Questions relating to linear ordinary differential equations will be considered during this module. Differential equations arise throughout the applications of mathematics, and consequently the study of them has always been recognised as a fundamental branch of the subject. The module aims to give a systematic introduction to the topic, striking a balance between methods for finding solutions of particular types of equations, and theoretical results about the nature of solutions.
While explicit solutions can only be found for special types of equations, some of the ideas of real analysis allow us to answer questions about the existence and uniqueness of solutions to more general equations, as well as allowing us to study certain properties of these solutions.