This is the syllabus for Mathematics 1823, Section 001, for the Fall Semester 2002. It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with all the information in this syllabus, and with any modifications to it that may be announced in class. If you lose your copy, please request a replacement from me.
Instructor: Dr. Lucy Lifschitz.
Office: 922 Physical Sciences Center [PHSC].
Phone: 325-0159 E-mail: llifschitz@math.ou.edu
Office Hours:Monday 10:30am - 12:30pm
Text and Course Outline: The textbook for this course is Calculus ( Edition), by James Stewart. We will cover Chapters 1 - 4. A detailed list of sections and dates can be found in the Class Schedule. Here is a brief summary of the course.
The fundamental objects that calculus deals with are functions. We will begin with real valued functions of a real variable. We will look at lots of examples of such functions, learn to visualize them and use them to model some real-world phenomena. The idea of a limit of a function underlies the various branches of calculus. We, therefore, will spend some time investigating limits and their properties. Armed with the knowledge of limits, we will be able to define the derivative of a function. We will give two interpretations of a derivative: 1) a geometric one, which involves slopes of tangent lines to graphs, and 2) an analytic one, which involves the rates of change. We will see many applications of derivatives. These include rates of change problems, approximation of a function, optimization problems and numerical applications (Newton's method).
Prerequisites: Permission of Honors Office to enroll.
Lectures: You are expected to attend all lectures, and are responsible for all information given out during them. In particular, this includes any changes to the midterm dates or content. The Class Schedule gives a rough indication of what topics we hope to cover on specific days. Remember that this is just a rough guide. As the semester develops, we may deviate slightly from this schedule. As in any course, you should try to read the relevant sections of the textbook before attending lectures.
Not attending lectures is the road to disaster!
Grading Scheme: Grades will be assigned by weighting your totals from Homework, Midterms, Challenging Problems and a Final Examination as follows:
| Homework | 10% |
| Midterm Total | 40% |
| Challenging Problems | 20% |
| Final Examination | 30% |
Below, there is a detailed description of each of these components.
Homework: Homework will be due at the start of class on Wendesdays. Homework assignments can be found on the Class Schedule. Minor modifications to the homework sheets may be announced in class during the semester.
You are responsible for ensuring that your homework gets turned in on time. Late homework will not be accepted. They upset the grading process and are unfair to other students.
The homework assignments are there to provide you with a minimum level of exposure to the materials outside of class time. You will need to do many more problems before you feel comfortable with the concepts involved. Take it from experience (of generations of students!) that the way to succeed in a math course is to work (and understand) a large number of problems.
Midterms: There are two midterms, which are held during regular lecture times. They are held on the following dates:
Challenging Problems:In addition to Homework, there will be a number of more challenging problems and projects assigned throughout the semester.
Final Examination: The final examination is cumulative. It is scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, 8:00am-10:00am.
Taking Examinations: Here are a few notes on taking Examinations.
Academic misconduct: The following is taken from the University Academic Misconduct Code. It is the responsibility of each instructor and each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct.
Cases of academic misconduct are inexcusable. Don't do it. All cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Dean of Arts and Sciences for adjudication.
Accommodation of Disabilities: Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible to discuss the accommodations necessary to facilitate his or her educational opportunity and ensure his or her full participation in the course.