MATH 134
Linear and Nonlinear Systems of Differential Equations
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisite: course 33B. Dynamical systems analysis of nonlinear systems of differential equations. One- and two- dimensional flows. Fixed points, limit cycles, and stability analysis. Bifurcations and normal forms. Elementary geometrical and topological results. Applications to problems in biology, chemistry, physics, and other fields. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Spring 2021 - As a double major senior student in ECE and Applied math department, I have took more than 30 upper div classes in UCLA and I never felt this lost in any of my coding, engineering or math classes. The professor doesn't know what she's talking about and I noticed she got all her notes and hw set from Professor Killip's fall quarter. Basically her lectures were the worst lectures I have attended (so I stopped going to live lectures after week 3 and read the book instead) and the test are ridiculously long, time consuming, and hard. My advise as a UCLA Alumni : AVOID HER AT ALL COST EVEN IF SHES TEACHING BASIC ALGEBRA
Spring 2021 - As a double major senior student in ECE and Applied math department, I have took more than 30 upper div classes in UCLA and I never felt this lost in any of my coding, engineering or math classes. The professor doesn't know what she's talking about and I noticed she got all her notes and hw set from Professor Killip's fall quarter. Basically her lectures were the worst lectures I have attended (so I stopped going to live lectures after week 3 and read the book instead) and the test are ridiculously long, time consuming, and hard. My advise as a UCLA Alumni : AVOID HER AT ALL COST EVEN IF SHES TEACHING BASIC ALGEBRA
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - Ben's lectures are pretty clear but his homework is extremely difficult. Be prepared to spend 10+ hours a week working on a handful of problems and going to many office hours. His exams are tricky but easier than the homework. Requires you to be very familiar with precalc concepts. If you can't recall trig identities and function graphs like the back of your hand, I highly recommend brushing up.
Fall 2021 - Ben's lectures are pretty clear but his homework is extremely difficult. Be prepared to spend 10+ hours a week working on a handful of problems and going to many office hours. His exams are tricky but easier than the homework. Requires you to be very familiar with precalc concepts. If you can't recall trig identities and function graphs like the back of your hand, I highly recommend brushing up.
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Winter 2024 - I enjoyed Professor Hester's class, but I do understand some of the criticisms others have shared. The homework was very challenging, but it was good practice for the exams. I also didn't find the professor's online notes very helpful (although I didn't rely on them much of the time because the textbook was a pretty good resource). But aside from that, Professor Hester was genuinely very helpful. He's very eager to help, and every lecture, he insisted that everyone ask questions. In fact, as part of every homework assignment, he wanted us to ask a question, even if only tangentially related to the course. I found this helpful for two reasons: i) this was a good opportunity to ask big-picture questions about the course or just random math questions, and ii) it was a great way to get general advice for things like succeeding in the course, or even advice for pursuing graduate studies. Some general advice for anyone who wants to take this class: - There's a lot of overlap with Math 142. I took 134 and 142 the same quarter, and it made absorbing material feel much easier. - Read the textbook. Prof Hester's lectures follow the textbook pretty closely. On top of that, the textbook is also written pretty well (although the version I got through Inclusive Access had some weird typos, so you may want a different online version to compare with). - Know how to do the homework problems. If you know how to do the hw, then you'll be prepared for the exams. This class isn't proof-based, so there are only so many types of problems that can be asked. - Ask questions. As discussed above, Prof Hester cares about his students, so he's always happy to take questions
Winter 2024 - I enjoyed Professor Hester's class, but I do understand some of the criticisms others have shared. The homework was very challenging, but it was good practice for the exams. I also didn't find the professor's online notes very helpful (although I didn't rely on them much of the time because the textbook was a pretty good resource). But aside from that, Professor Hester was genuinely very helpful. He's very eager to help, and every lecture, he insisted that everyone ask questions. In fact, as part of every homework assignment, he wanted us to ask a question, even if only tangentially related to the course. I found this helpful for two reasons: i) this was a good opportunity to ask big-picture questions about the course or just random math questions, and ii) it was a great way to get general advice for things like succeeding in the course, or even advice for pursuing graduate studies. Some general advice for anyone who wants to take this class: - There's a lot of overlap with Math 142. I took 134 and 142 the same quarter, and it made absorbing material feel much easier. - Read the textbook. Prof Hester's lectures follow the textbook pretty closely. On top of that, the textbook is also written pretty well (although the version I got through Inclusive Access had some weird typos, so you may want a different online version to compare with). - Know how to do the homework problems. If you know how to do the hw, then you'll be prepared for the exams. This class isn't proof-based, so there are only so many types of problems that can be asked. - Ask questions. As discussed above, Prof Hester cares about his students, so he's always happy to take questions
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - If you are the type of math student who loves math and math is your everything, take Killip. However, if you’re a regular person who enjoyed math 33b and is excited to take an upper div differential equations class FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT!!! take Killip. For one, his homeworks take AGES. The material in the hw is next to impossible to do unless you attend every office hour, the lecture and textbook material are only slightly related. His exams expand on the homeworks that are already a huge LEAP from the things he lectures on. If you end up taking Killip, camp out in his and the TA’s OH to get those homework answers. Lecture will not help you.
Fall 2020 - If you are the type of math student who loves math and math is your everything, take Killip. However, if you’re a regular person who enjoyed math 33b and is excited to take an upper div differential equations class FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT!!! take Killip. For one, his homeworks take AGES. The material in the hw is next to impossible to do unless you attend every office hour, the lecture and textbook material are only slightly related. His exams expand on the homeworks that are already a huge LEAP from the things he lectures on. If you end up taking Killip, camp out in his and the TA’s OH to get those homework answers. Lecture will not help you.
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