APP MTH 4123 - Partial Differential Equations and Waves - Honours
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2025
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code APP MTH 4123 Course Partial Differential Equations and Waves - Honours Coordinating Unit Mathematical Sciences Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites MATHS 2102 or MATHS 2106 or MATHS 2201 Incompatible APP MTH 3023 Assumed Knowledge (MATHS 2104 or MATHS 2107) and (MATHS 2101 or MATHS 2202 or ELEC ENG 2106) Restrictions Honours students only Assessment Ongoing assessment, exam Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Trent Mattner
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:- use knowledge of partial differential equations (PDEs), modelling, the general structure of solutions, and analytic and numerical methods for solutions.
- formulate physical problems as PDEs using conservation laws.
- understand analogies between mathematical descriptions of different (wave) phenomena in physics and engineering.
- classify PDEs, apply analytical methods, and physically interpret the solutions.
- solve practical PDE problems with finite difference methods, implemented in code, and analyse the consistency, stability and convergence properties of such numerical methods.
- interpret solutions in a physical context, such as identifying travelling waves, standing waves, and shock waves.
最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.
all Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.
all Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills
Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.
all Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness
Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.
all Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency
Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.
all Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Access to the internet.Recommended Resources
- Olver, P.J. (2014), Introduction to Partial Differential Equations, Springer. []
- Agarwal, R. P. & O'Regan, D. (2009), Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations With Special Functions, Fourier Series, and Boundary Value Problems, Springer. []
- Iserles, A. (2009), A first course in the numerical analysis of differential equations, Cambridge 最新糖心Vlog Press. []
- Ockendon, J.R. et al (2003) Applied Partial Differential Equations, Oxford 最新糖心Vlog Press.
- Billingham, J. and King, A.C. (2000) Wave motion, Cambridge 最新糖心Vlog Press.
- Kreyszig, E. (2011), Advanced engineering mathematics, 10th edn, Wiley.
Online Learning
This course uses MyUni exclusively for providing electronic resources, such as lecture notes, assignment papers, and sample solutions. Students should make appropriate use of these resources. Link to MyUni login page: -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course material is presented via a number of sources that complement each other: course notes and lecture videos that are posted on MyUni, as well as a weekly lecture. Having studied the material from all sources, students test their initial understanding with online quizzes.
Students deepen their understanding of the material by working on tutorial exercises and attending a tutorial (face to face or online). Assignments and short projects provide students with further opportunities to get feedback on their understanding. Students interact with the lecturer and with each other on the Piazza discussion platform. In addition, the lecturer offers weekly consulting.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Activity Quantity Workload Hours Videos/workshops 30hrs videos, 12 seminars, 12 workshops 100 Assessment tasks 5 assignments 56 Total 156 Learning Activities Summary
Lecture classes will explore the following. Conservation of mass and momentum. Method of characteristics, non-uniqueness and shocks. Separation of variables. Sturm-Liouville BVPs. Classification of PDEs, characteristic curves. Discretisation of 1D space. Modelling shallow water waves. PDEs in higher dimension. Computational integration. General wave systems.Tutorial work is integrated into lecture class times.
In more detail, the course includes material from the following.
- Conservation of mass and momentum: Car traffic has waves; Conservation of fluid; Momentum PDE for ideal gases; The wave equation.
- Traffic flow and the method of characteristics: Non-uniqueness; Shocks.
- Separation of variables: Linearity empowers analysis; Separation of variables generates boundary value problems.
- Wonderful Sturm–Liouville boundary value problems: Self-adjoint operators form Sturm-Liouville problems; Eigenfunctions expand inhomogeneous solutions.
- Discretising 1D space: Lagrange’s theorem underpins the method of lines; Find equilibria; Numerical linearisation characterises solution dynamics; PDE-free patch dynamics.
- Modelling shallow water waves: Conservation derives the PDEs; Small amplitude waves; Compute seiches in 1D.
- 6 PDEs with at least three independent variables: Vibration of a rectangular membrane; The self-adjoint Sturm-Liouville nature of Helmholtz-like PDEs.
- Computational integration: 1D heat/diffusion PDE raises fundamental issues; Crank–Nicholson schemes are reasonably stable and accurate; Invoke sparse matrices for implicit schemes; Crank–Nicholson discretises wave systems; Second order PDEs in 2D.
- General wave dynamics: Water waves in finite depth; The dispersion relation of waves; Energy travels at the group velocity; Wave propagation in multi-dimensions.
- Shocking classification of PDEs: Change of variables transforms the PDE; Reduction to the hyperbolic canonical form; Elliptic and parabolic canonical form.
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Assessment
The 最新糖心Vlog's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
More details will be announced later.Component Task type Due Weighting Outcomes Assessed Assignments Formative and summative Weeks 4,6,8,10,12
20% All Quizzes Formative and summative Weekly 5% All Mid-semester test Summative Week 7-8 15% All Exam Summative Exam period 60% All Assessment Related Requirements
An aggregate score of 50% is required to pass the course. Furthermore students must achieve at least 40% on the final examination to pass the course.Assessment Detail
Each written assignment is made available via MyUni in the week prior to the week in which it is due (see above table). Typically one week will be given to complete an assignment.
Tutorials are held weekly, beginning in week 1.
A quiz should be completed in each of weeks 1 to 11. The quizzes are primarily intended to be formative assessment. You are strongly encouraged to complete each quiz by the due date given with the quiz, however they may be completed after the nominal due date up until exams commence. Some can be attempted a finite number of times and others an unlimited number of times, as indicated in the instructions for each quiz. Only the result from the last attempt will count towards your grade.
The mid-semester test will be held in week 7 or 8, if possible at the weekly workshop time.
Details regarding all of the above will be given on the MyUni site for the course.Submission
Written assignments are to be submitted via MyUni.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M11 (Honours Mark Scheme) Grade Grade reflects following criteria for allocation of grade Reported on Official Transcript Fail A mark between 1-49 F Third Class A mark between 50-59 3 Second Class Div B A mark between 60-69 2B Second Class Div A A mark between 70-79 2A First Class A mark between 80-100 1 Result Pending An interim result RP Continuing Continuing CN Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The 最新糖心Vlog places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the 最新糖心Vlog to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
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- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
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