MAC 2311, Fall 2000

Instructor: Stephanie Fitchett

Office: MHC 164

Phone: 799-8613

Office Hours: T 12:30 - 2:00, R 12:30 - 4:00, F 11:00 - noon (tentative -- to be confirmed the second week of class)

Class meetings: TR 9:30-10:50 and F 10:00-11:00 in MAC 204

Course Description. Inspired by problems in astronomy, Isaac Newton and Wilhelm Gottfried Leibnitz developed the ideas of calculus roughly 300 years ago. Since then, calculus has provided the foundation for advances in many other fields, even those which seem far removed from mathematics. You will find applications in chemistry, physics, economics, biology, medicine, business, psychology, and of course mathematics. Calculus is so important that it is often considered the gateway to many of the disciplines in which it is used.

The power of calculus lies in its power to reduce complicated problems to simple rules and procedures. While these procedures can be (and often are) taught with little regard to the underlying mathematical concepts or their practical uses, our emphasis will be on understanding all of these: concepts, procedures and uses. We will engage in the full mathematics process, which includes searching for patterns, order and reason; creating models of real world situations to clarify and predict better what happens around us; understanding and explaining ideas clearly; and applying the mathematics we know to solve unfamiliar problems. Participation in this variety of mathematical activities is challenging, and for many students, the experience will be vastly different from experiences in more traditional mathematics course.

So what is calculus? Very briefly, calculus is the study of changing quantities. It has two main themes: differentiation, which studies rates of change and is the focus of this course; and integration, which we will mostly save until next semester.

Goals. There are really two sets of goals for this course. The first set of goals involves mastering the mathematical content of differential calculus. In particular, in this course, students should come to

• identify, transform and use elementary functions, especially in their common applications;
• understand, compute and estimate derivatives algebraically, graphically, numerically, and verbally;
• understand and estimate definite integrals algebraically, graphically, numerically and verbally;
• and become familiar with simple differential equations (if time allows).

The second set of goals involves broader issues of learning. More general goals include developing students' abilities to

• apply knowledge of mathematics to identify, formulate, and solve problems, particularly problems related to the environment;
• improve logical thinking and problem-solving skills;
• communicate effectively, especially by writing precisely about technical things;
• work effectively in heterogeneous teams;
• use technological tools such as graphing calculators and equation editors in an appropriate manner; and
• engage in life-long learning.

Materials. The textbook is Calculus, 3nd edition, by Deborah Hughes-Hallett, et al. You will also need a scientific graphing calculator; I strongly recommend the TI-83 or TI-83Plus.

Attendance. Be here! Be here for every class and be on time. There will be no credit for missed work unless you have made arrangements in advance and with good reason.

Reading Assignments, Homework and Quizzes. Reading and homework assignments are listed on a separate syllabus. You should complete the reading assignment before the lesson and do the homework exercises before the class day following the lesson. Homework assignments should written on loose leaf paper, and be kept neatly arranged and labeled in a 3-ring notebook. I may collect your homework notebooks on exam days, but will not collect the syllabus homework on a daily basis. However, we will have short quizzes on the assignments. Tentative quiz days are designated on the assignment sheet. Make-up quizzes will only be given if arrangements have been made in advance and with good reason. The key to success in this course is doing the homework!!! Do all of the problems as they are assigned and seek assistance with any exercise that gives you trouble.

Reports and Other Activities. Project work and the associated reports will generally be done in teams. I will make the team groupings. Reports will be graded not only for correct mathematical "answers,'' but also for the clarity of your write-up. Generally, reports should be typed. When a team's work is turned in, all partners who participated must be on the report must sign the report. Your signature is your pledge that you were a full participant in the work being submitted.

Tests, Final Exam and the Gateway. There will be three major tests in this course and a comprehensive final exam.

No make-ups will be given for tests. In the case of a documented emergency, one test score may be replaced by half the final exam score. The Gateway test is a test on differentiation that you may take as many times as you like. The test is not weighted in the calculation of your final grade, except that if you don't pass the gateway test before the last day of class (Tuesday, April 23rd), your semester grade will be lowered by one full letter.

Grading. Your semester grade will be based on the total number of points accumulated from different course activities. In the table below, I have estimated the number of points for the semester, and the corresponding percentages that will come from each component of the course.

The Projects & Activities category will include the team project reports as well as classroom activities and participation, worksheets assigned as part of the homework, and homework notebooks.

Collaboration and the Honor Code. I assume that you're here to learn. If you talk to each other, you'll learn from each other, perhaps more than you'll learn from me. I encourage you to talk to each other while you are thinking about how to do a problem or assignment. When working homework problems, you can examine each others' solutions, since examining the solution of a fellow student may help you understand the problem and how to solve it. However, you may not copy someone else's solution, nor refer repeatedly to someone else's solution while you develop your own. That doesn't mean that you can't use the ideas of another student, but you must give credit for the idea and understand the idea yourself.

Submitting work that is copied directly from another student, or is copied with cosmetic changes added in an attempt to seem superficially different, as your own work constitutes gross plagiarism and will be dealt with as such.

Quizzes and tests will generally be completed individually. On individual work, you are expected to submit work that is yours and only yours. No collaboration is allowed, either with classmates or with other students or instructors. If you have any questions about what constitutes doing individual work, see me.

Announcements and other useful information will be posted there.

Assistance. Please ask questions and seek assistance as needed. You may email me at any time, and I encourage you to make use of my office hours.