Jeffery J. Leader's MA 436 Page

Introduction to Partial Differential Equations

Introduction to Partial Differential Equations is a course in applied analysis. It treats the central problem of applied mathematics--understanding and using the fundamental partial differential equations of mathematical physics that describe heat conduction, diffusion, fluid flow, wave phenomena, fields, potentials, and so on--from an analytical viewpoint. In addition to learning how to specify, classify, and solve PDEs, students will learn how to analyze problems that are not amenable to exact solution in order to determine what qualitative properties the solutions possess: smoothness, sensitivity to initial and boundary conditions, growth rates and limiting values, and so on.

Animation of the changing temperature T(x,y,t) of a thin plate, found by solving a heat equation of the form T_t=K(T_xx+T_yy).

Physical problem of solving for the temprature u(x,y,t) of a metal bar leading to a heat equation of the form u_t=Ku_xx.

The prerequisite is MA366 Functions of a Real Variable.

Maintainer: leader@rose-hulman.edu.