Differential Equations Workbook For Dummies

• Make sense of these difficult equations
• Improve your problem-solving skills
• Practice with clear, concise examples
• Score higher on standardized tests and exams

Get the confidence and the skills you need to master differential equations!

Need to know how to solve differential equations? This easy-to-follow, hands-on workbook helps you master the basic concepts and work through the types of problems you'll encounter in your coursework. You get valuable exercises, problem-solving shortcuts, plenty of workspace, and step-by-step solutions to every equation. You'll also memorize the most-common types of differential equations, see how to avoid common mistakes, get tips and tricks for advanced problems, improve your exam scores, and much more!

More than 100 Problems!

Detailed, fully worked-out solutions to problems
The inside scoop on first, second, and higher order differential equations
A wealth of advanced techniques, including power series

THE DUMMIES WORKBOOK WAY

Quick, refresher explanations
Step-by-step procedures
Hands-on practice exercises
Ample workspace to work out problems
Online Cheat Sheet
A dash of humor and fun

Introduction 1

Part I: Tackling First Order Differential Equations 5

Chapter 1: Looking Closely at Linear First Order Differential Equations 7

Chapter 2: Surveying Separable First Order Differential Equations 29

Chapter 3: Examining Exact First Order Differential Equations 59

Part II: Finding Solutions to Second and Higher Order Differential Equations 79

Chapter 4: Working with Linear Second Order Differential Equations 81

Chapter 5: Tackling Nonhomogeneous Linear Second Order Differential Equations 105

Chapter 6: Handling Homogeneous Linear Higher Order Differential Equations 129

Chapter 7: Taking On Nonhomogeneous Linear Higher Order Differential Equations 153

Part III: The Power Stuff: Advanced Techniques 175

Chapter 8: Using Power Series to Solve Ordinary Differential Equations 177

Chapter 9: Solving Differential Equations with Series Solutions Near Singular Points 199

Chapter 10: Using Laplace Transforms to Solve Differential Equations 225

Chapter 11: Solving Systems of Linear First Order Differential Equations 249

Part IV: The Part of Tens 273

Chapter 12: Ten Common Ways of Solving Differential Equations 275

Chapter 13: Ten Real-World Applications of Differential Equations 279

Index 283

Steven Holzner, PhD, served on the faculty of Cornell University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is an award-winning author who has written Physics For Dummies, Quantum Physics For Dummies, and more.