The calculus is the greatest aid we have to the application of physical
truth in the broadest sense of the word.       - W. F. Osgood

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/s01/

Course Objectives

• To reinforce prior understanding of derivatives and how they relate to integration.
• To be able to find antiderivatives systematically.
• To be able to estimate definite integrals numerically and understand how to measure and compare error.
• To be able to represent sums of physical quantities as definite integrals.
• To be able to model with differential equations and to solve by separation of variables.
• To understand how Taylor polynomials approximate functions and to be able to find and use Taylor polynomials.
• To develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.

To have fun doing mathematics

MCS-121 or MCS-131 or placement exam.

Text

Calculus by Hughes-Hallett, Gleason, et. al. (John Wiley & Sons, New
York, Second Edition, Alternate Version, 2000).

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 will not be allowed during exams.

Exams

We will have 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

• March 1, March 20, and April 23

The final exam will be given Tuesday, May 22, 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Evaluation

Your course grade will be determined using the following percentages as a guide:
 

Each test counts for 20% except that your lowest score will only count 10%.

I will use the following guides when evaluating your participation:

Academic Integrity

The academic honesty policy can be found on page 31 of the 2000-2001 college catalogue.  I call your attention to the following excerpt:  ``In all academic exercises, examinations, papers, and reports, students shall submit their own work. Footnotes or some other acceptable form of citation must accompany any use of another's words or ideas.''

Accessibility

Please contact me immediately if you have a learning or physical disability requiring accommodation.

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 shouldread 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

I hear, and I forget;
I see, and I remember;
I do, and I understand.
                          -Proverb

• Acknowledge your sources (people and texts).
• In nontrivial problems, show how you get your answers.
• Turn in neat, well-written solutions, not messy first drafts.  Trim "fringes."  Staple.
• Do not copy collaborative solutions;  write up solutions in your own words.
• Turn in homework on time.  Each class day late reduces the possible points by 25%.

Prep Problems, Participation and Performance

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 problems will be collected at the beginning of class and will be graded primarily on effort.  Occasionally you will be asked to generate questions on the reading in lieu of preparation problems.

The following factors contribute to participation and performance:
 

Positives	Negatives
Regular attendance	Missing classes, showing up late
Being prepared	Being unprepared
Reading the book, doing prep problems in advance	Doing prep problems in class in the back row
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

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:

• Study frequently, in small doses.
• Work on calculus every night. Stay caught up with the homework.
• Read the text sections to be covered before and after class.
• Ask questions early and often. Don't just assume you'll figure it out later.

Calculus II (MCS122) satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning criteria of Area D.

• Knowledge of the language of mathematics and logic.  (understanding of the notion of integral, series, differential equation)
• Familiarity with logical or algorithmic methods of symbolic reasoning  (finding  antiderivatives, definite integrals, Taylor polynomials and solutions to differential equation)
• Knowledge of the practical applications of mathematical modeling and axiomatic systems (applications of integrals s in physical, biological and social sciences, modeling using differential equation)
• Appreciation of the role of the formal sciences in the history of ideas, and their impact on science, technology, and society (historical development of calculus)

We will proceed through most of chapters 6 through 10 in Hughes-Hallett.