Differential Equations (Cliffs Quick Review) [Paperback]

Steven A. Leduc (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0822053209 | ISBN-13: 978-0822053200 | Publication Date: June 23, 1995 | Edition: 1

CliffsQuickReview course guides cover the essentials of your toughest subjects. Get a firm grip on core concepts and key material, and test your newfound knowledge with review questions.

Whether you need a course supplement, help preparing for an exam, or a concise reference for the subject, CliffsQuickReview Differential Equations can help. This guide covers first-order and second-order equations, power series, and more. In no time, you'll be tackling topics such as

• Linear and homogeneous equations
• Integrating factors
• The Laplace transform operator
• Simple harmonic motion
• Orthogonal trajectories

CliffsQuickReview Differential Equations acts as a supplement to your other learning materials. Use this reference in any way that fits your personal style for study and review — you decide what works best with your needs. You can flip through the book until you find what you're looking for — it's organized to gradually build on key concepts. You can also get a feel for the scope of the book by checking out the

• Contents pages that give you a chapter-by-chapter list of topics.
• Tabs at the top of each page that tell you what topic is being covered.
• Heading and subheading structure that breaks sections into clearly identifiable bites of information.
• Keywords in boldface type throughout the text.
• Wealth of formulas and figures designed to provide visual references.

With titles available for all the most popular high school and college courses, CliffsQuickReview guides are comprehensive resources that can help you get the best possible grades.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Cliffs Quick Reviews are Produced by The People Who Know Student Needs and Respond to Them. This logically presented, easy-to-grasp review gives you the reference you want to effectively organize your introductory-level course work. Each Review Gives You

• a concise but comprehensive source of ready information on the fundamentals of the subject
• clearly arranged and accessible basic course notes in manageable units and straightforward language
• practical help in checking your understanding of material presented in your classes
• the expertise of an accomplished teacher as your private tutor
• an excellent way to review core concepts before quizzes, midterms, and finals

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes; 1 edition (June 23, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822053209
• ISBN-13: 978-0822053200
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Mathematics
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Mathematics > Pure Mathematics
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Education > Test Guides - College & University > College Entrance

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Mechanical 'How to', April 26, 2000

By 

itg "igarbett" (Wagga Wagga, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Differential Equations (Cliffs Quick Review) (Paperback)

This book provided me with almost what I wanted from such a title, that is a good bare 'how-to' review of ODE's (no PDE's here despite the rather general title). You'll find no 'theorem/proof/lemma' approach but rather 'heres an example-do 'em like this'-which does have its place for those seeking a 'quick fix' and can actually make concrete some ideas. I felt there were omissions that could have been included instead of the brief 'review of calculus' and 'a few applications'. These would include at least some attempt to deal with solving DE's by power series at ordinary singular points, some coverage of simple numerical (say Euler) solutions, and a mention of 'slope fields' in the 'introduction to DE's' section. For myself I also like the non-ornate presentation..it is free of the 'soap box/multi-windowed/cross referenced' pedagogical style that tends to distract some (me for one). A commendable feature is that this book could actually be 'read' (in the old fashioned contiguous way), and learned from by most high school/freshman level students.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Help!, June 11, 2008

By 

Jonathon L. Merrick "sustainblue" (sustainblue) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Differential Equations (Cliffs Quick Review) (Paperback)

Diff Eq instructors are usually the brightest mathematical minds in the city. However that doesn't mean that they can teach it. I re-learned the first month and a half of my Diff Eq course after being utterly bewildered every day of class. This book offers an almost cookbook formula for solving beginning differential equations. It also explains differential equations in a way that a struggling student might understand. It sure saved me. If you're a math major skip it, it will only leave you wanting more and you shouldn't be having trouble with Diff Eq anyway. However if you find mathematics a necessary evil and are completely lost 90% of the time with moments of clarity, this guide is for you.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nice introduction, February 28, 2011

By 

Leeber Cohen (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Differential Equations (Cliffs Quick Review) (Paperback)

This is a very nice affordable quick introduction to differential equations. If you are comfortable with series, integrations by parts, and integration by partial fractions you will have no problem with the book. I think the author does a good job in writing out the steps which are frequently left out. As an example rather than just saying integrating by parts twice for the derivations of the Laplace transform of sin ax, he actually writes the two integrations out. I agree it would be nice to have a chapter on Euler's formula and I would add to that Fourier series and transforms. You can use the combination of the LaPlace transform of e^ax and Euler's formula to derive the Laplace transforms for sin ax and cos ax. The derivation is easier and quite useful. It serves as a very nice introduction to wave mechanics and the future study of quantum mechanics. If you are learning differential equations on your own this derivation can be found in Schaum's 2500 Solved Problems in Differntial Equations Chapter 12 Problem #8. The book is out of print but if you are looking for lots of practice problems with solutions it is worth finding a copy. In summary Differntial Equations by Leduc is a nice short introduction to differential equations. I enjoyed reading it and if you remember first year calculus you should have no problem enjoying it as well. The same author also has written a introductory text for Linear Algebra. I will review that separately.