Math 242 Section D2 info sheet

Fall Semester 1996

Course reference number: 05284
Class meets: 11AM-12PM MWF in Altgeld Hall, room 341
Lab (section K2): 3-5PM W in Altgeld Hall, room 445
Instructor: André Kündgen
E-mail: kundgen@math.uiuc.edu
Office hours: Tuesday 1-3, Thursday 4-5 or by appointment
Office location: 245 Illini Hall
Office phone: 333-3973
Home phone: 384-5041 (before 9:30PM)
Course WWW Page: http://www.math.uiuc.edu/~kundgen/242/

Required Textbook

Multivariable Calculus/Preliminary Edition by McCallum, Hughes-Hallett, Gleason, et al.; John Wiley and Sons, paper cover.

Useful Equipment

A graphing calculator. If you do not already own one you are familiar with, the TI-82 is the one you should purchase. This is the one that will be used during classroom demonstrations. You will be allowed to use your calculator on exams and whenever else it seems useful to you.

Introduction

Calculus is one of the great achievements of the human mind. It has applications in many areas of human thought, especially in mathematics, engineering and the physical and social sciences. This course is the third of a three semester sequence of courses in which the basic ideas of Calculus will be developed. We will use the tools that we will develop to describe, analyze and solve a variety of real world problems.
One of the goals of this course is to help you learn to think about mathematics and its applications and Calculus, in particular.

In the classroom

The course will be taught using small group learning methods, and, occasionally, graphing calculators. You will spend much of each class working on problems in a group with two to four other classmates. The lecture will take at most 15 minutes of each class period. The purpose of the lecture will be to briefly introduce the material of the day or to clarify some point that is bothering the class. During the rest of the class my assistant and I will circulate among the working groups to see how you are doing and to provide some guidance if necessary. In other words you will be actively doing mathematics instead of passively listening to a lecture.
Participation in this group work is crucial. It is expected that you have read the relevant section(s) before the class where it is to be discussed. It will be impossible for you to effectively participate if you are not prepared.

Homework

Individual homework be assigned daily and collected once a week. I will usually assign 4 problems, but this merely represents the minimum amount of work I think you should do. If you have trouble doing these problems I strongly recommend doing more of the problems to get more practice and/or asking for help. Doing the assigned work regularly, seriously, and carefully is vital to your success in this course. Some of the problems on each homework assignment will be graded. Please note at the top of the first homework page problems that you have questions about or were unable to do. Late homework is not acceptable; however the lowest score will be dropped in order to allow for occasional illness or necessary absence. All homework solutions should be written on normal 8.5" by 11" paper with your name written clearly at the top of the front page. The separate sheets must be stapled together (not folded, dog-eared, or paper clipped). Solutions should be legible and written with a reasonable amount of detail. Some solutions should be accompanied by a suitable graph, which should be carefully drawn on graph paper.

Labs

There is a two-hour lab every week, for which attendance is required. I will spend part of the lab time answering questions on homework problems or revisiting difficult sections. Also, students will work on problems in small groups. Quizzes and hour exams will take place in the lab. Finally, students can consult with the instructor during the lab period.

Quizzes

There will be occasional quizzes held in the lab. Missed quizzes cannot be made up. You can make up for low quiz scores by being assistant for a day.

Assistant for a day

During each period where new material is introduced there will be one student that is the assistant for the day. The assistant for the day is determined in the previous class period. I will gladly take volunteers and otherwise select someone at random.

Here is what you have to do when you are assistan for the day: Thoroughly read the section of the day beforehand and try to solve the in-class problems on your own at the latest on the day prior to class. If that proves to be too difficult try to get in touch with me as quickly as possible so that I can help you out. Calling me is probably your best option, but I also check my email several times a day. I will be in my office at least 30 minutes prior to class and I strongly suggest that you drop by before class even if you think that you know what you are doing. This will be the best way to avoid bad surprises. In class you will have two main responsibilities:

Your reward for being the assistant for a day will be that you can replace a low homework or quiz score by a perfect mark (20 pts) if you did your job well. If you were not prepared, but still somewhat useful I will give you a lower grade for your performance, but in no way will your being assistant for a day hurt your grade.

Help

You should first try to think your own way through your difficulties. If that fails, ask a member of your group or another class member. If the question remains unresolved, ask me in class, lab, or during my office hours. You can also visit one of the other two Harvard 242 instructors for help with your problem:
Office hours Office location Office phone Email
Vladimir Troitsky Tuesday 10-12 Illini Hall
room 346		 333-6328 vladimir@math.uiuc.edu
Harold Diamond Tuesday 10-12 Altgeld Hall
room 374 		333-0379 diamond@math.uiuc.edu

Grading

Individual grades in this course will not be curved. On any given exam/quiz/assignment potentially every student can earn an A. The numerical scores of all exams and assignments will be used in computing a final score that will determine your final letter grade:
Homework 10%
Quizzes 10%
Hour Exams 15% each, Scheduled for Oct.2, Oct. 30, Dec. 4
Final Exam 35% Scheduled for Th. Dec. 19, 8-11AM
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