Math 140A, Calculus with Foundations I, Fall 2009

We will use the following two textbooks.

• James Stewart, Lothar Redlin, and Saleem Watson, Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus, Fifth Edition, Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2007. (ISBN-10: 0-495-39276-6, or ISBN-13: 978-0-495-39276-7)
• James Stewart, Calculus: Early Transcendentals, Sixth Edition, Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2008. (ISBN-10: 049501166-5, or ISBN-13: 978-049501166-8)

The two course sequence MTH140A and MTH141A integrates the learning of calculus with precalculus mathematics and ends where MTH142 traditionally picks up. This means that at the end of the sequence, a semester of differential calculus will have been covered. When taken alone, MTH140A covers, in addition to the precalculus material, the theory of differential calculus, but no material from the integral calculus. The latter topic will be covered in MTH141A.

In MTH140A we will use, adapt, and apply standard methods in different situations, as well as make connections between methods and see why they work. We will begin the course with a fresh look at how the real numbers, equations, inequalities, and the coordinate plane work together to solve problems and model real-world situations. Next, we will study functions of a real variable, limits and continuity, and derivatives (their meaning, methods for calculating, and applications). We will cover selected sections from Chapters 1, 2, and 3 in Stewart, Redlin, and Watson’s Precalculus, and Chapter 2 in Stewart’s Calculus, following closely the Weekly Schedule below.

Attending lectures is required in this course, and students who miss a significant number of classes without obtaining excused leaves of absence from their instructors will find their grades penalized. In addition to classroom attendance, your grade for the course will be based on your performance on three exams, WebWork assignments, and quizzes:

Exam scores will be available on BlackBoard's online gradebook for you to view. WebWork scores can be viewed in WebWork's internal gradebook. You are responsible for checking that your scores are recorded correctly. All of the exams will be counted in your course grade, all of the WebWork will be counted except for set 0, and all of the quizzes will be counted. If you dropped from Math 141 to Math 140A midway through the semester, please see the section Adding Math 140A below for how your grade will be determined.

Homework comes in two forms. One form of homework consists of supplementary exercises that are listed in the course schedule. These exercises do not contribute directly to your total grade, but they will be discussed in recitations and similar exercises will undoubtedly appear on workshops and exams.

The other form of homework is WebWork exercises. WebWork exercises are done online and provide instant feedback. When you have done a WebWork exercise correctly, your credit for the problem is immediately recorded in the database, provided it is before the due date. You may attempt WebWork problems as many times as you like, and incorrect attempts are not counted in your grade. WebWork assignments are due each week, and the due dates are in the WebWork system. All WebWork problem sets, except for set 0, will be counted in your grade.

WebWork exercises are individualized for each student, but you are encouraged to discuss problems with other students. Get started early on each WebWork and enter some answers at least a couple days before the due date. That way, you will have time to seek help on the harder problems before the set is due. The WebWork system often becomes overloaded and slow in the hours immediately before a set is due, since everyone is trying to enter their answers at the same time. Avoid the last minute rush by being done before then.

Each WeBWorK set is due Wednesday morning at 05:00 am, one week after it was assigned (Monday at 2:00 pm). The solutions will be posted each Monday at 2:00 pm. Any changes to the due dates will be indicated in the Weekly Schedule. There will be approximately 14 WeBWorK sets (Set 0, Set 1, Set 2, ... , Set 13). Set 0 is meant to familiarize you with WeBWorK and will not count toward your grade.

Your WebWork login name should be the same as your U of R e-mail user ID (the first part of your Rochester e-mail address), and initially your password will be your student ID number. You should change your password after your first log in. If at the beginning of the semester you cannot log in to WebWork, please email the following information to your instructor, who will set up the account for you and contact you when it is activated:

Your full name, your @mail.rochester.edu email address, and your student ID number (e.g., Joe Horatio Schmoe, jschmoe6@mail.rochester.edu, ID number 55567890).

There will be a weekly recitation where you will be given a quiz. Quizzes will be given in the first 15 minutes of a Recitation and then the practice problems will be discussed. The quizzes will consist of problems taken directly from the practice problems listed in the Weekly Schedule and match the the week's Recitation Topic. They are meant to motivate you to do the practice problems and ensure that you learn the material on a regular basis. There will be approximately 11 quizzes. No quiz will be given during the first week of Recitations, but attendance will be taken. I do not give make-ups on quizzes. If you miss a quiz, you will receive a score of 0. See the Weekly Schedule to learn which sections from the textbook will be discussed in Recitations. Essentially, it will be the same sections that were covered in the lectures in the previous week.

Recitation sign-up lists will be posted on the 1st or 2nd floor of Hylan near the elevators on Friday, September 4th at 3pm. Please sign up for a recitation ASAP! Make note of the time and location of your recitation when you sign up. Recitations will start the first full week of classes (September 7-11). You must attend the recitation you sign up for. If you have an emergency or a conflict with the recitation time, you may contact your instructor about attending another recitation for that week. Make-up recitations will not be given.

We will email you and post detailed information about each exam on the course BlackBoard website. The midterm exams in this course will not be cumulative. The final exam is cumulative and has three parts. Parts 1 and 2 cover the material of midterms 1 and 2 and together comprise half of the points on the final exam. The last part covers the material after the second midterm and comprises the remaining half of the points on the final exam.

If you learn that you will not be able to take the exams on the given dates, please contact me as soon as possible and be ready to provide the necessary documentation. As a rule, I do not give make-ups on exams. If you miss a midterm exam, then at the end of the semester your midterm exam score will be replaced by your score on Part I or II (depending on the missed midterm) of the Final Exam scaled up to be out of 100 points. You are required to take the Final Exam in order to pass the course. If you have a serious reason for missing the Final Exam, then you must inform the Dean’s Office prior to the Final Exam time. The Dean’s office will then let me know that you will miss the exam. The final exam will be cumulative and cover everything listed in the course schedule. Calculators, cell phones, and iPods will not be permitted in exams.

To add Math 140A, please do the following:

1. Talk to the Math 140A professor and have him sign a drop/add slip to be turned in to the registrar. If you are a Math 141 student dropping down to Math 140A after the second midterm exam, you will also need the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the math department to drop down this late in the semester.
2. Email your professor the following information to set up a WebWork account:

   Your full name, your Rochester email address, and your student ID number (e.g., Joe Horatio Schmoe, jschmoe6@mail.rochester.edu, ID number 55567890), and

3. Select a recitation and start attending it immediately. Introduce yourself to the TA and tell him or her that you just added the course. You are expected to start taking quizzes and exams as soon as you have added the course, and any that you miss will count against your grade.

The instructor will set up a WebWork account for you and contact you when it is activated. Within a day of turning in your drop/add slip to the registrar, you will automatically be added to the BlackBoard website for this course.

If you are having difficulty with Math 141, one option is to drop down to Math 140A. If you are in this situation, you should consult with your Math 141 instructor. The sequence Math 140A-141A covers exactly the same material as Math 141, but at a slower pace. MTH140A covers, in addition to the precalculus material, the theory of differential calculus, but no material from the integral calculus. If you drop into 140A after the first exam, but before the second you will be graded as if you missed the first Math 140A exam, that is, your grade on Part I of the Math 140A final will count as your first exam grade. It is possible to drop into Math 140A after the second exam, but this requires the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the math department and is something that is almost never recommended. In this case the exam portion of your Math 140A grade will be based on your final exam in a way that is both fair to you and to the rest of the class. For example, it might not be fair for you to get a course grade that is higher than the lowest course grade among students who performed at the same level as you on the final exam.

The frequently asked questions page has information about how to obtain transfer credit, how to take a course off-campus for transfer credit, how to obtain advanced placement credit, and how to change your calculus sequence. The math department handbook may also have useful information about this.

If you have a disability and need assistance, please let me know. Special arrangements can be made to accomodate most needs. You should also contact Learning Assistance Services in 10 Lattimore (telephone number (585) 275-9049), or visit their web site http://www.rochester.edu/College/las/. Any accomodations for exams must be arranged a week in advance and will require a letter or e-mail from Learning Assistance Services.

You are responsible for knowing and abiding by the University of Rochester’s academic integrity code. The highest standards of academic integrity are expected of all students. For a complete listing visit the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering’s web site http://www.rochester.edu/College/honesty/. Any violation of academic integrity will be pursued according to the specified procedures.