MCS 122 --  Calculus II
Fall 2003




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:



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