Course Description: Math 125 is designed to introduce and explore the calculus of algebraic, exponential, and logarithmic functions. The objective of the course is to familiarize the student with the basic concepts and techniques of differential and integral calculus and their applications in problem-solving. An intuitive understanding of concepts is stressed over theory and rigorous proofs. All students are required to have a graphing calculator. The graphing calculator is used to help the student think about the geometric and numerical meaning of calculus and to approximate numerical solutions to realistic application problems.
Prerequisite(s): Two years of algebra and one year of geometry in high school, or satisfactory placement exam score. Math 119 is an appropriate course to prepare the student for Math 125; Math 130 is also acceptable. For the student who plans to take both Math 123 and 125, it is recommended that the student take Math 123 first.
Audience: The typical student in Math 125 is majoring in one of the following subjects: business, economics, social science, agriculture, architecture, communications, or human ecology (see the Undergraduate Catalog for details). This course will not satisfy the calculus requirement for students who wish to major in mathematics, physical sciences, engineering or computer science.
Topics Include (but are not limited to): Rates of change, derivatives and interpretations of the derivative, techniques of differentiation, marginal analysis, optimization, accumulated change and the definite integral, the definite integral as area, antiderivatives, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, applications of the integral, and numerical integration.