Courses Planning to take Intro to PDEs via UIUC NetMath — What should I know?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the 'Introduction to Partial Differential Equations' course offered by UIUC through NetMath. The participant has completed prerequisite courses, including Ordinary Differential Equations and Advanced Calculus, and seeks insights on the course's quality and content. Key topics emphasized include the importance of the chain rule, methods from ODE such as the Cauchy-Euler method and variation of parameters, and familiarity with Laplace transforms. Additionally, having experience with MATLAB or FreeMat is recommended for the numerical aspects of the course. Overall, the conversation highlights the preparedness required for success in the course and the value of the online learning experience at UIUC.
Math100
Messages
813
Reaction score
229
Hello, I want to know if anyone has taken an 'Introduction to Partial Differential Equations" class/course via UIUC (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) through NetMath. I am planning to take this course given the fact that I have taken ODE (Ordinary Differential Equations) and Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations before. What are some of the things that I should I know before taking this class/course? For people who have already taken this course through NetMath, do you suggest/recommend taking courses at this school through distance learning program? How's the quality?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The basics for physics or engineering:
- Calculus 1,2,3
- Linear Algebra
- Ordinary differential equations
- Advanced Calculus or Real Analysis
- Introduction to Numerical Methods (optional but useful)
 
jedishrfu said:
The basics for physics or engineering:
- Calculus 1,2,3
- Linear Algebra
- Ordinary differential equations
- Advanced Calculus or Real Analysis
- Introduction to Numerical Methods (optional but useful)
I have taken all of those courses/classes you've listed above, except the last one, 'Introduction to Numerical Methods'. I just wanted to know the quality of the online math classes/courses that are offered from this online college/university, but now, I think I know what I should do.
 
For the topics in the course.

Chain rule, chain rule, chain rule... (most important)
From ODE:cauchy-euler method, UC method, variation of parameters.

It doesnt hurt to have familiarity with laplace/inverse laplace transforms.
 
  • Like
Likes Math100 and jedishrfu
For the numerical part, having some experience with matlab or freemat could help. There’s tutorials available on the mathworks site to help.
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

Similar threads

Replies
21
Views
2K
Replies
11
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
14
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Back
Top