Can I take diff EQ before Multivariable Calc?

<p>The way my schedule worked out for next semester, I am going to be taking Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations. However, I just finished taking Calc II and will not have yet taken Multivariable Calc. Will this be OK?</p>

<p>You’ll be fine. If I recall, there wasn’t really anything from calc 3 in DiffEQ, everything you need to know is from calc 2.</p>

<p>The only concept you’ll need to understand is what a partial derivative is. It’s a pretty straightforward idea, though, so I wouldn’t worry a whole lot.</p>

<p>Just learn what a partial derivative is, what an implicit partial derivative is, and what the chain rule is for partial derivatives. That’s really the most Calc 3 you’ll see in PDEs.</p>

<p>I disagree. If the course covers partial differential equations, take multivariable first because you’ll want to understand vector differential forms like divergence, gradient and curl. If the course doesn’t cover partial differential equations, your fine. Most don’t cover that topic.</p>

<p>Someone in my multivariable calculus class this semester took differential equations at the same time, and she did fine. It does seem unusual that you’d cover ordinary and partial DE’s in one course.</p>

<p>Yes although it’s slightly easier the other way around, only because of partial derivatives (which would be easy enough to pick up on your own if you wanted). Half of my DiffyQ class was concurrently enrolled in Calc 3 and DE, same semester, so it can be done.</p>

<p>I took DiffyQ this past semester at my high school and I will be taking Multivariable next semester. It was totally fine, although the teacher was teaching with the knowledge that all of us had not yet taken Multivariable. You should be fine though.</p>

<p>I took DiffEq and Calc 3 together, no problems and got A’s in both. DiffEq was fun, but Calc3 was boring, except for the physics stuff.</p>

<p>Usually the first Differential class covers ODEs, the only concept you need to understand would probably be partial derivatives. You will be using it to find exact equations,finding undetermined coefficient and reduction of order. If you know how to find partial of x with respect to t and partial of y with respect to t u will be fine. The problem of your class has system of linear equations which involves linear algebra to solve a system of ODEs. But u will do find if ur calc 2 is good and u still remember all the integration methods.</p>