Calculus in many ways is the culmination of 17th century European mathematics. Problems in integral calculus (finding complicated areas) and differential calculus (finding instantaneous rates of change and tangents) date back to antiquity, but the genius of Newton and Leibniz was connecting differential and integral calculus with ``The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus''. The presentation of the material in the course does not represent the historical development of calculus which was piecemeal and halting. The topics are covered with the intention of building each new idea upon the previous ones.
One of the most fundamental, and most slippery, topics in mathematics is the relationship between the finite and the infinite. A recurring theme throughout the course will be the relationship between an approximation and the exact value. We will spend quite a bit of time trying to determine just how good any approximation is. One of the most beautiful insights of calculus is that by taking better and better approximations and extending from the finite to the infinite, we will often be able to find a precise solution.
The emphasis in this course is on concepts and problem solving rather than theory and proof. MCS122 presents the concepts of integral calculus from four points of view: geometric, numerical, algebraic, and verbal.
Topics
We will proceed through most of chapters 7 through 11 in the
textbook. In doing so, we will learn about:
Course Objectives
Web Page
Announcements, course information and assignments will be posted on
the course web page. The URL for this course is
http://www.gac.edu/~mmcdermo/mcs122/f03/
Prerequisites
MCS-121 or placement exam.
Text
Calculus by Hughes-Hallett, Gleason, et. al. (John Wiley &
Sons, New
York, Third Edition, 2002).
Calculators
You should have a graphing calculator available for use in class and
on exams. If you do not own a calculator, please talk to your instructor.
The department recommends the TI-83. You may use other calculators
(especially other TIs, Casios, HP or Sharp) as long as you are able to
enter a simple program into your calculator and you are comfortable with
basic graphing features. Calculators with symbolic algebra
capability (e.g. TI-89, TI-92) will not be allowed during exams.
Academic Integrity
As a student at Gustavus you are expected to uphold the Honor Code and abide by the Academic Honesty Policy.
A copy of the honor code and academic honesty policy
can be found in the
Academic Bulletin
and in the
Gustie Guide.
Tests: You are expected to work completely by yourself on tests.
I will put the standard honor pledge on the front of
each exam for you to sign. The first violation of this policy on an
exam will result in a 0 on that exam, and the Dean of the Faculty will
be notified, as mandated by the policy. The second such violation will
result in failing the course as well as notification of the Dean of the
Faculty.
Homework: I encourage you to work on the homework
together, but you are expected to work together in an honorable
way. This means that while you can discuss problems
and their solutions, each of you should make a real effort to solve each
problem by yourself, and you should give credit to any people or texts
that helped you find solutions. I expect that you will write up your work
individually and never copy someone else's writeup. Should I detect
students copying each other's work, I will on the first occasion talk
with the people having similar work. In case of a second infraction, I will
give you a 0 for that assignment and notify the Dean of the
Faculty. Any further violation will result in increasing penalties, up
to failing the course.
Accessibility
Please contact me during the first week
of class if you have specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disability
and require accommodation. I will do my best to facilitate the necessary
arrangements. All discussions will remain confidential.
You can provide documentation of your disability to the Advising
Center (204 Johnson Student Union). All discussions will remain
confidential. Call Jane Lalim in Academic Advising (x7072).
General Education Calculus II (MCS-122) satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning criteria of the Curriculum I area requirements. QUANT courses are intended to acquaint the student with the application of quantitative and empirical reasoning both to the study of biological and physical phenomena and to the logic and abstractions of the mathematical and informational sciences.
Class Format
We learn by thinking and doing, not by watching and listening.
Learning is an active process: it is something we must do, not have
done to us. Class time will be a mixture of lectures, discussions,
problem solving and presentation of solutions. At various times you
will be asked to present problems, reflect on the reading and generate
questions for your classmates. It is essential that you come to class
prepared to do the day's work. In particular, you should read the text and attempt homework
before coming
to class. Class meetings are not intended to be a complete encapsulation
of the course material. You will be responsible for learning some
of the material on your own.
``A good lecture is usually systematic, complete, precise -- and dull; it
is a bad teaching instrument.'' -- Paul Halmos``The best way to learn anything is to discover it by yourself... .
What you have been obliged to discover by yourself leaves a path
in your mind which you can use again when the need arises.''
-- George Polya
Homework
I hear, and I forget;
I see, and I remember;
I do, and I understand.
-Proverb
Weekly homework is assigned for each section and is collected each Friday
at the beginning of class.
Homework assignments will be collected about once a week, but you are
advised to do the problems from each section right after the class meeting
on that section. Only selected problems will be graded.
You are allowed (even encouraged) to discuss both preparation problems
and weekly homework problems with others. However, ultimately you
must work the problems and write up the assignment entirely by yourself.
As a general rule, you must justify your answers. Explain, or show your
work.
See the Homework Guidelines
Prep Problems, Participation and Performance
WebWork preparation problems are meant to help you prepare for
classes. Note that preparation problems for a section are assigned at
the same time as the reading for that section. This means that
you are being asked to
read and digest a section and attempt problems
before
we discuss the material in class. This is intentional. These problems
will often serve as the starting point for class discussions.
The following factors (borrowed from John Holte) contribute to participation and performance:
| Positives | Negatives |
| Regular attendance | Missing classes, showing up late |
| Being prepared | Being unprepared |
| Paying attention in class | Not paying attention, sleeping, doing something else |
| Contributing to class discussions
Asking relevant questions |
Disruptive behavior |
| Actively working on group problems in class | Sitting alone and refusing to work with a group |
| Curiosity, appreciation, cheerfulness | Apathy, resentment, sullenness |
| Turning work in on time | Turning work in late |
| Neat, well-written work | Messy work |
| Working hard | Hardly working |
| Improvement during the term | Going downhill |
| Attendance the day before and the day after break | Skipping class the day before or the day after break |
Exams
We will have one quiz, three exams during the semester and a final exam.
The exams during the semester will be given in the evening.
They are tentatively scheduled for
at 6:30 p.m.
The final exam will be given Wednesday, December 17, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Why evening exams? I am going to ask you questions that test your problem solving ability and determine whether you understand the concepts that we have studied. Most problems will not be exactly like the homework problems or examples in class just with the numbers changed. I am interested in how well you have learned the material, not how quickly you can solve problems. I have also found that 50 minutes exams in Calculus often cause undue stress and anxiety.
Evaluation
Your course grade will be determined using the following percentages
as a guide:
| Weekly Homework |
20%
|
| WebWork and Class Work |
5%
|
| Gateway Antiderivative Quiz |
5%
|
| Exams (4) |
(20+20+20+10) 70%
|
Each test counts for 20% except that your lowest score will only count 10%.
My assessment of your participation and performance (see above) may be used to adjust your WebWork grade or to make decisions about final grades that are on a borderline.
Advice from Your Peers
When asked what advice they would give a student about to take Calculus
II, previous students most often responded with the following suggestions: