The course will discuss the three main classes of equations, elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic. It is intended both for mathematics students continuing to honours work and for other students using mathematics at a high level in theoretical physics, engineering and information technology, and mathematical economics.
Topics to be covered will include fundamental solutions, maximum principles, regularity (smoothness) of solutions, variational problems, Holder and Sobolev spaces.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Explain the concepts and language of partial differential equations and their role in modern mathematics and applied contexts
- Analyse and solve complex problems using partial differential equations as functional and analytical tools
- Apply problem-solving with partial differential equations to diverse situations in physics, engineering and other mathematical contexts
- Conduct some (limited) independent research under expert supervision.
Indicative Assessment
- 3-4 written assignments involving problem-solving, proofs of theorems and extension of theory (75) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Final exam (25) [LO 1,2,3]
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Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
• Face-to-face component which may consist of 3 x 12 hours (36 hours total) of lectures.
• Approximately 94 hours of self-directed study which will include preparation for lectures, tutorials and other assessment tasks.
The exact workload distribution will vary from year to year.
Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Mathematical Sciences Institute to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
Partial Differential Equations, by Lawrence C. Evans.
Preliminary Reading
Chapters 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 of the above book.
Majors
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4680 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6720 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8557 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |