Book Description
This revision of the market-leading book maintains its classic strengths: contemporary approach, flexible chapter construction, clear exposition, and outstanding problems. Like its predecessors, this revision is written from the viewpoint of the applied mathematician, focusing both on the theory and the practical applications of Differential Equations as they apply to engineering and the sciences. Sound and Accurate Exposition of Theory--special attention is made to methods of solution, analysis, and approximation. Use of technology, illustrations, and problem sets help readers develop an intuitive understanding of the material. Historical footnotes trace development of the discipline and identify outstanding individual contributions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

More/better examples
The examples in this book are both few and lacking. The text isn't too good at explaining procedures either.Easily the worst math text book I have used.

Good book
This book touches every subject and it does so focusing on the mathematical knowledge. This book's strong point is that it doesn't treat the reader as an idiot, as other DE books make a point of doing, but it also doesn't simply provide the method's and theorem's deductions. It's a good book that justifies it's place on any serious science and engineering student and professional.

Differential Equations with BVP
Good book, and covers a well range. JustAsk is a feature they have for an extra cost. While I think it is better then the pearson prentice hall books and online content it still skips steps with eigen values and vectors.

obfuscatory
The book tries to make things simple and fails miserably. The round-about explainations are confusing. The maladroit, verbose language obfuscates what they are trying to impart. (It's curious that the 5th edition I looked at is often clearer than this 8th edition, and it's shorter too.) What ahould be simple and direct is convolved (no pun intended) into meandering examples unworthy of the name, the point of which often a mystery even to those who are very experienced with ODEs, and obfuscatory verbosity. I'm baffled as to how they book's author (or anyone) thought this might be a useful style. If you are a Professor, then please be nice to the kids and don't use this. If you are a student, I strongly recommend you buy an additional textbook; it would amaze me to see anyone learn ODEs from this; it should be at least possible, albeit difficult, to learn the subject from a textbook alone.

Great text for ODE's class
I used this text in my ordinary differential equations class and found it to be very helpfull. This text had good coverage of material for an upper class undergraduate or first year graduate course. Each subject was introduced in a clear manner with a detailed outline of the derivation of the method being used. I had another text while I was taking this course and the authors of that text would give you a theorem and then the method or formula to solve your given problem with no connection between the two. This book was very best in allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of what you were doing. The authors did clearly state the theorems, but did lack in proof in most cases. They did gave an outline to proof most of the time, which was helpful in working my own proof. Overall this text is a good one and I would strongly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (25)

Just Great
This book is rigorous but understandable. The back of the book says it all, it provides a truly exhaustive survey of ODE.

Superb book
This excellent book is probably superior to most of the run-of-the-mill ODE texts now in use.It's questionable how many sophomore ODE courses teach students how to solve some of the ODEs covered even in the first few sections of this comprehensive text.Of course, in this day and age, it's becoming fashionable to give any kind of DE to a computer to solve (even analytically), but knowledge of the ideas and methods behind basic ODEs remains essential in many fields.

Which isn't to say that this book is "difficult".Rather, it's very straightforward, yet with sufficient theoretical background to elucidate the ideas presented.Some of the exercises are proofs (often of results used in the text), but this is clearly an applied math text for those needing to solve ODEs, rather than a deep exploration of real analysis or group theory (although terms like "differential" are defined with due precision).A few theorems are stated without proof, or proved in specific cases only (again, probably out of a desire to avoid introducingthe tools of real analysis).This book should be easily accessible to anyone with first-year university calculus (coveringintegration techniques, inverse trig functions, and rudimentary Taylor series).

The exercises are innumerable, and all have solutions (though often there exists more than one form of the correct solution).

This text is rather dated, but this shows only in a couple of places.The chapter on numerical methods is probably slightly old-fashioned, and matrix methods don't seem to receive coverage in the section on systems of ODEs.Both of these can easily be supplemented, however, and so these two points are minor.

Highly recommended.

The best book on Ordinary Differential Equations
A. Basir Wardak, Halifax, UK, 12/04/07.

There is no doubt about the clarity, completeness and organisation of this book - Ordinary Differential Equations. It is well written; each small topic is followed by plenty of suitable numerical examples, which further reinforce the theory. All questions in the exercises have answers,which will increase confidance of students in solving ODE problems. I think this book will be a useful refernce for many undergraduate students in disciplines such as Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical), Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Biology, etc.

I have recently purchased this book; it has arrived in a good time and was well packed. It is well worth the money also. My only reservations are: the quality of paper used in this book is a bit low, and I think after sometimes, in some parts of the book, the text will gradually disappear or will be very difficult to read. Its thickness could have also been reduced by increasing the size. Anyhow, this book still deserves a five stars rating.

it's ok
after reading this book, my biggest fault with it was that it was too applied in nature, if you like this sort of thing then this is the book for you,

Great book
Well priced, full of every possible ODE technique, and is perfect for engineers and scientists who are not full-fledged mathematicians.I especially appreciate the applications sections--instead of learning obscure technique after obscure technique, the reader can jump ahead to problems in mechanics, physics, etc. and grab the most useful of the bunch. This makes the material much more interesting.The only downside is that I fear I'll wear my copy out, since it's an 800 page paperback. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (33)

Review by BSM
Good book to gain an understanding of the basics involved in PDE's.Could use more worked through examples as applied to practical problems.

Wanna teach yourself PDE's?
If you want to teach yourself PDE's, then this is certainly a great, and affordable book to get started with.As other reviewers have said, the book could certainly go into more depth, but there is no one book that can completely teach you one subject.My advice would definitely be to use this book to get started, and to use other books to go further.

Simply Great!
The book is simple, interesting to read, just like a story book or a news article, and can be used as an introductory textbook for PDEs.

A great book...
This is a great book for PDE I use it a lot in my school and in my job.

Great Reference
This book is an ideal companion for a graduate, or undergraduate, course in partial differential equations.There are worked examples and very useful definitions throughout the text.Additionally, the text is written as lessons and any lesson can be read and understood without reading the previous lessons.The best part is that this book is an order of magnitude cheaper than most college level texts and is largely more valuable. ... Read more

Book Description
This revision of Boyce & DiPrima's market-leading text maintains its classic strengths: a contemporary approach with flexible chapter construction, clear exposition, and outstanding problems. Like previous editions, this revision is written from the viewpoint of the applied mathematician, focusing both on the theory and the practical applications of Differential Equations as they apply to engineering and the sciences.

Student Solutions Manual:

Created as an integral learning aid to Boyce and DiPrima's Elementary Differntial Equations, 8E, this Solutions Manual provides worked out answers to select problems in the text.Using the Solutions Manual as you work your way through the course will ensure that you are doing the work right all along. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Very Useful
Not all solutions are included, but most of them are. The solutions are not complete, but they have served as a very useful guide for me so far. I have not come across a problem YET from the textbook that I have not been able to solve with the help of this solutions manual.

I have found a few errors in the solutions, but interpretting their correct meaning has not been a problem, yet.

A decent book

It's a decent book which would be of great help to students.

I have seen the light!
Like another reviewer commented, this book is great for self teaching.With this book I am able to preview the chapter before class, understand it, decipher my professor's chicken scratch on the board, and ask intelligent questions about the material.True, it doesn't have the solutions to every single problem, though it does have solutions to every *type* of problem.You work/solve the problem of the same type as the problem with which you are having trouble, and extrapolate that knowledge to the problem you need to work.This book is exactly the kick in the brain I needed to start receiving better grades!

Read Before You Buy
I wish someone told me that this manual only had a Sampling of solutions for each section. It did not help me much since it seemed that all the problems my professor assigned were the ones that were not in the manual.The book also has a wierd way of explaining things but I was able to struggle through.If I knew what I know now I would not have bought the book for full price but I would have purchased it used for half the price.

Not the full solutions
Solutions are sometimes even more abstruse than the problems and concepts themselves.Someone got lazy writing out these solutions!Plus, more than half the problems are not solved in this book.Not worth $34 in my opinion. ... Read more

Book Description
Written by the authors, the Student Solutions Manual contains worked solutions to all of the odd-numbered exercises in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Unique, Impressive
Great for learning.Poor for reference.

This book is unique.Most differential equations textbooks simply provide formulae for different types of problems, but you don't really see the big picture.This book lets you see the big picture, but omits many of the most useful formulae that you may need in your career.This for that.It would be nice to see a book with the best of both worlds, but if you simply want to learn and understand the topic, this book is the way to go.Also, there is a good emphasis on qualitative and numerical techniques.Students often feel like they get less out of a mathematics class when qualitative and numerical techniques are emphasised over more analytic approaches.However, those of us who have worked in the "real world" know that the qualitative and numerical techniques are probably even more important.I have worked as a research statistician and my research areas emphasise computing.When I'm presented with real problems and real data (which, in my career, usually comes in large, unmanageable quantities), do I usually pull out my notebook and tackle the problem in a very precise manner, working out an exact solution?No, quite often I cannot realistically do that.Now I'll admit that I don't use much from this particular field on the job, but it still applies.Moving on, I must also mention that the book does a very good job at explaining these qualitative and numerical techniques in addition to things that are more analytic, although it sometimes a little too verbose.

Regarding applications, the book covers a lot of fields and does put a big emphasis on applications.Physics, biology (especially population growth models), and electrical/computer engineering receive the most treatment.Overall, I would say that the book does an excellent job at including plenty of applications and choosing meaningful ones.

I don't have much to say about the exercices.Most aren't too contrived and they mixed up the difficulty fairly well.However, I would have liked to see more "hard" problems.

In summary, I'd recommend that you pick up a different book if you need a reference for work or research, but pick this one up if you actually want to learn and UNDERSTAND the basics of differential equations.

ODE
So i really hate this book... it give maybe one example of certain concepts and they are not even that descriptive.i might just be use to my other math books... but coming from a girl who is a math major, i would stay away!!!

for weak students.
the main objections i have to this book, are similar to others here:

1)much too expensive for what you get.

2)much too verbose for what is being said.

the masterful book by hurewicz from the 1950's covers the same ideas of dynamical systems and geometrically oriented o.d.e,'s but in succint, clear, deep, and well organized prose.

and i bought a copy of hurewicz for 5 bucks last week.\

even the vaunted exam ples of this book, such as the tacoma narrows bridge disaster, is cribbed from other books like braun.


but to ask a poor student to lay out 130 dollars for an inflated ripoff of better, shorter, cheaper books, is morally wrong, and as a professor i will do a lot to avoid it.

Poorly Organized, Slow, Insufficient Depth
I don't like this book; it's like most undergraduate differential equations books.It moves slowly yet doesn't explain things in enough depth.

The order in which topics are presented is chaotic; one moment one is using an analytic technique and then the next moment the book switches into discussion of qualitative methods; the reader never gets a feeling of mastering one or the other.It's hard to skip around in the book because it's hard to sort out which material builds on previous material.

The book presents diffeq as a chaotic, hodge-podge subject, which might be accurate, but this leaves the reader confused and without an overall picture of what diffeq is.

Relative to the volume and cost of this text, you will learn very little from it.Among the "big" undergrad texts I prefer Boyce and DiPrima, although only slightly.The best introductory books on differential equations are from the Springer-Verlag series, in my opinion: check out the text by Braun or the other one by Hubbard...both are listed in my reviews.

Fun to read!!
Normally I get the homework from the professor and that is usually the only time I crack open any textbook. However, with this book I was able to enjoy the authors' humor and clear description of the material. It is true that the answers in the back of the book are not very helpful, but I think I think the book is written well enough to help you get to the right answer. Furthermore, the CD that comes with the book is not compatable with Mac OS X, but if your University has access to Maple, Mathematica, or Matlab there is no real loss in not being able to use the CD. I would disagree with one of the book reviews that graphical solutions are not important to science majors. Analytical solutions are extremelly important to science and that is why this book is heavy on the graphical solutions, and as a physicist I find these problems and examples the most useful. ... Read more

Book Description

This practical book reflects the new technological emphasis that permeates differential equations, including the wide availability of scientific computing environments like Maple, Mathematica, and MATLAB; it does not concentrate on traditional manual methods but rather on new computer-based methods that lead to a wider range of more realistic applications. The book starts and ends with discussions of mathematical modeling of real-world phenomena, evident in figures, examples, problems, and applications throughout the book. For mathematicians and those in the field of computer science and engineering.

Customer Reviews (20)

Very confusing book
Used the newer edition of the book, which appears to be exactly the same.Found the book very confusing and hard to understand any of the concept without having someone else explain it to me.

Could be better
I don't think this is a good book for learning from, but if you know the material, it is a good reference.

Differential equation text
The textbook was in good condition and i recieved within a week

Pretty good
Not a bad book at all. Physical applications well explained, theory OK but not as good in my opinion. Unfortunately, contains a fair number of typos, and the book is physically weak (the binding of mine is splitting after only 4 months of use) for a book of this price. Still, pretty good overall.

A good differential equations textbook
I think the strength of this textbook is the amount of material it encompasses: this book is used in two separate courses in my school--introduction to DE and engineering analysis. I didn't appreciate the textbook so much until I completed my differential equations course and then looked back at the sections on mechanical vibrations to review for my physics course. I then realized that the explanations and derivations were extremely satisfying, much more than your average introductory physics text. Also, the emphasis on the qualitative aspects of DEs, such as slope fields and phase portraits, aid in the coneptual understanding of the otherwise rigorous computation aspects of the topic. My only complaint is that the proofs could've been done in a more understandable manner. ... Read more

Book Description
Provides reviews of important material from calculus, the solution of every third problem in each exercise set (with the exception of the Discussion/Project Problems and Computer Lab Assignments), relevant command syntax for the computer algebra systems Mathematica and Maple, lists of important concepts, as well as helpful hints on how to start certain problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Diff Eq solution
I find the book very helpful. It is worth the $25 or so. I like a lot of examples.

You will know how to do it, but you won't know how to explain it
First off, this book adequately teaches you differential equations. It's clear and concise - all except for one thing. WHERE ARE THE EXPLANATIONS!? Each section just jumps into examples without first explaining important concepts. I tried to find out exactly what a Laplace transform was, but all the book told me was that it was similar to a derivative, they both transform one function into another type of funciton. YEAH, THANKS.

I know how to do everything, I just don't know exactly WHAT I'm doing.

good stuff
the picture for this ad didn't match the cover of the book so i took a chance in buying it, because the isbn numbers matched. the book was correct and the time and condition in which it was recieved was great

Way under rated!!
I'm not sure why everyone thinks this book isn't any good.I bought this book for my differential equations class, and thought it was great!I found that the strong point in this book is that the author actually goes through and explains the concept in great detail before any examples are given (unlike most math text, including DEQ books).It helped me a lot because once the author got to an example I felt like I understood what was going on instead of having to go through the example two or three times before I had any idea about the theory involved in the topic.I also found the homework problems to be extremely well planned--almost every problem ended in a tidy compact solution (with the exception of the series solutions to the ODEs which were not nice at all).

I give the book only four stars because of two weaknesses: 1) the derivations of some of the formulas are a bit vague (I had a good time going throw and filling in missing steps and/or writing alternative derivations in the ridiculously large margins of the text) and 2) the RCL circuit was not explained well enough to be workable (I took electromagnetism the same semester and my physics teacher openly mocked the explanation of the RCL circuit in this book).

Overall, I thought this book was great and I was very happy with it. Maybe not the best book if you're trying to learn physics concepts, but it's a math class what do expect?

looking for other introductory DE books?
I used an earlier version of Zill years ago to get through my DE course. It was much better than the required text by Boyce/Diprima (a book to be avoided like the plague).

I've listed most, if not all, of the available introductory DE books in my review of Boyce. Link to it: Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems , 8th Edition, with ODE Architect CD ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Shows mathematic viewpoint and then applications
This book is a good book from the mathematical point of view and a good overview of the overall mathematical framework. For example, looking at a PDE, what can one say about the solution? Does it exist?Is it unique?What properties does the solution have? The book's emphasis is on presenting the various types of PDE's and then using physics to illustrate its usefulness. For example, the section of the book on quasi-linear and linear equations of the first order first looks at all of the mathematical underpinnings of this kind of equation. Only afterwards does the book look at the applications of such PDEs for solving problems in traffic flow and gas dynamics. In contrast "Partial Differential Equations for Scientists and Engineers" by Farlow assumes you have a specific physics problem you are attempting to solve and then goes about showing you how PDE can help.
Thus, my advice for someone who wants to study PDE and learn the practical applications is that they should first read and study this book for the theory and some of the applications. Then, buy and read Farlow's book. See if you can determine how to solve each physics problem presented in that book with PDEs. If you can, you are on your way to saying you know Partial Differential Equations from both a theoretical and practical standpoint.

Nice textbook
I am a sophomore student in computer engineering, and my professor used this book as a supplement to his notes (http://www.aei.mpg.de/~horst/math4999-2pdf.pdf) while doing a course on introductory differential equations, and it came in quite handy

Understandable, Excellent Reference
From just basic usage of the book, and with almost no introduction to PDEs, I found the book to be very helpful.This book starts out the way any PDE book should, a review of ODEs and then a careful, systematic approach to PDEs with very helpful illustrations.After the PDE is introduced, many different examples of PDE application are shown (such as the heat equation, Laplace's equation, and the wave equation), and with very careful demonstration of the use of the PDEs.I would have to say that any math or physics (especially in mechanics) person would benefit greatly to have either read or own this book.

Excellent introduction to PDEs
Thoe & Zachmanoglou have written an easy-to-follow introductory book on PDEs with heavy emphasis on physical interpretations.The book begins with a brief study of quasi-linear PDEs and theirgeometrical propertiesfollowed by a series of chapters concentrating on elliptic, hyperbolic, andparabolic linear PDEs.The discussion of each type of PDE includeswell-posedness, uniqueness, and basic solution methods.Proofs aregenerally simplified to keep the reader focused on the PDEs.

I recommendthis book for those wishing to gain a more complete knowledge of PDEswithout technical proofs.For those wanting a more rigorous discussion,Thoe & Zachmanoglou provides an excellent starting point. ... Read more

Book Description

Solve differential equations faster and easier!

Customer Reviews (7)

Good reference
Got this to be an understandable reference after I couldn't understand the text I had to use for the class.Product did exactly that.

not the best schaum text
First, it must be said that the Schaum Outline series provides an inexpensive way for students to get more practice and check their answers. In general, I recommend these texts. That said, I used this as a supplement to a DE class I taught and it was such a pain. The notation is nonstandard, symbols for Bessel functions are downright wrong and things like this. The application exercises were more focused on converting from English units to SI units than on the variety of application problems. To add to the fun, the cgs system is also thrown into the mix. Granted, engineers and the like need to be able to switch, but that's not the point of a DE class. It is nice to have sections on the Laplace transform and first-order systems and most exercises are ok, if repetitive. Students will have to work hard to keep the notation straight and not confuse themselves. I wouldn't use this in another class.

Really helpful for differential equation classes...
Used it to help me through 2 of my college classes...both of which I received A's. Definitely a great tool to overcome difficulty with ordinary and complex differential equation problems.

Excellent supplement
My diff eq text sucked.I ordered this book to supplement it.As with just about all of their other products, this one cut right to the chase.It was very helpful in the respect that my text had almost no good examples.I will be getting rid of the text, but I will keep this for reference.

The only real lacking feature is the organization of the material.Now it may just be me, but I felt the chapters skipped around a little much.But as a reference, does it really matter?The one thing I can't understand is the part about technology.Did you know that modern calculators and computers can perform symbolic manipulation?Sure you did!It would be nice if they just deleted this section, or preferebly, organized a new section about how to apply that technology, say with a ti-89, which most students at this level have anyway; the information on the ti-89 would also apply to the ti-92 and ti-200, eliminating redundancy.This would be most helpful.

Great supplement with another book
this book was a great help in my differental equations class, it porvided a different explanation about the method of solving the differential equation. but i mostly used this book for the extra problems to reenforce the different methods of solving the diff. Eq. this book helped me to get an A in the course.i could not give this book a bad revew because of all the help it gave me. ... Read more

Book Description
This revision of Boyce & DiPrima's text maintains its classic strengths: a contemporary approach with flexible chapter construction, clear exposition, and outstanding problems. Like previous editions, this revision is written from the viewpoint of the applied mathematician, focusing both on the theory and the practical applications of Differential Equations as they apply to engineering and the sciences.

A perennial best seller designed for engineers and scientists who need to use Elementary Differential Equations in their work and studies.

The CD-ROM includes:

• The award-winning ODE Architect software. The software's 14 modules enable you to build and solve your own ODEs, and to use simulations and multimedia to develop detailed mathematical models and concepts in a truly interactive environment.
• The ODE Architect Companion. The Companion extends the ideas featured in each multimedia module.

Customer Reviews (21)

I think this book is fine!
I do not see what all the negative reviews are about.Everything is very clearly explained, the examples are good and simple, and there is an answer to almost every problem in the back of the book.I am not quite sure what more you could ask for in a book about ODE's

Not for the pure Mathematician, thank heavens..
A great book for the engineering or physics student or professional, as it motivates you by "real" world examples. But if your prof is the super-rigourous-proof type despising applied math, then this book won't help you.

Horrible Book
I had used this book for a Introductory Differential Equations class I took my Junior year and because of this book I had the worst time understanding the material in this class. The explanations are convoluted and lengthy, yet somehow manage to skip important steps, leaving it up to the student to have to decipher the logic behind the example problems and core theorems/methods. You know a textbook is bad when understanding the concepts and examples takes just as long as doing the homework. Professors, I beg you not to make your students have to purchase and use this book in your Diff. Eq's classes. I guarantee you'll have a more motivated and successful class if you choose a more interesting, less lifeless book than this.

Popuplar! But is it the best??
The famous physicist Richard Feynman once said the most popular textbooks are generally not the best. This one by Boyce and Diprima is a standard in college level DE. I found it a bit dry. If you want one that's more interesting check out Fred Brauer's Elementary Differential Equations: Principles, Problems and Solutions. ASIN: B0006BV1KG It's really good companion to any DE course.

Bad...just bad...
I have both the text and the solutions manual that accompanies it.The book itself is lousy; the examples skip so many steps they're nearly impossible to follow.The so called solutions manual isn't any better; it only has certain problems worked out, and even those aren't done well.At least the book has one line answers to ALL the problems in the back. ... Read more

Book Description

The Sixth Edition of this acclaimed differential equations book remains the same classic volume it's always been, but has been polished and sharpened to serve readers even more effectively. Offersprecise and clear-cut statements of fundamental existence and uniqueness theorems to allow understanding of their role in this subject. Features a strong numerical approach that emphasizes that the effective and reliable use of numerical methods often requires preliminary analysis using standard elementary techniques. Inserts new graphics and text where needed for improved accessibility.A useful reference for readers who need to brush up on differential equations.

Customer Reviews (3)

Helpful for math majors only
I've used this book during my differential class over the last semester.The problems in the book are carried out well and the back of the book has even and odd answers to help your understanding.For math majors, this book is great because it really wants you to "experience" the world of diff EQ, but for engineers or others taking it as a side class, it doesn't offer good examples for getting the job done.A good instructer can correct this though.As a book, 3 stars.

Very good
Fast and its just brand new, he never opened the books

Good book but a strong background on calculus required.
This book will tell you everything you need to learn on differentialequations.It covers thoroughly the methods for solving first and secondorder differential equations.The book also extends into Fouriertransforms.I used this book at MIT for the differential equations classand found it very useful. Within its contents, matlab exercises are presentand some simple projects which lets the student apply its knowledge. Theonly problem with the book is that it can be hard to read at certainpoints.Also the author assumes a strong background in calculus. ... Read more

Book Description
Here's the perfect self-teaching guide to help anyone master differential equations--a common stumbling block for students looking to progress to advanced topics in both science and math.Covers First Order Equations, Second Order Equations and Higher, Properties, Solutions, Series Solutions, Fourier Series and Orthogonal Systems, Partial Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems, Numerical Techniques, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Greatly Underwhelmed
Except for the interesting treatment of Kepler's equations in chapter 2, there is not much to reccommend this version over others. This is a greatly stripped-down rehash of the standard fare: problems, exams and all. I was greatly underwhelmed. Demystification requires at the very least minimal discussions of some of the applications and the nature and utility of differential equations to other areas of mathematics. I found none of that here and thus expected a lot more. Instead of Demystification, it should just be called a "rehashed summary of differential equations."

Great book for review/introduction
I read some of the other reviews before writing this, and -- with all due respect, etc. etc. -- I think some of the other reviewers are missing the point of the entire series (Demystified) books.

The book is intended as a short, pithy, introduction to the topic.It makes no pretense of providing in-depth coverage, either of theory, or of all possible topics.This series of books is intended to provide a survey of many, but not all, commonly used techniques in a field;and it is intended to provide relatively simple examples and exercises so that the self-teaching student can get his/her feet wet.

I've just finished two chapters (and skimmed the rest), and so far I'm very pleased with the level of the treatment.You do need some prior calculus background, but if you have that, the book should be easy to follow.My own background was undergraduate physics, and, years later, I've decided to brush up.The book provides excellent review, as well as introducing me to topics I never quite "got" back in college.

If you want in-depth theory, or more comprehensive coverage of various techniques, or more advanced and challenging examples/home work problems, *or* conditions for solubility, go buy a standard, $100 college textbook on DiffEQs.However, if you want an accessible, inexpensive, brief but not overly-brief treatment of the fundamental techniques of solving differential equations, this book is very good.(By the way, the book includes the basics for at least some partial differential equations, as well as ordinary differential equations.)

Is it perfect?No.There is one subsection, for example, on using DiffEQs to make the connection between Newton's laws and Kepler's laws, and that particular subsection is not entirely clear.But I can forgive an occasional rough spot in a book that is overall clearly written, and well-designed for the self-study student.

Avoid if you're a math student
Avoid this book if you are a math student and need a more rigorous approach that deals with the Lipschitz condition etc. This book doesn't cover the necessary conditions under which one can find a solution, Picard's iteration, or the method of Frobenius, all of which are needed in most math-major type of ODE classes.

If you need a quick reference, Schaum's provides more bang for your buck.

Adequate
This book is a good preliminary intro into ODE's.It does not cover a majority of the higher order solution systems covered in a basic engineering diffy Q class, so beware if that is what youre looking for.

Excellent
I bought this book because I am considering getting a graduate degree in math, so I thought it would be useful as a book to brush up with.This book is highly readable and the examples are laid out well. There are ample exercises to test your knowledge of the various techniques for solving diff eqs, answers are included also. It is quite a bit better than the text that was used in engineering school. ... Read more

Book Description
Differential Equations: An Introduction to Modern Methods and Applications is a textbook designed for a first course in differential equations commonly taken by undergraduates majoring in engineering or science. It emphasizes a systems approach to the subject and integrates the use of modern computing technology in the context of contemporary applications from engineering and science. Section exercises throughout the text are designed to give students hands-on experience in modeling, analysis, and computer experimentation. Optional projects at the end of each chapter provide additional opportunitites for students to explore the role played by differential equations in scientific and engineering problems of a more serious nature. ... Read more

Book Description
The CLASSIC EDITION of Zill's respected book was designed for instructors who prefer not to emphasize technology, modeling, and applications, but instead want to focus on fundamental theory and techniques.Zill's CLASSIC EDITION, a reissue of the fifth edition, offers his excellent writing style, a flexible organization, an accessible level of presentation, and a wide variety of examples and exercises, all of which make it easy to teach from and easy for readers to understand and use. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A good text on ordinary differential equations with good examples
This particular textbook concerns ordinary differential equations. There are plenty of examples, and they are worked in steps that should make the solution strategy clear to any student with at least two previous semesters of calculus. One of the unusual features of the book are essays written by mathematicians present at the end of chapters 3, 4, 5, and 9. Each essay concerns applications of concepts learned in the previous chapter. The book is well illustrated, and motivations for study are included by making the examples solve practical problems such as the charge on a capacitor, solving orthogonal trajectories of the family of a rectangular hyperbola, or even determining the half-life of a radioactive substance. This makes it ideal for engineering students. There are numerous exercises at the end of each chapter and the solutions to odd numbered problems can be found in the back of the book. The following is the table of contents:

1. INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Basic Definitions and Terminology / Some Mathematical Models / Review / Exercises
2. FIRST-ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Preliminary Theory / Separable Variables / Homogeneous Equations / Exact Equations / Linear Equations / Equations of Bernoulli, Ricatti, and Clairaut / Substitutions / Picard's Method / Review / Exercises
3. APPLICATIONS OF FIRST-ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Orthogonal Trajectories / Applications of Linear Equations / Applications of Nonlinear Equations / Review / Exercises / Essay: Population Dynamics
4. LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS OF HIGHER-ORDER
Preliminary Theory / Constructing a Second Solution from a Know Solution / Homogeneous Linear Equations with Constant Coefficients / Undetermined Coefficients: Superposition Approach / Differential Operators / Undetermined Coefficients: Annihilator Approach / Variation of Parameters / Review / Exercises / Essay: Chaos
5. APPLICATIONS OF SECOND-ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS: VIBRATIONAL MODELS
Simple Harmonic Motion / Damped Motion / Forced Motion / Electric Circuits and Other Analogous Systems / Review / Exercises / Essay: Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge Collapse
6. DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH VARIABLE COEFFICIENTS
Cauchy-Euler Equation / Review of Power Series; Power Series Solutions / Solutions About Ordinary Points / Solutions About Singular Points / Two Special Equations / Review / Exercises
7. LAPLACE TRANSFORM
Laplace Transform / Inverse Transform / Translation Theorems and Derivatives of a Transform / Transforms of Derivatives, Integrals, and Periodic Functions / Applications / Dirac Delta Function / Review / Exercises
8. SYSTEMS OF LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Operator Method / Laplace Transform Method / Systems of Linear First-Order Equations / Introduction to Matrices / Matrices and Systems of Linear First-Order Equations / Homogeneous Linear Systems / Undetermined Coefficients / Variation of Parameters / Matrix Exponential / Review / Exercises
9. NUMERICAL METHODS FOR ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Direction Fields / The Euler Methods / The Three-Term Taylor Method / The Runge-Kutta Methods / Multistep Methods / Errors and Stability / Higher-Order Equations and Systems / Second-Order Boundary-Value Problems / Review / Exercises / Essay: Nerve Impulse Models / APPENDIX I: GAMMA FUNCTION / APPENDIX II: LAPLACE TRANSFORMS / APPENDIX III: REVIEW OF DETERMINANTS / APPENDIX IV: COMPLEX NUMBERS / ANSWERS TO ODD-NUMBERED PROBLEMS

I had a good deal on this text boook
It was at a good price, and also it was what I was looking for.

Beware of the "Example" Problems
Overall, the textbook is decent. However, when it comes to reading the example problems in the text, one can, and probably will, become very confused. In my opinion, the purpose of an example problem in the text is to completely break down all the steps towards finding the solution to the problem for the reader, especially one that is a first-timer in DE. This book fails to do so. As a first-timer in DE, I became more confused reading the example problems than I was when perusing the text. The explanations were neither lucid nor thorough enough for my liking. But do not be discouraged first-timers! It is possible to earn your A using this textbook. With the right amount of motivation and study sessions, your A will come. If I could get an A in this class as a college freshman, then anyone could.

too much theory
they prove EVERY single theorem in the most grating way... good chapters on applications though. ... Read more

Book Description

This tried-and-true book of differential equations expands upon the authors' Differential Equations: Computing and Modeling, 2nd Edition. It covers the core concepts and techniques of elementary linear algebra—matrices and linear systems, vector spaces, eigensystems, and matrix exponentials—that are needed for a careful introduction to linear equations. Complimenting this solid foundation, the book emphasizes mathematical modeling of real-world phenomena, and offers a fresh new computational flavor evident in figures, examples, problems, and projects throughout. Chapter topics include: first order differential equations, mathematical models and numerical methods, linear systems and matrices, vector spaces, linear equations of higher order, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, linear systems of differential equations, matrix exponential methods, and nonlinear systems and phenomena. A geometric visualization for those interested in science and engineering.

Customer Reviews (4)

Only bits and pieces of information
I actually never received this product at all, eventhough it was promised it earlier than planned.I did see the ones other students in my classroom purchased.It has some good helps in some areas, but is not very complete and doesn't help a whole lot with understanding the subject.When a book like this comes through for you, it's cooooool, but this only has answers for some of the problems and doesn't go into much detail to point out areas where you may need a little more help.

weak very weak..
I have decided to change my review for this product, originally I gave it a 2/5 but now am changing it to a 1/5.Since I have written the review originally I have picked up the solutions manual, and although the solutions manual helps a little bit there is no getting around how poorly this book was written.

The problem is the lack of worked problems, there is on average only one worked problem that is usually pretty easy, and very different from the problems in the sections the student is to work.

the only reason that this book should get one star is that they managed to put ink on paper and bind it all together.

A very disatisfied customer

The author does not explain how to do the problems very well at all.For all of us non math majors this book is very hard to interpret, I often spend hours trying to piece together the puzzle the author calls worked problems.Its not unusual that the examples are spread out in fragments across several pages adding to the difficulty in readibility.

Not suitable for learning or teaching. Great if one already has a grasp on the subject.
First before I give my review of this book, I see it as necessary to give a description of myself. I am both a teacher and a student, and I have about six years teaching experience in all levels of mathematics up to calculus II.

I can honestly say that this is the worst textbook that I have ever used. I would say that with reservations if it wereeven remotely untrue. This book, while making a daring attempt to cover many complicated areas of mathematics, fails to provide a good resource for either in the class or out of classroom learning.

The areas specifically are:
1. Problem Examples
Differential equations are at times extremely difficult. Frequent skipping of steps and examples that are far too simple considering the practice problems given achieves little in the way of teaching.

2. An excessive focus on paragraph after paragraph of writing, while little attempts to make said writing flow along with the learning of technique and example problems.

These are the technical aspects that are poorly executed. Beyond that, perhaps the worst aspect is the presumptious tone of the author that a concept may appear 'obviously' or 'clearly' or 'simply'.

I do not recommend this book unless you already have quite a formal understanding of differential equations. If you do however, the reference to numerical methods and symbolic methods in Mathematica, Matlab, and for the TI-89 are superb. But I stress that is only if you already have an understanding of the topic. I acknowledge that it can be extremely difficult to write a good textbook. This book fails to provide a good source for new learners.

strong coverage of numerical methods
When I first learnt differential equations and linear algebra, it was with texts written in the 60s and 70s. So I turned to this book with interest; wondering what has changed. Well, at the level of the book, most of the material has been known for decades. But one immediate difference is the profusion of diagrams and the increased use of colour. Due in part to improvements in printing technology. It means that current students also have more visual cues to learn from. When one is studying differential equations, this can be quite useful.

Also, there is indeed new material here. Numerical methods are prominently discussed in many sections. Due to vastly more common availability of computers. So students are not restricted to handling only those problems that can be solved by hand, to give simple analytic results. The scope of learning has expanded. Now granted, most of the numerical methods in the book were already known in the 70s. But they were usually presented in texts devoted to numerical analysis, for people specialising in that field. Nowadays, it can be used in other branches of maths, like that covered by this book.

Along these lines, the authors exhibit an ecumenical attitude towards what computer languages a reader might be familiar with. Example programs are given in Basic and for the TI-89. For symbolic algebra, code is furnished for Maple and Mathematica. They recognise that readers might have different preferences and they try to outreach to as many as practical. ... Read more

Book Description
Emphasizing the physical interpretation of mathematical solutions, this book introduces applied mathematics while presenting partial differential equations.Topics addressed include heat equation, method of separation of variables, Fourier series, Sturm-Liouville eigenvalue problems, finite difference numerical methods for partial differential equations, nonhomogeneous problems, Green's functions for time-independent problems, infinite domain problems, Green's functions for wave and heat equations, the method of characteristics for linear and quasi-linear wave equations and a brief introduction to Laplace transform solution of partial differential equations.For scientists and engineers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great book for solving applied problems.
I'm an undergraduate mechanical engineering major pursuing a minor in mathematics.I used this book for a two course sequence and I can say that it has been invaluable in my job as a research assistant at my university's computational mechanics research center.It's helped me implement software for computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer. (Note, I didn't design the algorithms, faculty and grad students took care of that, still, it's good to know what you're doing.)

i dont want part of a differential equation, i want all of it
chapter one is all it took for me.no worked out examples.chapter one explains the thoery and what is happening with the heat equation but the problems at the end of the chapter have answers which the text did not tell you how to get.either way, a partial differential equations class requires lots of studying but i recommend not using this book.

Eh....
This book is alright I suppose. It's not the best, but not the worst. I hate how the book assumes you've worked out previous problems and tells you to recall a problem it worked out like a chapter back. However, for the most part the book is decent - I'm sure there are better books though.

No worked examples
While the presentation of the book was very understandable (especially compared to some other partial differential equation textbooks), there are few worked examples in the book. For those who want worked examples, just type in the google key words "haberman site:.edu". If this book could include some of those worked examples, it would be much better.

The book also uses slightly different notation from that of many other books.

Pretty good
Pretty good book to learn from. Well laid out. Some areas could be clearer, but will use often! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

A very good textbook, just not quite right for me
As an instructor at a small college, I am called upon to teach nearly every course in the mathematics curriculum. Therefore, I spend a great deal of time trolling for textbooks, as I never know from one year to the next what I will be teaching. I examined this book for possible adoption as a text for a single semester course in differential equations. My conclusion was that it is acceptable, but since it contains enough material for a two semester sequence, it must be assigned a rank lower than those that cover only a single semester.
However, I do strongly approve of the pedagogical approach taken by the authors. Their use of blue highlighting for the important formulas is eye-catching and effective. As I scanned through the book it was sometimes easier to determine the topic of a section by looking for the equations that were in blue. The exposition made the material easy to follow and the many worked and varied examples make the coverage complete.
I was also pleased to see the occasional theorem with proof. While courses in differential equations are largely, "give the technique(s), here is how to use it", it is still an upper division math course and an occasional proof is certainly reasonable and effective. The authors also include a short set of technical writing exercises at the end of the chapters and there are plenty of exercises with answers to the odd-numbered ones included in an appendix. While I don't think that I would ever make use of the technical writing exercises, I am sure that there are others who would take advantage of the opportunity.
In conclusion, even though I was impressed with this book, I doubt that I would adopt it. The differences between differential equation texts tend to be rather small, so the fact that this book is suitable for a two-semester sequence is enough for me to continue to look elsewhere.

Fundamentals of Differential Equations, Sixth Edition
the book was in perfect condition just like the seller said so.

so poorly written
Wow, the examples are absolutely putrid.I am so disgusted with this book, universities are probably given some seriously cut rate deals on this book to use it.One simple example of the poor quality of this book is the following:

page 513

"...diagonal matrices, which are square matrices with only zero (0) entries off the main diagonal (that is, a(ij)=0 if i does not equal j); and column vectors, which are nx1 matrices.For example:

A=
(3,4,1
2,6,5
0,1,4)
B=
(3,0,0
0,0,0
0,0,7)...

Then A is a square matrix, B is a diagonal maxtrix....."

WAIT BACK UP!I thought if you were a diagonal matrix then you had zeros for all numbers except for the diagonal....remember if you have i rows and j columns in a square matrix then the only time i=j is along the diagonal and didn't the book already says that a(ij)=0 if i doesn't equal j?So why does B(2,2) have a 0?Is it because not all values in the diagonal can be 0 or is it because there is a typo?I don't know but if I pull out my linear algebra book or perhaps surf the web I can find out...but isn't that a waste of my time trying to make sure these people are just using poor notation or pressed the wrong key?I think so.I certainly would never use this book again nor would I ever use it as a reference.I actually went and picked up another book for diff eq that I use along side this terrible book, and the only reason I keep this diff eq book by nagle is so I can refer back to the table of contents for topics when my teacher says which chapters the test are on.

Pretty Standard Textbook
I just finished a class that used this textbook, and I had no real problems with it. I've seen some really poor reviews on this book which I think are unwarranted.This may not be the best book around, but it is certainly not the worst.Put simply, this is an average textbook.It is neither outstanding, nor terrible.I did find the wording awkward in places.For example, Theorem 1 regarding existence and uniqueness is stated as,


===============================================================
"Given the initial value problem,

dy/dx = f(x,y), y(xo) = yo,

assume that f and the partial derivative of f with respect to y are continuous functions in a rectangle

R = { (x,y): a < x < b, c < y
that contains the point (xo, yo).Then the initial value problem has a unique solution phi(x) in some interval x0-delta < x < x0 + delta, where delta is a positive number."
================================================================


Using the phrase "assume that..." seems to completely de-emphasize the salient point which is that,


================================================================
IF f and the partial derivative of f with respect to y are continuous functions in a rectangle...

THEN the initial value problem has a unique solution phi(x) in some interval....
================================================================


But this is a fairly minor complaint, and mostly just a matter of personal taste.I am grateful that I had a good instructor though, as he was able to pull out the important points that were not obvious from the text.


On the plus side, the book has an excellent Student's Solutions Manual by Victor Maymeskul.For the most part, all the odd numbered problems were thoroughly worked and explained.I would highly recommend getting the solutions manual.


Bottom line, if this is a textbook for a class, don't worry about it.The book will be just fine, and a good instructor will be able to use it effectively.If you want a book for self study, this may not be the best at clearly explaining concepts, but at least with the solution manual you will have lots of practice problems you can work and check.For self-study, you might check out "Ordinary Differential Equations" by Morris Tenenbaum and Harry Pollard.I have not used it extensively, but it seems to be quite clearly written, and has generally received good reviews.

An excellent text
I used the fifth edition of this textbook for my differential equations class, and since then I have continued to use it.The examples do a thorough job of explaining new concepts, as long as the reader is comfortable with working along and filling in the extra steps (Actually, in my opinion, this should be the standard method for learning from a textbook).

Since my first differential equations class, I have encountered some difficulty understanding partial differential equations, particularly heat equations and vibrations of a spring.The textbook I use for my intermediate engineering math course that I am covering this material for does a sloppy and incoherent job.However, using this book as a reference I was able to break down the process to "discovering" partial differential equations and am on my way to understanding at least heat equations and vibrating strings rather well.This book also clearly facilitates the reasoning behind fourier series and transforms.

I highly recommend this book.Although I didn't have much choice in selecting it for my courses, its use after the end of the intended course certainly exemplifies its value. ... Read more

Book Description
There are dozens of books on ODEs, but none with the elegant geometric insight of Arnol'd's book. Arnol'd puts a clear emphasis on the qualitative and geometric properties of ODEs and their solutions, rather than on the routine presentation of algorithms for solving special classes of equations. Of course, the reader learns how to solve equations, but with much more understanding of the systems, the solutions and the techniques. Vector fields and one-parameter groups of transformations come right from the start and Arnol'd uses this "language" throughout the book. This fundamental difference from the standard presentation allows him to explain some of the real mathematics of ODEs in a very understandable way and without hiding the substance. The text is also rich with examples and connections with mechanics. Where possible, Arnol'd proceeds by physical reasoning, using it as a convenient shorthand for much longer formal mathematical reasoning. This technique helps the student get a feel for the subject. Following Arnol'd's guiding geometric and qualitative principles, there are 272 figures in the book, but not a single complicated formula. Also, the text is peppered with historical remarks, which put the material in context, showing how the ideas have developed since Newton and Leibniz. This book is an excellent text for a course whose goal is a mathematical treatment of differential equations and the related physical systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

ARNOLD==The MASTER!!!
No doubt the best book on ODE by a master!! Ecuaciones Diferenciales Ordinarias (Fondos Distribuidos)Kiseliov Krasnov is another great book! Translated in English!! Like Spivak's Calculus on Manifolds, thin but good!!!

MDC
This is a classic in the field.Excellent presentation and geometric perspective of dynamical systems.Most definitely a book to be kept as reference.

wow!differential equations made appealing
I had always hated d.e.'s until this book made me see the geometry.And I have only read a few pages.

I never realized before that the existence and uniqueness theorem defines an equivalence relation on the compact manifold, where two points are equivalent iff they lie on the same flow curve.This instantly renders a d.e. visible, and not just some ugly formulas.

He also made me understand for the first time the proof of Reeb's theorem that a compact manifold with a function having only 2 critical points is a sphere.If they are non degenerate at least, the proof is simple.Each critical point has a nbhd looking like a disc.In between, the lack of critical points means there is a one parameter flow from the boundary circle of one disc to the other, i.e. thus the in between stuff is a cylinder.

Hence gluing a disc into each end of a cylinder gi