Math 162, Fall 2009 |
Homework
Homework comes in two forms. The main form consists of WeBWorK problems, which will generally be due each Friday at 6:00 am. WeBWorK problems are done over the web by going to the MTH 162 WeBWorK Page and logging in with your WeBWorK login name and password. WeBWorK provides instant feedback as to whether you have done a problem correctly or not. You can try each problem as often as you like, with no penalty (before the due date). For more information on WeBWorK, see the Introduction to WeBWorK Page. The second form of homework consists of supplementary problems; click here for a complete list. These problems do not contribute directly to your total grade, but they are part of the course and it is suggested that you work on them; similar problems may very well appear on the exams.
Secondly, you have to read the book. For a rough schedule of reading assignments, click here. There's no specific time you should have them read, but you should generally keep pace with the lecture material. It is important to read the book and attend class, and to do both the WeBWorK and supplementary problems.
There will be a weekly recitation where homework will be covered.
Often more examples will be discussed there than time permits in the
lectures. Each recitation will include with a short quiz covering
the same material as the homework that was due the week before. Your
quiz scores will count for 10 percent of your grade grade as explained
below.
The recitations give you an ideal environment where you may go over
very specific problems that you might be having with the material or
where you can strengthen your command of certain sections. Recitations
start the week of September 10. Sign up for a recitation on sheets
posted near the elevators in Hylan on Friday, September 7.
Recitation times and locations may be found on the web by clicking
here.
- Each midterm will be scored numerically. The score will be
converted to a letter grade by a formula that will be announced when
the exam is returned. It is possible to get extra credit on a midterm
by solving certain challenging problems that will be announced in class
and posted on this website. See the extra credit page
for details.
- The final exam will consist of two parts: Part I will cover material
previously covered on the midterms, while Part II will cover later
material. Each of them will be scored numerically and the scores
will be converted to letter grades by formulas to be determined
later.
-
Your total WeBWorK and quiz scores (with the lowest individual score
dropped on each) will also be converted to letter grades at the end of
the semester.
- Your course grade will be the higher of the two weighted averages
as indicated in the table below.
Option 1 Option 2 Midterm 1 20% Midterm 1 or 2 20% Midterm 2 20% Quizzes 10% Quizzes 10% Final Part I 10% Final Part I 30% Final Part II 20% Final Part II 20% WeBWorK 20% WeBWorK 20% - In Option 2, only the better of your two midterm grades will be
counted. The lower midterm grade will be dropped, and effectively
replaced by your grade on Part I of the final.
- There will be no make-up exams.
- Late homework will not be accepted.
CALCULATORS, CELL PHONES, iPODS AND OTHER
ELECTRONIC DEVICES WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IN EXAMS.
Necessary Background To take this course, you should have had first semester calculus (MTH 161 or equivalent). That is, you should be familiar with limits and derivatives- both what they mean and how to compute them. You should be comfortable enough with derivatives to compute them fairly quickly. We'll be using trigonometric functions, as well as exponential and logarithm functions, extensively, so you should know how to work with those. If you're shaky on some of these details but have had first semester calculus, talk to your instructor to figure out whether this course is right for you.
Course Content Calculus II covers three main topics: Integration, Parametric Equations, and Sequences and Series.
- In Chapter 6, we'll see some applications of integration to other problems, including some from physics.
- In Chapter 7, we'll learn some more advanced techniques for evaluating integrals.
- Next we'll cover sequences and series in Chapter 11. Two standard problems in this subject are the following: does it make sense to sum up this infinite sum: 1 + 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + ...? (Yes; it adds up to 2, as we'll see.) Does it make sense to sum up this infinite sum: 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/4 + ...? (No; even though the summands keep getting smaller, the sum would add up to infinity.) The main point is that we can write many functions (such as sin(x)) in a very easy to work with form as a polynomial (abeit an infinite polynomial called a power series).
- In Chapter 8, we'll see some more advanced applications of integration.
- In Chapter 10, we'll cover some geometric topics, including the
length of curves and polar coordinates.
Tips for WeBWorK The best feature of WeBWorK is that when you enter an answer to a homework problem, the system immediately tells you whether the answer is correct. On top of that, you can try again as many times as you like. Once you get it right, that fact is immediately recorded (provided it is before the due date), and any wrong answers are not counted in your grade. So
- Get started early on WeBWorK each
week, 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 (and the ones that looked easy at first but turned out
to be trickier) before the set is due.
- Avoid the last-minute rush.
The system often
becomes overloaded and slow in the last couple hours before
a set is due, since everyone is trying to enter their answers
at the same time. Try to be done before that.
-
WeBWorK usually requires very
precise answers. For instance, if the correct answer is 1.60045
and you enter 1.6, the system will say that's incorrect. So
if you're entering a decimal answer,
give at least five digits of accuracy.
On most problems, you can enter answers like
cos(9.81sqrt(340)) instead of a messy decimal,
and WeBWorK will do the calculation for you.
-
Some WeBWorK problems require formulaic answers, like
x^(2/3), which
means x raised to the power of 2/3 (two-thirds). However, if you enter
x^2/3, the system will say that's wrong, since WeBWorK interprets
that as one third of x squared. So
be careful, and check your syntax.
(WeBWorK Set 0, which is recommended but not counted in your grade, will help you learn about entering formulaic answers.)
-
WeBWorK has an
automatic previewing feature which allows you to see how a
complicated formula you just entered is actually interpreted by
WeBWorK. The previewer should help you track down syntax errors as
well as ensure that your answer is being interpreted the way you want
without having to add extra unnecessary parentheses.
Getting Extra Help If you get stuck on a homework problem, or you don't understand some concept as well as you'd like, or you feel lost and confused, please know that there are lots of places you can go for help. Besides lecture and recitation (please speak up and ask questions in both), here are some more informal avenues for assistance:
- Office Hours. All instructors and TAs hold
office hours, for you to drop in with whatever random
questions you may have. Office hours are a good
thing; you should take advantage of them in all your classes.
- Math Study Hall. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from
10:00 until 6:00, math grad students will be available in Hylan
1103 for math study hall, where calculus students can drop in for
homework help and questions.
- Learning Assistance Services. Consider joining a
study group organized by Learning Assistance Services
(Lattimore 107 or call 5-9049).
- WeBWorK Feedback. All WeBWorK problems have a button
on the page for ``Feedback''. When you click this button, a form
comes up that allows you to write a message which will be
emailed to the instructors and TAs. Someone will get back
to you within a day or so (and maybe sooner).
You don't have to copy out the
problem (the system automatically tells us which problem was on the
screen when you clicked the feedback button), but it does help us
to help you if you give some idea of your thought process so far.
In particular, if you've gotten an answer that WeBWorK won't accept,
then say what that answer is and how you came up with it.
Be aware that WeBWorK feedback sent the night a set is due will
almost certainly not get a reply before the set closes.
Dropping Down to MTH 142 Hopefully the following information will concern very few students. If you are having difficulty with the MTH 162 material, one option to consider is dropping down to MTH 142. The sequence MTH 141-3 covers exactly the same material as MTH 161-2, but at a slower pace. MTH 142 covers the last third of MTH 161 and the first third of MTH 162. If you are in this situation, you should consult with your MTH 162 instructor. If you do drop down, it is much better to do so sooner rather than later. If you drop into 142 after the first exam, but before the second you will be graded as if you missed the first MTH 142 exam, i.e. you grade on Part I of the MTH 142 final will count as your first exam grade. It is possible to drop into MTH 142 after the second exam, but this is something that is almost never recommended and requires the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. In this case the exam portion of your MTH 142 grade will be based on your final exam in a way that is fair both to you and to the rest of the class. For example, it might be not fair for the 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.
What to Expect College calculus is generally much more intensive than high-school calculus. Theory and concepts will probably be emphasized more than you are used to, if you're coming from a standard AP course. Furthermore, Calc II is usually harder than Calc I (even if you're a sophomore coming from MTH 161). The main reason is that in Calc I, most of the problems have a set method used to solve them. (For instance, taking a derivative becomes a rote process once you get used to it.) However, many of the problems in Calc II require several attempts with different strategies before you find one that works; and that's even if you know the subject inside and out. In its glory, math is not about formulas and set methods and algorithms (in spite of what it appears to be before calculus). It's about messing around, trying things, trying again, and trying again. If you never find it frustrating, then you're probably not trying hard enough. But if you stick with it, it will make sense. Trust me. Some of the things we'll get to see by wading through the muck are truly beautiful and elegant. Is calculus (and math in general) a tool? Yes, partly; but it also has a wonderful grace of its own. Hopefully, you'll be able to appreciate some of that grace before the course is over.
Back to the Math 162 Homepage. Go to the Math 162 WeBWorK Page. Back to John Olsen's Homepage. Back to Doug Ravenel's Homepage.
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