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AMATH 351Ordinary Differential Equations

Units
0.50
Faculty
Mathematics
Subject
Applied Mathematics

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Linear differential equations with non-constant coefficients, Sturm comparison, oscillation and separation theorems, series solutions and special functions. Boundary value problems. Linear systems in Rn, an introduction to dynamical systems. Laplace transforms applied to linear systems, transfer functions, the convolution theorem. An introduction to dynamical systems and stability. Perturbation methods for differential equations. Applications are discussed throughout.

Prerequisites

  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • AMATH250 - Introduction to Differential Equations (0.50)
      • AMATH251 - Introduction to Differential Equations (Advanced Level) (0.50)
      • AMATH350 - Differential Equations for Business and Economics (0.50)
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • MATH237 - Calculus 3 for Honours Mathematics (0.50)
      • MATH247 - Calculus 3 (Advanced Level) (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 3A or higher

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 001596527 / 65TTh 10:00–11:20

Reviewed on UW Flow

69% liked it60% easy83% useful

From 42 ratings and 15 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • too much for nothing

    Dec 2022 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This course is a continuation of amath 250. It's pretty interesting, assignment was long but not difficult, and midterm was fair. However, final was harder than expected.

    Oct 2022 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Not too sure what to say other than this just seems like it's useful for future courses. Not gonna lie, got done dirty with my professor, but that all good I guess. Course is SUPER skippable. Totally the kind of thing you can just not go to lectures and clutch up by reading the notes. I don't support this, but I did it lol. Memorization heavy for sure. Have fun rocking your brains trying to go through the content because the second half of the course has proofs that can be summed up to: see XXX for a more detailed proof, or the proof is the same as in Theorem whatever.the.hell.the.number.is

    Aug 2025 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • With Mohsen Rezaeian, the lectures were awful but overall the course content was fun and interesting (if computational). Very useful for both applications and a purely theoretical understanding of differential equations, though we almost entirely covered the later in class.

    Jul 2025 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Not very hard course. Lots of proof in class but for tests most are computational problems. Pretty fun and useful for both applications and building theoretical foundations. Did with Prof Mohsen Rezaeian. Very committed to discuss and answer any questions during office hours. Extremely helpful.

    Mar 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

64 posts and comments in 55 threads mention AMATH 351, January 2012 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2024

Spring 2024

Easy UW electives 4 points, 0 comments

u/Own_Lengthiness3563: “I have to take three math electives in the fall term and I am confused between the following electives. I am looking to take easy electives and thus, would need some guidance on which ones to take. I am confused between PMATH 340 and stat 337. Math 229 and amath 231. Amath 351.”

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Winter 2023

Fall 2022

Core courses time conflicts 4 points, 9 comments

“I am a mathematical economics student in the faculty of math, for the upcoming W2023, Amath350 is conflicting with Econ472, and the tutorial of Amath350 is conflicting with Econ496. …”

u/Diligent-Release1156: “Are you good with differential equations?”

u/Diligent-Release1156: “Okay, I see they are antireqs on UW FLOW. Eh, there is still time before the semester but I’m not sure how you would expect yourself to do two courses with the lectures at the same time. I took amath 351 as I did amath so I was mixing amath 350 and 351 together”

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Spring 2022

Mathematical physics Course blueprint recommendations 3 points, 21 comments

“Hey everyone, I’m going into the mathematical physics program at Waterloo next year and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on a sort of blueprint I could follow for courses because …”

u/Yu-Li: “… / PMATH 343 PHYS 242 First coop term Do your first research coop PHYS 342 3B Fall AMATH 473 AMATH 351 PMATH 347 PHYS 442 (get override request) PHYS 475 (get override request) / PHYS 468 Change coop sequence 4A winter: AMATH 474 PMATH 863 AMATH 475 PHYS 359 One more physics …”

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Worst Professors 5 points, 32 comments

u/void_nemesis: “… Had him for AMATH 351, absolutely awful. Also Stephen New, but only when online - everyone I've talked to says he's great in person, but his online PMATH courses were really badly taught. …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar