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Comment by j7ake | Hacker News Reader

Differential equation are usually introduced to undergrads by year 2 or 3. So I expect this to be upper undergraduate course.

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The US doesn’t do differential equations in high-school? Huh, TIL

No, typically things end at single variable calculus, although it depends on the school. I can't imagine that there is much value to having high school students doing diff eq.

Not for biologists; typically, they will do multivariate calculus but not so much diffeq (although depends on the school and the student).

At Caltech specifically FWIW, the biology major requirements include intro to diff eq (Ma 2),[0] which is usually taken in the first quarter of sophomore year.

[0] https://www.bbe.caltech.edu/academics/biology/undergraduate-...

yes but caltech is atypical (at many schools, biologists would fail diff eq just like many biologists fail organic chemistry). This course is definitely designed for educated, motivated students.

Organic chem was standard second year course for any science/ engineering student, just like diff eq.

I also TA’d a course like this , and it was for 3rd year biologists/ life sciences / bioengineering

It's a fantastic and atypical program. It's not surprising faculty there wrote and teach from this masterpiece: https://www.routledge.com/Physical-Biology-of-the-Cell/Phill...

This class is actually BE, not Bi; it's a different department, and I certainly think diffeq would be expected.

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