Fall, 1998

Math 125 - Calculus II

Instructor - Larry Curnutt

How to contact me

• Come to my office in L200-M. I'll be there from 8:30 to 9:20 everyday and most afternoons from 2:30 to 5:00.

• Call me. My office phone number is 641-2412.

• Send me an e-mail: lcurnutt@bcc.ctc.edu

• You can find out more about the Mathematics Department and about me on the World Wide Web. The Math Web Site is at http://SciDiv.bcc.ctc.edu/Math/ and my homepage is at http://SciDiv.bcc.ctc.edu/LC/.

Textbook

Contemporary Calculus by Dale Hoffman

Prerequisites

Math 124 (one term of differential calculus); graphing calculator (recommend TI-82)

Content

Calculus is one of western civilization's most significant intellectual achievements. The ideas that make-up calculus are both beautiful and powerful in the efficient and pervasive way that they apply to the real world. Without calculus, science and technology would not exist as we know them. Calculus is traditionally divided into two separate, but intimately related branches: differential calculus and integral calculus. Differential calculus examines slopes of curves and rates of change of dynamic phenomena. Integral calculus deals with areas of irregular regions and processes that are cumulative in nature. The principal tool of differential calculus is the derivative, and the principal tool of integral calculus is the integral, both of which depend on the concept of limits. In this course we will concentrate on integral calculus (chapters 4 - 8). You will study a number of applications of integrals, and you will learn a few techniques for finding antiderivatives.

Daily Assignments

The following activities will require at least three hours each day. You are responsible for all material covered in the text and in the class lectures.
1. Attend class.
2. Study the textbook.
3. Solve lots of problems.
4. Reflect on the work you do.
5. Ask questions.
6. Work in small groups.
7. Explain what you've learned.

Extra help

There is nothing wrong with getting stuck; it happens to all of us. Butting your head against a stone wall is even good for you in small doses. Though you shouldn't run for help at the drop of a hat (or a crumby little minus sign), don't let things get desperate. There is lots of support available.
1. Classmates; study groups
2. Me
3. Math Lab in C204
4. Other texts in the Library
5. MAPLE-equipped Macintosh computers in N250 (NWCET Open Lab)

Exams

Fifty-minute midterms are worth 100 points each.
Monday 10/19
Monday 11/16

The two-hour final exam is worth 100 points.
Wednesday 12/9

Quizzes

Every week that we don't have a midterm, we will have a 20-minute quiz worth 20 points. Your best six quiz scores will count toward your final grade.
Monday 9/28
Monday 10/5
Monday 10/12
Monday 10/26
Monday 11/2
Monday 11/9
Monday 12/23

Projects

Several times during the quarter, unannounced, you will be asked to assemble in teams of 3 or 4 people and complete an assignment. Some of these assignments may take only 20-30 minutes of class time; some may require that you finish them overnight; you may have a week to work on one or two of them. Altogether these "projects" will count 100 points toward your final grade.

There will be no make-up exams, quizzes or projects!
However, one of the following, a low midterm exam score or a missed midterm exam or a low quiz total, may be compensated for by increasing the value of the final exam.
All exams and quizzes will be comprehensive.

Grades

A > 90% > B > 80% > C > 70% > D > 60% > F

A letter grade may be augmented with a + (= +.3gp) or a - (= -.3gp).

Friday, 11/6, is the last day that you may withdraw (grade = W).