Math 141: Calculus I - Fall 2014

Math 141: Calculus I - Fall 2014

 

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Instructor, TAs and General Information

 

Instructor: Luís Finotti

Office: Ayres Hall 251

Phone: 974-1321 (don't leave messages! -- e-mail me if I don't answer!)

e-mail: lfinotti@utk.edu

Office Hours: MW 9-10 or by appointment.

 

TA/Section: James Scott (009)

Time and Location: Th 2:10pm-3:25pm at Ayres Hall 123.

Office:Ayres Hall 109

e-mail: jscott66@vols.utk

Office Hours: MW 11am-12pm

 

TA/Section: Margaret Wieczorek (010)

Time and Location: Th 2:10pm-3:25pm at Ayres Hall 110

Office: Ayres Hall 109

e-mail: mwieczor@vols.utk

Office Hours: Tu 2pm-3:30pm and Th 3:30pm-5pm.

 

TA/Section: Andrew Starnes (011)

Time and Location: Th 3:40pm-4:55pm at Ayres Hall 120.

Office: Ayres Hall 234

e-mail: starnes@math.utk.edu

Office Hours: MWF 1:45-2:15pm or by appointment.

 

TA/Section: John Cummings (012)

Time and Location: Th 3:40pm-4:55pm at Humanities and Social Sciences 113 .

Office: Ayres Hall 314

e-mail: starnes@math.utk.edu

Office Hours: TBA.

 

Textbook: J. Rogawski, ``Calculus: Early Transcendentals'', 2nd Edition. W.H. Freeman, 2011. (You can also buy an electronic copy from WebAssign.)

Prerequisite: Math 130.

Class: MWF 2:30pm-3:20pm at Dabney-Buehler Hall 300. (Sections 009, 010, 011, 012.)

Recitations:

Exams: Midterms: 09/26 (Friday) and 11/07 (Friday); Final: 12/08 (Monday) from 2:45pm to 4:45pm.

Grade: 25% for HW (lowest score dropped) + 20% for each Midterm + 35% for the Final. Note the weight of the HWs!

 

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Course Information

Course Content

This is a course in Differential Calculus. Calculus is a very important subject with applications in many areas and fundamental to physics and engineering.

In this semester we will study limits, derivatives, and applications to physics and in optimizations. The second semester deals with Integral Calculus, but it is strongly related to the content of the first semester.

 

Chapters and Topics

We will likely cover the following: Chapters 2 to 4 (except Section 4.9) and Sections 11.1 and 11.3.

Note that this outline is subject to change slightly without prior notice.

 

Homework Policy

Homework on this course will be mostly done through WebAssign. (You should login to WebAssign via Blackboard.) Note that WebAssign recommends that you use Firefox as a browser.

Here are a couple of files to help you with WebAssign (also available on Blackboard):

You can check due dates from WebAssign (or Blackboard, but if they differ for some reason, trust WebAssign), but you will have HWs mostly due on Mondays, so that you can ask for help on recitation on Thursday and work during the weekend. I strongly recommend you start working on it early! It will give you more time and will help you keep up with the lectures!

You have 10 attempts to submit an answer (in WebAssign), but after the third attempt, you are penalized with 20% of the value of the question or part! (The point is that you should not guess!)

You can save an answer instead of submitting it. This will not count as an attempt. But, do not forget to later actually submit your answer! Saved answers are not graded!!

You can turn in late HWs. A request for extension in WebAssign will be automatically granted:

 

If you are having trouble with WebAssign, contact them first! You can contact me if the problem occurs close to the due date, in which case, if I can confirm the problem, I can give you (or the whole class) an extension, but in general I cannot help you with technical difficulties.

In the past, there were a few problems that caused assignments to be postponed due to technical problems with WebAssign, but keep in mind that you should not leave things for the last minute. Also, I strongly recommend you get a print out of the assignment early. That way, you can work on the HW even if WebAssign is down (and later just enter your results).

All HW assignments for the whole course are already available, but the dates are still tentative! (You can start at anytime.) So, watch the calendar on WebAssign for changes.

 

You will also turn in some extra problems directly to your TA every once in a while. (Mostly problems that cannot be graded by the computer.) You will be properly notified when these come up. These cannot be turned in late, unless you get permission from your TA in very special circumstances.

Note that I will drop the lowest HW score, so this should help with any unexpected problem you might have to complete one of your HWs.

Calculators will not be allowed in exams! Thus, you should try to avoid using it in your HW too! You should only use it if numbers get ``messy'', which I will make sure it will not happen in the exam. This is a difficult decision as computer experimentation can be quite useful. But I believe one should understand well the process before delegating it to computers/calculators.

In my opinion, doing the HW is one of the most important parts of the learning process, so the weight for them is greater than the weight of a single midterm, and I will assume that you will work very hard on them.

Also, you should try to come to my office hours (or your TA's) if you are having difficulties with the course. We will do our best to help you. Please try to come during my scheduled office hours, but feel free to make an appointment if that would be impossible.

Finally, it is your responsibility to keep all your graded Exams! It is very important to have them in case there is any problem with your grade. You can check all your scores at Blackboard.

 

Missed Work

There will be no make-up exams. If you miss an exam and have a properly documented reason, your final will be used to make-up your score.

The way this works is as follows: the points from the problems on the final involving the sections of the corresponding midterm will make your midterm grade. For example: let's say that you missed Midterm 1, which, say, involved Sections 2.1-9 and 3.1-4. If questions 1 to 3 of the final (which is comprehensive!) are the questions from those sections and you get 24 out of 30 in those questions, your Midterm 1 grade will 80 out of 100 (as 24 is 80% of 30).

 

E-Mail Policy

I will assume you check your e-mail at least once a day. I will use your e-mail (given to me by the registrar's office) to make announcements. (If that is not your preferred address, please make sure to forward your university e-mail to it!) I will assume that any message that I sent via e-mail will be read in less than twenty four hours, and it will be considered an official communication.

Also, communications on Blackboard's forums (see item below) are considered official communication. Please subscribe to them or check them at least once a day.

 

Blackboard and Feedback

In Blackboard you will be able to ask questions, answer surveys and send me feedback.

There are forums where you can post questions about math, the course structure or Blackboard/WebAssign. (I've created a different forum for each. Please use the appropriate one!) All other students will also be able to read these and offer help. I strongly recommend you subscribed to all, to receive email updates when a new post appears! Things of interest to all might appear there.

Lastly, there is also a link for (general) Feedback. (Please, also subscribe to it.) Please, post all comments and suggestions there as often as you want. (I really appreciate your input.) These can be posted anonymously (or not). Just make sure to check the option before posting! Others students and myself will be able to respond and comment. If you prefer to keep the conversation private (between us), you can send me an e-mail, but then, of course, it won't be anonymous.

 

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Legal Issues

Conduct

All students should be familiar and maintain their Academic Integrity: from Hilltopics, pg. 46:

Academic Integrity

The university expects that all academic work will provide an honest reflection of the knowledge and abilities of both students and faculty. Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of data, providing unauthorized help, and other acts of academic dishonesty are abhorrent to the purposes for which the university exists. In support of its commitment to academic integrity, the university has adopted an Honor Statement.

All students should follow the Honor Statement: from Hilltopics, pg. 16:

Honor Statement

``An essential feature of The University of Tennessee is a commitment to maintaining an atmosphere of intellectual integrity and academic honesty. As a student of the University, I pledge that I will neither knowingly give nor receive any inappropriate assistance in academic work, thus affirming my own personal commitment to honor and integrity.''

You should also be familiar with the Classroom Behavior Expectations.

We are in a honor system in this course!

 

Disabilities

Students with disabilities that need special accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services and bring me the appropriate letter/forms.

 

Sexual Harassment and Discrimination

For Sexual Harassment and Discrimination information, please visit the Office of Equity and Diversity.

 

Campus Syllabus

Please, see also the Campus Syllabus.

 

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Course Goals and Outcomes

Course Relevance

Calculus is a very important mathematical tool, with important applications in Physics, Engineering and Statistics, among others. Virtually all sciences use calculus, although some more visibly than others. Students in Physics, Mathematics and Engineering should expect to use it through out their studies.

 

Course Value

The students will:  

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the semester students should be able to:  

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Links

   

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Handouts

   

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