Course Syllabus
Math 310 - Applied Math for Science & Engineering I
Sections 2 and 3
Fall 2021

Text: Advanced Engineering Mathematics (Dennis Zill) -- sixth Edition

The Course: The course is survey of two important branches of mathematics that is highly useful in the STEM fields: linear algebra and differential equations. The class will mainly focus on applied problem-solving with particular emphasis on applications to engineering. There will also be some on theory, terminology and abstract thinking.

Reading: Reading your textbook is essential to success in this class. Reading assignments will be included with homework assignments and must be completed before the lecture on that topic. Read slowly with a pencil and paper in hand. Try to fill in missing steps as you read. Always try to work out examples before you read text solutions. You must be ready to discuss the material you read in class, and this will be part of the participation portion of your grade.

Participation: Each student is expected to be a productive member of the class. This means you should attend each class period and be prepared to discuss the material. Excessive absence or unpreparedness will result in deduction of points in this area. Participation will be worth 25 points of your final grade.

Homework: You will be assigned weekly written homework assignments. These homework assignments are where the bulk of your learning will occur and you should set aside a significant amount of time to work on them. You are allowed and indeed encouraged to work on your homework with other people, however what you turn in should be your own understanding of how to do the problems and should not just be a copy of someone else’s work.

You will also receive weekly WeBWork assignments. The first time you log in you must do that through Blackboard.

The homework for the course will be worth 150 points of your total grade.

Quizzes: Most weeks that do not include an exam will have a short quiz. The quiz will cover the most recent material from the class and should take no longer than 10-15 minutes. Although these quizzes cannot be made up except in extreme circumstances, two quizzes will be dropped so missing one or two quizzes will not greatly affect your grade. Together the quizzes are worth 100 points of your final grade.

Exams: There will be 2 exams during the course. The first will be on Thursday, October 7 and the second will be on Thursday, November 11. Make-up exams will not be given. If you have a legitimate excuse you may use your final exam score to make up for missing exam scores. Each exam will be worth 100 points.
There will be a comprehensive 2 hour final given on Tuesday, December 14 at 2 PM for section 2 and Tuesday, December 14 at 5 PM for section 3. The final is worth 150 points.

Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this class students should be able to:

• Study Linear Algebra, perform calculations, including computational algorithms, with systems of linear equations, matrices, vectors, determinants, eigenvalues, and learn about some of their applications.
• Study Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) by deriving them from physical and other problems (modeling), solving them by standard methods, and interpreting solutions and their graphs
• Learn special operational techniques such as Laplace Transform and apply them to transform and solve differential equations
• Be able to apply mathematical concepts to problems outside of mathematics.
• Write clear and complete solutions to mathematical problems, showing correct reasoning, precision in details, and a sense of communicating with the reader.

Grading: A tentative grading scale is as follows:

This scale may be lowered if it is deemed to be unfair, but is guaranteed not to be raised.

Disability: For accommodations due to a disability please contact me within the first 2 weeks.

Academic Honesty: Cheating and plagiarism are in violation of USD’s academic integrity policy and are taken very seriously. Make sure you are aware of this policy.

Have a Good Semester!