I have two ODE books, which first?

[osnarf]

My math background is the Calc 1-3 series, and an intro to ODE class, but honestly I don't remember much from the ODE class (i started having to work during the time i had the class and just wound up cramming for tests and going in). I was feeling the same way about Calc 1 & 2 ( i took them several years ago), but just brushed up on them by working through Spivak's book (and learned quite a bit I didn't in the classes!).

Anyhow, the two books are
- Tenenbaum and Pollard: Ordinary Differential Equations
- Arnol'd: Ordinary Differential Equations

Thanks again everybody.

 

[Ashuron]

Someone out the is probably more knowledgeable..
But Arnol'd's should be more advanced...
So, perhaps try Tenenbaum's first

personally I just started to read Tenenbaum's

 

[Chaostamer]

I rather like A Second Course in Ordinary Differential Equations by Paul Waltman and it's affordable as a Dover book.

 

[osnarf]

That's what I was thinking, as well. I was just hoping somebody would tell me it wouldn't be a bad idea to do Arnol'd. People speak so well of it, and mathwonk mentions it as the best ODE theory book every time somebody asks :) Forgot to mention that I'm taking a linear algebra course alongside reading the DE book (as per suggestions from last post - a class opened up so I went that route instead of self-study).

To somebody who has read Arnol'd: what else should be studied besides what I have listed before tackling this book? I have heard mention of analysis and topology..

@Chaostamer - I appreciate the suggestion, but I really have to stop buying books for a while; I already have these two. Amazon has taken more from me than my landlord this month :D

 

[Ashuron]

Generally, well known books for for introductory ODE will be those of Coddington and another one by Tenenbaum and Pollard

Both are Dover books.
I just started to read both.
Tenenbaum's much thicker and hence cover deeper.
Coddington's cover general Differential Equation, but much smaller. So, perhaps it's also cheaper.

If you've bought both books, just try Tenenbaum first.
Perhaps if you think it a bit easy, switch for a more advanced book.