Abstract / Synopsis
In this paper, simple ordinary differential equations are discussed against the background of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In addition, a version of this relationship in a somewhat opposite setting is considered. It is proposed that engineering mathematics courses include this topic in order to promote additional interest in differential equations. In the final section it is shown that vibration of a single-degree-of-freedom mechanical system can be cast as a love-hate relationship between its displacement and velocity, and dynamic instability identified as a transition from trigonometric love to hyperbolic.
DOI
10.5642/jhummath.201902.15
Recommended Citation
Isaac Elishakoff, "Differential Equations of Love and Love of Differential Equations," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 9 Issue 2 (July 2019), pages 226-246. DOI: 10.5642/jhummath.201902.15. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol9/iss2/15
