So, I got my Diff. Eq. books today.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the suitability of a differential equations textbook and the use of MATLAB for a course. Participants share their opinions on the textbook's clarity and verbosity, as well as their experiences with MATLAB, particularly for those unfamiliar with programming.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concerns about the verbosity of the textbook, suggesting it may be too wordy but generally clear.
  • Others question the timing of the inquiry about the textbook, noting that it might seem late to ask once the book has been acquired.
  • Participants discuss the potential challenges of learning MATLAB, with some suggesting that prior programming experience could ease the learning process.
  • There are differing opinions on the depth of programming that will be required in the course, with some believing it will be minimal and focused on basics.
  • One participant mentions using the textbook to supplement dense lecture notes, indicating that the verbosity was manageable in that context.
  • Another participant compares MATLAB to C, suggesting that MATLAB is easier to learn and use for plotting and other tasks.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the quality of the textbook or the appropriateness of the inquiry's timing. There are multiple competing views regarding the ease of learning MATLAB and the expected depth of programming in the course.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the effectiveness of the textbook as the main resource for the course, and there are varying assumptions about the programming requirements in MATLAB.

Shackleford
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I got the textbook, solutions manual, and a book called ODE using Matlab. I've never used Matlab before. Will that be an issue?

Here's the textbook. Is this a good book?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0131437380/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
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Isn't that a little late to ask? Personally I think it is too verbose, but the explanations are pretty clear in general. Not that hard.
 
Landau said:
Isn't that a little late to ask? Personally I think it is too verbose, but the explanations are pretty clear in general. Not that hard.

Why would it be too late? This the only DE class offered this semester and I have to take it this semester to graduate on my timetable. I'm just wondering if it's a good book or not. That's all.

What about Matlab? Will I have any problem with that?
 
Shackleford said:
What about Matlab? Will I have any problem with that?

If you have ever done any programming before (especially structured programming), you should be fine.

If you have not, you should still be fine; you just might have to spend some extra time learning the basics of coding.
 
vociferous said:
If you have ever done any programming before (especially structured programming), you should be fine.

If you have not, you should still be fine; you just might have to spend some extra time learning the basics of coding.

I know a little bit of HTML. lol. But that's coding not programming.
 
Shackleford said:
I know a little bit of HTML. lol. But that's coding not programming.

I would not worry too much about it. Since it is a math class, they are probably not going to get too deep into programming using Matlab, just teach you the basics.
 
vociferous said:
I would not worry too much about it. Since it is a math class, they are probably not going to get too deep into programming using Matlab, just teach you the basics.


i used Maple before. I am pretty good
 
I'm not for sure about the book, but MATLAB is an extremely easy language to learn. It is probably a little easier to learn than C, and it is definitely easier to plot and do other things in MATLAB rather than in C. The programming assignments probably won't be anything too significant, so you will definitely be able to handle programming in MATLAB.
Landau said:
Isn't that a little late to ask?

I think you jumped the gun a little bit, as Shackleford explained. It was pretty clear that the book was for a course.
 
Shackleford said:
Why would it be too late? This the only DE class offered this semester and I have to take it this semester to graduate on my timetable. I'm just wondering if it's a good book or not. That's all.
n!kofeyn said:
I think you jumped the gun a little bit, as Shackleford explained. It was pretty clear that the book was for a course.
I thought it was a bit odd to ask whether a book is good if you already own it, because you can look for yourself, and because you'll have to use it anyway. But I understand it can be interesting to hear other opinions.

I used this book to supplement my lecture notes, which were very theoretical and dense. That's why the verboseness wasn't really a problem for me, but to use it as the main text...I don't know.
 

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