Elementary Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems [With Web Registration Card]

I got sent the wrong book. I ordered the 10th edition and got the 9th. Not good when I’m assigned homework based on the 10th

The book was brand new as promised and arrived quickly. Everything went smoothly - no complaints.

This is the best mainstream book on (ordinary) Diff. Eqns. It is mainly oriented to engineers but a math major could benefit from it as well. Like most books on this subject it emphasizes on solving relatively small classes of Diff. Eqns, namely those that can be solved in closed form and like most of those books avoids, but not completely, the qualitative study of the subject. However, I believe that this is the best compromise of a "recipe book" and a book that really tries to encourage understanding of the subject. The book suffers from too many examples and pictures. The examples take too much space and have too many details. I can hardly blame the authors for this - they, and the publisher, just want to sell more books, and they have therefore to follow the general trend. You either have to write a book like this, or a real one, like Arnold's book, but that would be a book for a few only. "Proof" in Boyce-DiPrima is a dirty word but so is in any other mainstream text on Diff. Eqns. It was interesting to me to read most of the negative reviews here. Poor mathematical background makes many readers believe that the exercises are hard, the answers are put in weird form (meaning the reader has problems with middle school algebra), etc. If anything, many of the exercises are too easy. Those, who need Mathematica for solving integrals - you'd better retake your Calculus course. There are very few examples that really require Mathematica and they are mentioned clearly. Really interesting and challenging problems can be found sometimes but authors clearly understand that too many of those would hurt the sale numbers. One reader wrote: "This book makes ODEs and PDEs look much more difficult than they really are. " Well, like many other books, this book does not give you the slightest idea what ODEs and PDEs really are (try John's book as an introduction to PDEs), they are far more intellectually challenging and deep that most students can imagine. After so many negative comments, why do I still think that this is a good book? Because you cannot beat the system, at least this is not the way, and the math culture of most readers and students is not adequate to appreciate a real book (try Arnold). If you want a book that is still readable by the majority of the undergrad students, then this is the best one. If you want a real one, look elsewhere but do not complain that the author does not show the steps when solving a quadratic equation.

This book is excellent for math majors or engineers who have hada strong background in higher mathematics. The work providesa step-by-step analysis of the classic problem areas i.e.initial value problems, solution boundaries, homogeneous andnon-homogeneous solutions, the exponential form, higher orderdifferential equations, variation of parameters, LaPlacetransformation and other more exotic applications too numerousto list here. For non-math majors, the book may become difficultto follow. Therefore; it may help to consult with the Schaum'sOutline in order to supplement this text. Boyce and DiPrimais more than enough to get you through the Fundamentals ofEngineering Examination. Differential Equations is a subjectwhich requires students to take copious notes. It pays tostruggle through the homeworks and to plan daily study sessionsof 15 minutes to 1 hour depending upon where you are in thecourse. It is well worth the effort to master this coursebecause the applications to engineering are numerous and profound. Mastery of this subject will provide you with alife-long skill.

I have had the privledge to use this book for an introductory course in differential equations with colleages of Dr. Boyce. This book is well written and contains numerous examples and a plethora of problems. However, a student would do well to have a very firm knowledge of calculus and a quick mathematical mind; some of the methods covered are not candy coated to go down easier. As such, it is important that a strong professor and a strong curriculum accompany this book. This is NOT a good book for self-instruction. However, it is a very useful reference to go back to when dealing with more advanced mathematical topics.

It is an excellent self-study reference and practice bookespecially suitable for non-mathematicians who deals with differential equations.