Math 124 A&B Syllabus

Spring 2006

The simplest schoolboy is now familiar with facts
 for which Archimedes would have sacrificed his life
Renan, Ernest , Souvenirs d'enfance et de jeunesse.

 

Lecturer:         Dr. Alexandra Nichifor                                                                 Email: nichifor@math.washington.edu

Office:              Padelford C-326                                                                        Phone: 206-543-7898

Class Webpage: http://www.math.washington.edu/~nichifor/124S06.htm

Teaching Assistants (TAs):

Section

TA

Email

AA & AC

Sam Wilson

wilsonsd@math.washington.edu

AB & BA

Jonathan Watts

johanjw@amath.washington.edu

BB & BC

Ariana Dundon

adundon@math.washington.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Math 124, Differential Calculus of a Single Variable! Calculus is a very powerful method for analyzing change, used by many disciplines. This course is an introduction to derivatives and their applications.

 

Text: Calculus, Early Transcendentals by James Stewart (5th Edition).

 

Course Format: MWF at this time in this room with Dr. Nichifor. Tuesday and Thursday you meet with your TA listed above, according to the time and location listed in the time schedule.

 

Math 124 Materials Website: Your homework problems, worksheets and archived old midterms & finals are located on the common Materials website for all Math 124 classes: http://www.math.washington.edu/~m124/

 

Class Website: For information specific to our Math 124 class (eg. midterm statistics, our homework assignments, etc.), go to the link listed at the top of the page. It also links to the Math 124 Materials website.

 

Course Packet (Optional): You can purchase printouts of all homework problems, worksheets and selected final exams at the UW Copy Center in Communications B042. This is simply a convenient way to get all the key course materials; you can always print these materials yourself off the Math 124 Materials website.

 

Grades: Your grade will be made up of the following components ((*) = the lowest grade gets dropped) :

·          final exam = 40%

·          2 midterms, each = 20%

·          homework  = 10% (*)

·          worksheets  = 10%  (*)

While the grades may be adjusted as a function of the class performance, the basic grading guidelines are:
4.0 corresponds to a total score of at least 93% of total points, 3.0~80%, 2.0~68%, 1.0~55%, 0~50% or below.

 

Office hours: Office hours are times when you can speak to me or to any of the TAs without making an appointment - just drop by. Our office hours for this quarter will soon be announced and posted on the web page.  

It gets crowded around midterm time, so make sure to see us early when you have a question.

 

Homework:  See the Homework Guidelines on the class webpage. I announce in class what problems are due and post this information on our class website. Problems are from the weekly homework sheets posted on the general Math 124 course website. (You find these by going to the “Outline" link for each week.) You may have problems due from a couple different homework sheets on the website. It is OK to work with others on the homework, just make sure that you understand what you are doing before you hand it in. No late homework is accepted, but we drop the low score at the end of the term in case you miss an assignment for any reason.

 

Worksheets: Each Tuesday, you will focus on a worksheet. Bring this with you. It is available online or in the course packet. You will spend the entire period working in groups on the worksheet. If groups finish early, they continue to work on problems from the homework. This is a very important time for learning. The instructors will have a chance to talk with you and give you individual suggestions. If you know how to do the problems, you should explain your reasoning to the others in your group. You will receive a grade on the worksheet of 0, 1 or 2: If you attend your worksheet session and make an effort on the worksheet, you will receive 2 pts. If you attend but leave early or do not participate actively, you will receive 1pt. If you miss a worksheet session, you will receive 0 pts. There are no makeup worksheets. Instead, we drop the lowest worksheet score to compute your worksheet grade. This component of the course is not meant to be burdensome. If you attend the worksheet sessions and participate, you will be assured of 100% for this portion of your grade (which is 10% of your final grade).

 

Exams: 

  • Exams are cumulative.
  • A single, handwritten 8.5 x 11 sheet of notes is allowed during exams (single-sided during midterms, double-sided during the final).
  • Calculators: Graphing calculators are not allowed on exams. A simple scientific calculator (such as HP-6S or Sharp EL-500LB) is allowed (and will also be useful on some of the homework problems). No other electronic devices are allowed.
  • The Final exam is common for all Math 124 sections, and will be held on Saturday, June 3rd. It cannot be taken at a different time unless exceptional and documented circumstances occur. If you need to take the makeup final due to a serious and documented reason, you will need to file a petition with the Math Department. Leaving town early for the break is not a valid excuse. Finals are never given earlier.
  • The Midterms are given in the longer (80 minutes) quiz sections, on  April 18th  and on May 16th. There are no make-up exams. If you have a compelling and well-documented reason for missing a test, speak to the professor about it as soon as possible.

 

Additional Resources:

  • The class website is often updated with useful information, including our schedule, announcements, etc. It also links to the general Math 124 website (www.math.washington.edu/~m124) which contains homework assignments, worksheets, extra problems and sample exams and quizzes.
  • The Math Study Center (Communications B-014) is open to students in MATH 124/5/6. The Center provides a supportive place for students to come together and study, in groups or individually.
  • UW is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request any disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at least ten days in advance at: 206-543-6450/V, 206-543-6452/TTY, 206-685-7264 (FAX), or dso@u.washington.edu.
  • The Student Counseling Center offers individual counselors and academic skills workshops on a variety of topics including stress management, test anxiety, and time management to help you succeed at the University of Washington. If any of these is an issue for you, check out the schedule of workshops at

http://www.depts.washington.edu/scc/studyskills.html