MATH 250: Calculus III

Fall 2016

Course Syllabus and Class Policies

 

1.      Major Course topics:

·        Mini Review: Parametric Equations and Polar Coordinates

·        Vectors and Three-Dimensional Analytic Geometry

·        Calculus of Vector Functions

·        Differentiation in Several Variables

·        Multiple Integration

·        Line and Surface Integrals

·        Fundamental Theorems of Vector Calculus

The tentative detailed syllabus of the course can be found at http://home.sandiego.edu/~pruski/m250f16schedule.html .

 

2.      Course Learning Outcomes:

·        Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of multivariable calculus topics. This includes knowledge of theorems with complete assumptions.

·        Students will demonstrate the ability to use methods of multivariable calculus and perform computations accurately and efficiently.

·        Students will demonstrate the ability to solve problems, including applications outside of mathematics.

·        Students will be able to construct elementary calculus proofs independently.

·        Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate mathematical ideas clearly.

 

3.      Regular attendance is really necessary. It is quite difficult to catch up with the material when you miss a class. It becomes virtually impossible, if you miss several classes.

 

4.      Be aware that the pace of the course will be EXTREMELY FAST, particularly in its first, relatively easier part. Of all math courses I have taught at USD, Calculus III is the most intense. The amount of material to be covered is truly overwhelming. For example, the list of topics for the final exam is 80 items long, compared to usual 40 - 60 in other courses I teach. We cannot omit any of the topics as the course is a prerequisite for various upper-division courses. Your success in these upper-division courses depends on your mastery of Calc III material. We have to cover the entire list of topics and there is no way around it. In the past years, students called the pace of the course hellish, ridiculous, impossible, insane, etc. I do not totally disagree; well, it is not an impossible course, but it is indeed very, very hard. In my view, Calculus III should be an at least 5-unit course, but it is not feasible for various reasons. The last four major course topics are usually perceived much more difficult than the first three. Thus, we will cover the first part of the course at an absolutely breakneck speed to allow more time for more difficult material. Please brace yourself for possibly a rough ride. I am here to help you.

 

5.      Normally, in all my courses, not only do I encourage class discussion, but I try not to limit its scope.  Calculus III – because of the huge amount of class material to cover – is the only course where I sometimes may need to limit questions in class in an attempt to balance individual students’ benefit vs. the benefit for the entire class. I will hold additional office hours, especially for this class - on Thursdays before the exams.

 

6.      A student is supposed to spend at least two hours at home for each class hour. Thus, you should expect spending at least 8 hours a week (more likely about 10 hours) doing your homework and preparing for quizzes/exams.

 

7.      Since Calculus III is a course in mathematics, we will be doing some simple proofs. You will be expected to do some proofs in your homework assignments as well as during exams.

 

8.      Because of the increased availability of various symbolic algebra/calculus tools such as computer packages (MATLAB, Mathematica, Maple, etc.) and advanced calculators, the computational aspect of the course has been significantly reduced. Computations are way less important than setting up the problem correctly. Calculators and computers can do the computations; only people, however, can set the problems for computations. In this course, the concepts count much more than computations. In class I will usually omit the computational details of, say, integrations. When doing your homework, you will be often encouraged to use integration tables, advanced calculators, or various Web tools, except for some problems that I will ask you to solve completely manually, and where I will require that you show all the steps of your work.

 

9.      The textbook: Jon Rogawski, Multivariable Calculus, Third Edition . We will cover Chapters 11 through 17 (or 12 through 18, depending on the version of the textbook). I cannot lecture on everything in class - there is not enough time - so you will have to learn quite a lot of material on your own. Reading the assigned material is absolutely essential! Quizzes may include questions on the assigned reading as a gentle method of enforcing your reading.

 

10.    Office hours (Dr. Lukasz Pruski, Serra 149, x. 4035):

 

Monday

1:25 - 2:25

4 - 5:30

Wednesday

3:30 - 5:00

Friday

1:25 - 2:25

 

and at other times, by appointment.

 

11.    Contact: The best way to contact me is by using e-mail (pruski@sandiego.edu). I read e-mail many times during the day and night, except for a few weekends when I am out of town. I have voice mail (x. 4035), but I sometimes forget to check it. You may call the Mathematics Department Executive Assistant, Tina, at x. 4706, as well.

 

12.    A primitive webpage for the course is at http://home.sandiego.edu/~pruski/m250f16.html . You should check the webpage daily for assignments, announcements, and links.

 

13.    Homework Assignments will be assigned and collected once or twice a week. The assignments will be graded partly on effort. I will assign many odd-numbered exercises that have answers at the BOB (Back-Of-Book). The total homework assignment score will count for 20% of the course grade. No late assignments will be accepted unless you arrange it with me in advance.

 

14.    There will be about 10 short pop-quizzes (not announced in advance). Quiz questions will refer to the recently covered material and to the new material you were supposed to read on your own. Three lowest quiz scores will be dropped, and the remaining scores will count for 20% of the course grade. Quizzes cannot be made up unless you have a valid reason for not taking the quiz and you notify me in advance of your absence.

 

15.    There will be three tests (hour exams); the dates are September 30, October 28, and December 2, all on Fridays. Tests will be of closed-book variety. The test scores will count for 30% of the course grade. A test can be made up only if you have an actual emergency and if you notify me in advance about your absence.

 

16.    The final exam (Monday, December 19, 2:00 - 4:30) will be cumulative and its score will count for 30% of the course grade. The exam is closed-book and the calculator policy will be the same as during the tests.

 

17.    Calculator policy on quizzes and exams: No calculators beyond TI-83/4, smart phones, iPods, tablets, etc. are allowed.

 

18.    Grading criteria are as follows:

 

Total percentage

Grade

90% and above

A

80% - 90%

B

60% - 80%

C

50% - 60%

D

below 50%

F

 

Of course, pluses and minuses will be used, close to cutoff boundaries. (In the unlikely case that the number of A's and B's falls below 40%, I will curve the grades up appropriately.)

 

19.    The Mathematics and Computer Science Department strongly promotes Academic Integrity. I hope issues related to academic integrity will not arise in our course. There have been some cases of cheating in math courses in the past – mainly the cases of submitting someone else’s work as well as cases of cheating during exams. Depending on the severity of the case, the possible consequences include: assigning the score of 0 on the given assignment, lowering the course grade, or even assigning an F in the course.