MATH 453
Partial Differential Equations Spring 2015
Division III Quantative/Formal Reasoning
This is not the current course catalog

Partial differential equations are often used to model the most basic natural phenomena. Examples include the flow of liquids, the spread of heat and the radiation of electromagnetic waves. These type of equations have lead to advances such as the prediction of radio waves, the discovery of the special theory of relativity and are essential to the theory of quantum mechanics. In this course we will introduce the theory of partial differential equations. A special focus will be on three classical equations: the wave equation, the Laplace equation and the heat equation. Classical techniques and theorems will be covered such as the Method of Characteristics, the Cauchy-Kovalevski Theorem and Fourier Transform techniques.