (room temp, variable temperature, etc.)
5. Record light exposure ( try to use placement in daylight)
6. Record amount of water used, suggested amount is 1/2 water bottle cap.
7. Record brand of bread used.
8. Record type of water used (tap water, bottled water, etc.)
9. Record the volume/dimensions/depth of the bread.
10. Record the bread age.
11. Take photos (if desired)
12. Record the length of experiment (at least two weeks)
13. At end of experiment (to be determined, probably about two weeks), write a report with numerical data, graph (% area of mold vs. time), the information specified above, and an equation approximating the data.