4443/5443 Course Info - Fall 2015
Text: The textbook for this course is An Introduction to Analysis (4th edition), by Wade. We will cover most of chapters 5, 8, 9, 11, and the first couple of sections of chapter 12, as time permits.
Course objectives: The course will offer a rigorous study of the theory of integration and functions of several variables.
Grades: Your grade will be based on the following three categories:
Homework: 25%
Exams (2 midterms and one comprehensive final): 60%
Quizzes: 15%
Grades in this course will be curved: at the end of the course, the overall average score will correspond to a grade of B. The other letter grades will then be decided according to the actual score distribution.
This course is slash-listed. Although exams and homework will be fairly similar for both courses, students enrolled in 5443 should occasionally expect additional, more challenging problems.
Homework: Homework will be assigned during lectures and collected each Friday at the beginning of class. Late homework will not be accepted. They upset the grading process and are unfair to other students. The key to success in this (and any other math) course is to work through a lot of exercises. This will enable you to master the material, and be better prepared for the exams. The homework assignments will only provide you with a minimum level of exposure to the material. Apart from the homework assignments that you are required to turn in, there will be additional problems---that you should not turn in---designed to familiarize you further with the course contents, and you are strongly encouraged to do them. A list of the assigned problems will be regularly updated on this site. The complete list of problems due on a given Friday wil onlyl be available on the site by Monday morning, so make sure you have the whole assignment.
It is easy to get stuck or frustrated on math problems. A partial remedy is to work together in groups. For regular homework assignments, groups of up to three people may turn in a joint paper. You may, of course, work alone if you prefer.
Help on the assignments and related problems will also be available during office hours (Wednesdays 2:40-3:30, Thursdays 3-3:50, or by appointment).
Exams: The midterm exams are each worth 20% of the total and will be given during regular meeting time on the following dates:
Exam 1: Friday February 26
Exam 2: Friday April 15
The comprehensive final examination is worth 40% and will be held in the usual lecture room on Thursday May 12, 8--10 AM.
If your lowest test score is the final, then your final will only count as 20%. If your lowest test score is one of the two midterm exams, then that score will be dropped. Either way, your test scores combined will be worth 60% of the total. Note: Your homework and quizz scores cannot be dropped.
Quizzes: The essential first step in creating a correct deductive argument is knowing precise statements of the applicable definitions and theorems. There will be short quizzes on a regular basis to test your knowledge of the definitions and the theorems covered in the previous week.
General course policy: There will be no make-ups for missed exams unless the following conditions are met: a) there is a valid reason for the absence (such as severe illness requiring medical attention), and b) you can provide me with written verification (such as a note from your physician).
Although attendance will not be explicitly monitored, you are expected to attend class. Whether or not you attend, you are responsible for being aware of any announcements and/or modifications made in class.
According to the Faculty Handbook, the guidelines regarding withdrawals specify:
"A student who withdraws from a course during the first two weeks of classes (first week of a summer term) receives no grade; however, a student who withdraws from all classes in the first two weeks of classes (first week of a summer term) receives the grade of "W."
From the third week (the second week of a summer term) through the tenth week (fifth week of a summer term), any student who withdraws from a course will receive a grade of "W." After the tenth week (fifth week of a summer term) through the remainder of the term, withdrawals are not permitted except by direct petition to the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled. The student who withdraws with permission of the dean will receive a final grade of "W" or "F" at the discretion of the instructor."
All cases of suspected academic misconduct will be referred to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for prosecution under the University’s Academic Misconduct Code. The penalties can be quite severe. Don't do it! Students are also bound by the provisions of the OU Student Code, which can be found here.
Students with disabilities: The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course are requested to speak with me as early in the semester as possible. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166, phone (405) 325-3852.
Religious holidays: It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Any student who wishes to reschedule an exam in order to observe a religious holiday should contact me during the first two weeks of classes.
Some general advice: This course is one that students traditionally find quite challenging. Even though the material is familiar from Calculus, the focus here is not on learning techniques but rather on learning to reason and build rigorous proofs. This takes time and effort. How much time you spend studying depends on your prior preparation and individual inclination. However, you should reasonably expect to spend at least six hours per week doing homework, reviewing lecture notes, etc. An essential part of the learning process is to read the material that will be covered in a lecture before class, even if you do not fully comprehend it. One last word of caution: do not fall behind! The course is fast-paced and new results build on old, so that if you don't understand what came before, you won't understand later topics.