Professor: Hesthaven Course format: Lecture Number of respondents: 4 Total Enrollment: 6 Class Composition: Froshs: 0 Sophs: 2 Jrs: 0 Srs: 2 Concs: 1 Non-Concs: 3 Don't Know: 0

Instructor Average: 1.00 Course Average: 1.13

Welcome to “Introduction to Numerical Solution of Differential Equations.” The objective of this course is to introduce students to—you guessed it—various numerical methods of solving differential equations! Prerequisites for this course include having taken either AM 34 or AM 36, and a solid background in programming is a must. It is suggested but not required that you take AM 117 before you take this class.

Professor Hesthaven’s reviewers said that he was a great lecturer. His lectures were well thought out and were always well summarized, making it very easy to follow along in the class. He was very thorough and comprehensive, always making sure to tie new material in along with the old. He was also very understanding of individual needs of his students, and was always available for questions.

The course consisted of ten homework assignments and a final project in place of an actual exam. All of these were very straightforward and helped in fostering a better understanding of the material. Although there were no assigned readings as such, there was still a textbook which at times proved useful for students who were having difficulty understanding the material. While many complained about the textbook, they said that the lectures more than made up for any shortcomings the book presented.

Students spent an average of six to eight hours each week on this class, which was about what was initially expected. If you have any interest in programming and differential equations, then AM 118 would definitely be a class worth looking into.

View AM/0118 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.