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11 votes
4 answers
879 views

Interesting examples of systems of linear differential equations with constant coefficients

In this paper, Gian-Carlo Rota wrote: A lot of interesting systems with constant coefficients have been discovered in the last thirty years: in control, in economics, in signal processing, even in ...
Michael Hardy's user avatar
35 votes
3 answers
3k views

What do we learn from the Wronskian in the theory of linear ODEs?

For a real interval $I$ and a continuous function $A: I \to \mathbb{R}^{d\times d}$, let $(x_1, \dots, x_d)$ denote a basis of the solution space of the non-autonomous ODE $$ \dot x(t) = A(t) x(t) \...
Jochen Glueck's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
540 views

Teaching profession:Differential Equations and Mean Value Theorems

Usually I teach Algebra,Algebra and Geometyry, Topology, at various University levels. This semester (Spring 2014) I have to teach Differential Equations to University second year students (4th ...
Al-Amrani's user avatar
  • 1,437
6 votes
1 answer
4k views

Examples of separable ordinary differential equations in economics

I'm currently teaching an integral calculus course for business students, and we're just about to discuss differential equations. They've worked hard, and I'd like to reward them with some economic ...
Gordon Craig's user avatar
  • 1,645
5 votes
3 answers
642 views

Looking for ideas concerning the teaching of lower-division differential equation courses...

I'm looking for problems/lessons plans that could be used in a lower-division differential equations course that involve discerning properties of solutions of an equation, IVP, or BVP, without looking ...
2 votes
4 answers
6k views

Undergraduate Derivation of Fundamental Solution to Heat Equation

It is well known that the 1-dimensional heat equation $$\frac{\partial}{\partial t} u(x,t)=a\cdot\frac{\partial^2}{\partial x^2} {u(x,t)}$$ has the fundamental solution $$K(x,t)=\frac{1}{\sqrt{4\pi a ...
vonjd's user avatar
  • 5,915