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Very helpful if you are looking for a set of worked-out ODE problems; a bad idea if you are trying to learn the subject, or refresh your memory. PS. Holzner's "DE for Dummies" is one nice cheap beginner book - but I would still go for a "regular" textbook.
Like most of other SCHAUM'S outlines, the book provides the essential and important knowledge about Differential Equations. If you are dealing with math, engineering and science and would like to have a structured reference about ODE, then this book definitely should be placed on your working desk.
I'm not one to say much so I'll keep this kind of short. It always helps to have another point of view and explanation other than those offered in the classroom, whether one struggles with this material or not. This book was definitely worth purchasing.
Got this to be an understandable reference after I couldn't understand the text I had to use for the class. Product did exactly that.
Students will have to work hard to keep the notation straight and not confuse themselves. Granted, engineers and the like need to be able to switch, but that's not the point of a DE class.
In general, I recommend these texts. That said, I used this as a supplement to a DE class I taught and it was such a pain.
First, it must be said that the Schaum Outline series provides an inexpensive way for students to get more practice and check their answers. To add to the fun, the cgs system is also thrown into the mix.
The notation is nonstandard, symbols for Bessel functions are downright wrong and things like this. The application exercises were more focused on converting from English units to SI units than on the variety of application problems.
It is nice to have sections on the Laplace transform and first-order systems and most exercises are ok, if repetitive. I wouldn't use this in another class.
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