We will meet Monday and Wednesday from 12-2 PM in Dwinelle 109, and Tuesday and Thursday from 12-1 PM in the same room. There will also be office hours Mon 10-11 AM, Wed 2-3 PM and Tues/Thurs 1:30-2:30 PM in Evans Hall, room 787. We are a summer-session C class, and hold the above times from June 22nd to August 14th unless otherwise stated. The only holiday during our summer session is Friday, July 3rd (outside of usual class time).
Attendance is expected but not graded, except for dates of exams. Grades typically reflect attendance, so if you plan to miss a large amount of class, please reach out so we can ensure you can maintain coursework.
For this course, you will need Math 53 and Math 54. In particular, you should be comfortable with ordinary differential equations and multivariable/repeated integration. Math 104 will be useful, but is not required. There are some points in the course that require a small amount of analysis (Math 104 topics), but I will do my best to treat them in a way that may be understood without having seen the concepts before. Our first week will also tackle some of these concepts.
We will use David Borthwick's Introduction to Partial Differential Equations (2016, Springer DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48936-0) available from the UCB Library Proxy. Some homework problems will be taken from the text.
Other useful texts include Walter Strauss' Partial Differential Equations: An Introduction (1992, Wiley ISBN: 978-0-470-05456-7). An advanced student (who has taken a course or two in analysis) may also find interesting L.C. Evans' Partial Differential Equations, which lines up with Math 222A and 222B as taught in the 2024-2025 school year.
There will be weekly homeworks, assigned on Friday and due the following Friday except for the final week of the course (no homework will be due August 14th).
There will be 3 exams. The midterm exams will be on Thursday, July 9th and Tuesday, July 28th. Our final exam will be Thursday, August 13th. For exams with accomodations, students should schedule with DSP proctoring. For all exams, the DSP center asks students to register at least a week in advance, so please mark down dates and enter them into your portal as soon as possible.
The three exams will be equally weighted at 20% of the final grade, amounting to 60% total for exams. Homework will account for the remaining 40% of the course grade.
You are a member of an academic community at one of the world’s leading research universities. Universities like Berkeley create knowledge that has a lasting impact in the world of ideas and on the lives of others; such knowledge can come from an undergraduate paper as well as the lab of an internationally known professor. One of the most important values of an academic community is the balance between the free flow of ideas and the respect for the intellectual property of others. Researchers don't use one another's research without permission; scholars and students always use proper citations in papers; professors may not circulate or publish student papers without the writer's permission; and students may not circulate or post materials (handouts, exams, syllabi--any class materials) from their classes without the written permission of the instructor.
Any test, paper or report submitted by you and that bears your name is presumed to be your own original work that has not previously been submitted for credit in another course unless you obtain prior written approval to do so from your instructor. In all of your assignments, including your homework or drafts of papers, you may use words or ideas written by other individuals in publications, web sites, or other sources, but only with proper attribution. If you are not clear about the expectations for completing an assignment or taking a test or examination, be sure to seek clarification from your instructor or GSI beforehand. Finally, you should keep in mind that as a member of the campus community, you are expected to demonstrate integrity in all of your academic endeavors and will be evaluated on your own merits. The consequences of cheating and academic dishonesty—including a formal discipline file, possible loss of future internship, scholarship, or employment opportunities, and denial of admission to graduate school—are simply not worth it.
Anyone caught cheating on a quiz or exam will receive a failing grade and will also be reported to the University Office of Student Conduct. In order to guarantee that you are not suspected of cheating, please keep your eyes on your own materials and do not converse with others during the quizzes and exams.
Collaboration is allowed on homework assignments as mentioned above, with collaborators noted on the assignment. However, copying answers directly will not be tolerated.
If you need disability-related accommodations in this class, if you have emergency medical information you wish to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform me as soon as possible.
The purpose of academic accommodations is to ensure that all students have a fair chance at academic success. If you have Letters of Accommodations from the Disabled Students’ Program or another authorized office, please share them with me as soon as possible, and we will work out the necessary arrangements. While individual circumstances can vary, requests for accommodations often fall into the categories listed on the Academic Calendar and Accommodations website. The campus has well-developed processes in place for students to request accommodations, and you are encouraged to contact the relevant campus offices listed on the Academic Accommodations Hub. These offices, some of which are confidential, can offer support, answer questions about your eligibility and rights, and request accommodations on your behalf, while maintaining your privacy.