3 Credit hours - Spring 2026 - CRN34628 (BG) and CRN33763 (BU)
(Dec 3,
2025 Version) THIS VERSION IS NOT DEFINITIVE. THE WEBSITE AND SYLLABUS ARE STILL BEING FORMULATED.
Lectures: Tuesday, Thursday in person in Skiles154.
Lectures run from 12:30 to 13:45. Handwritten lectures will be posted in Canvas. Lectures will be recorded, and recordings
placed in Media Gallery. Students may also watch lectures remotely through Zoom.
A link will be sent before classes.
Instructor
Information
Doron Lubinsky, Tuesday, Thursday 11:00-12:00 via Zoom or in person in Skiles
237A.
General Information
Description
The main repository for the course are the folders in "Files" in Canvas. The course provides
an introduction to classical analytical methods for solving partial
differential equations. The main tools will be separation of variables, Fourier
series and the Laplace transform. The topics to be covered are:
(1 Fourier series and Fourier integrals
(2(1) The Sturm-Liouville Theorem
(3(2) The heat equation
(4(3) The wave equation
(5(4) Laplace and Poisson equations
(6(5) Laplace transform
(7(6) Heat flow using the Laplace transform.
· Computing Fourier series and study their convergence.
· Using separation of variables on the heat and wave equations.
· Using polar and cylindrical coordinates for the Laplace and Poisson equations
· Applying the method of eigenfunction expansions
· Computing Laplace transforms and applying them to ordinary differential equations
· Applying the Laplace transforms to heat flow problems
Course
Requirements & Grading
There
will be regular Homework, 2 midterm tests, and a final exam. All students must take the final exam.
The items are weighted as follows:
Homework: 35%
Midterm tests: 40% (Each midterm counts
20%)
Final exam: 25%
No extra credit.
Description of Graded Components
Homework
There will be regular graded homework, throughout the course. Homeworks will be
posted on Gradescope, and students must upload their solutions to Gradescope.
Midterm Tests
There will be 2 midterm tests, written during class.
TENTATIVE dates of tests:
Test 1: Tuesday 24 February
Test 2: Tuesday 31 March
It is emphasized that these test dates may be changed due to unforeseen
circumstances.
Final Exam
The final exam will be comprehensive.
The final exam is on Thursday May 7 from 11:20am-2:10pm in the classroom.
Makeup Tests
These will only be given where there is a medical certificate provided, or
approved university absence.
Grading Scale
You can be guaranteed at least the following grades if your percentage lies in the specified range:
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F 0-59%
There will also be a curve that might allow e.g. an A for a
grade slightly lower than 90%. This is decided at the end of the course based
on the distribution of final percentages in the class.
See http://registrar.gatech.edu/info/grading-system for more
information about the grading system at Georgia Tech.]
Course Materials
Course Text
Boundary Value Problems, 6th edn., by David Powers, Academic Press,
Elsevier, 2010.
Additional Materials/Resources
A final percent of 90+, 80+, 70+, 60+ guarantees a grade of
respectively A, B, C, D respectively, though there will be a curve on
the final percentage that could yield e.g. an A for a lower grade.
All grades will be posted on Canvas.
7. Honor Code
Please review the Georgia Tech Honor Code.
8. Piazza
The class link is https://piazza.com/gatech/spring2026/math4581bu/home