Higher Diploma in Mechanical Engineering

Engineering mathematics and project scheduling tutorials

This Higher Diploma in Mechanical Engineering collection contains nineteen Jemshah video lessons with written study companions, worked practice examples and self-check answers. It focuses on selected engineering mathematics and project scheduling topics used during higher-diploma revision.

Current coverage

• First-order ordinary differential equations: separation, integrating factors and exact equations.
• Second-order linear equations: distinct, repeated and complex roots, initial conditions and forced responses.
• D-operator methods, exponential particular integrals and overlapping trials.
• Applications to cooling and mass–spring vibration.
• Fourier-series coefficients, symmetry, triangular and square waveforms.
• Project crashing, changing critical paths and direct versus indirect cost.

This is a tutorial collection for those topics, not a complete replacement for every unit in a Higher Diploma programme. Use your institution’s current unit outline to identify additional areas you need to study.

How to use the lessons

Start with the written method, attempt each worked problem independently, then compare the steps and use the existing video for further explanation. Complete the self-check before revealing the answer. In calculations, retain units and substitute your result back into the original equation where possible.

Prerequisites are algebra, differentiation, integration and basic engineering mechanics. For the scheduling lessons, you should understand precedence and critical-path calculations. A scientific calculator and a notebook are sufficient for the examples.

The added examples are independently prepared revision exercises, not official KNEC questions, marking schemes or transcripts of the videos. Further reading is available in MIT OpenCourseWare: Differential Equations and MIT OpenCourseWare: System Project Management.