Good Day,
I hope you had a good summer. I am writing to those registered in MAT 418 and MAT 518. Classes begin in three weeks. So, I thought I would send an email to get you thinking about starting the semester on the right foot.
This course is about partial differential equations and the techniques used to study them. While many applications of PDEs arise in physics, there is a much broader range, including biology, chemistry, economics, differential geometry, complex analysis, etc. We will begin with generic equations in two dimensions and work our way to higher dimensions. We will also explore boundary value problems, vector spaces, special functions, Fourier series, and numerical methods. Hopefully, this will open the door to allow you to explore further topics.
The course website is at http://people.uncw.edu/hermanr/pde1/. I have updated the web site to get it ready for the Fall Semester. There are still a few things I need to review before it's official. Eventually, you will find the syllabus, schedule, assignments, and the online text, http://people.uncw.edu/hermanr/pde1/PDE1notes/. I edited the first four chapters so far and will make further edits later. So, you might want to start reading the first two chapters to get a head start. Since I wrote it, you will find that the class will match many parts of the book. However, you will need to do more than just read the book. You are expected to be in class and to come visit me in my office.
My office is in OS 2007J. Feel free to locate it when you get here and plan to visit often during the semester. I am sure you will want to stop and ask questions, get homework hints, etc. In order to start the communication, please email me and tell me something about yourself and your expectations for next semester. hermanr@uncw.edu You will find some of my other interests and courses at https://people.uncw.edu/hermanr
Enjoy the rest of your break and I'll see you soon.