Math 141, Spring 2016

From cartan.math.umb.edu

Course information[edit]

  • See the syllabus for general information and the schedule of readings.
  • Class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. and Thursdays, 2:00 p.m.-2:50 p.m., in W-1-44.
  • Textbook: Gregory Hartman, APEX Calculus, Version 3.0 (see below).
  • Instructor: Steven Jackson.
  • Office: S-3-82
  • Office hours: by appointment.
  • E-mail: jackson@math.umb.edu.
  • Telephone: (617) 287-6469.

Textbook[edit]

The textbook may be downloaded in PDF form, free of charge, using the following links:

(Note that these are the "small" versions. If you want the versions containing interactive graphics - potentially entertaining but not really necessary - or if you wish to obtain all three volumes in one large file, please visit http://www.apexcalculus.com/.)

In addition, inexpensive bound hardcopies are available from Amazon. If you wish to obtain one, please search for "APEX Calculus" and be sure to get Version 3.0. (Please note that while we will be using all three volumes, the bulk of the course material comes from Volume 2.)

Scoring system[edit]

Each quiz and each exam question will be scored on a five-point scale, as follows:

  • 0/5: No response, or completely irrelevant response.
  • 1/5: Response contains relevant words or symbols, but is essentially gibberish.
  • 2/5: Not gibberish, but not on the right track either. Student should not proceed alone, but should speak to some knowledgeable person in order to get back on track.
  • 3/5: On the right track but not there yet. Student should spend more time thinking about this problem, or risk leaving behind a dangerous gap.
  • 4/5: Substantially correct and complete process, but with execution errors.
  • 5/5: Good enough. Student should move on and learn new things. May still contain small errors not germane to the point of the problem; these should be pointed out in comments even though no points are taken off.

This sounds clear-cut but in fact it involves some subjective judgment on the part of your instructor. If your assigned score is within +/- 1 of what most instructors think it should be, then the system is working as intended. Errors of this size will almost always average to no effect by the end of the term. Please be kind and patient with your instructor, just as your instructor is kind and patient with you: people have a finite capacity for decision making, and expecting perfect judgment every time is not realistic.

Important dates[edit]

  • Weekly quizzes happen on Tuesdays during the last fifteen minutes of class. The first quiz is on Tuesday, February 2.
  • First midterm: Tuesday, March 8.
  • Second midterm: Tuesday, April 12.
  • Final exam: Friday, May 20, 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., in M-1-208.

Formula sheets for exams[edit]

No books, notes, or electronic devices are permitted in exams. However, each exam will include a list of useful formulas, which you can find in advance below. (Anything you think you might need which does not appear on the appropriate formula sheet should be committed to memory.)

How to use this page[edit]

Below you will find links to the weekly assignment pages. Each of these pages is editable by anyone in the class, so apart from telling you what problems to work on they are excellent spaces in which to ask questions. (If you are very shy you may ask your questions privately, either by email or in person. But we will all work more efficiently if you ask them on the wiki, so that each question only needs to be answered once.) It is also extremely helpful to try to answer questions posed by other students. I will monitor these pages to ensure that no wrong answers go uncorrected.

If you are not already familiar with them, you may wish to read about wiki markup and typesetting mathematics. Also, you may wish to add this page and the assignment pages to your watchlist using the link in the upper right corner of each page, then change your preferences to enable e-mail notifications; this way you will know about page activity without constantly re-checking all the pages.

Weekly assignments[edit]

Final Study Group[edit]

Hello everyone from Calculus II with Professor Steven Jackson. My name is James Austin Hill (I sat in the front row of our section, third column from the door). I'm meeting with a group of students from other Calculus II sections on every day from Tuesday through Thursday from 8AM till 9 or 10PM and on Friday from 8AM until the final exam period at 3PM. We will be meeting either on the 3rd Floor of the Integrated Science Complex or in the old Science Building on the 2nd Floor in Room 65. We might change locations each day or at different times during the day, so text me if you want to join us. Anyone who wishes to come is welcome, and anyone who wants to come should not feel obligated to be there for the entire length of time listed above. Also, for anyone who wants to come to campus and lives on the South Shore, I live in Weymouth and would be more than willing to coordinate for carpooling. My phone number is 617-827-4606.

Good luck!
James Austin Hill