Calculus I
*


MA1021 A'16

L e c t u r e s . . . . . Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri: 4:00 pm, SH106

C o n f e r e n c e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wed: 4:00 pm, SH106

How to Succeed Homework Assignments N e w s Test Preview

I n s t r u c t o r :
Vadim V. Yakovlev
E-mail: vadim@wpi.edu
Phone: x5495
Office: SH104C
Teaching Assistant:
Wenjing Li
E-mail: wli5@wpi.edu
Office: SH204
Office hours:
Mon: 11:00-12:00 am
Thu: 5:00-6:00 pm
and by appointment

Office hours:
Tue: 11:00-12:00 am
Fri: 11:00-12:00 am
and by appointment


Course Information

Major Course Objective

In this course, you'll learn the basics of Differential Calculus - the introductory topics (functions, graphs, trangent lines, limits, etc.) and the fundamental concept of the derivative along with its applications. By the end of the term, you will be able to work with functions represented graphically, numerically, or analytically, understand the meaning of the derivative and local linear approximation, and be able to use derivatives to solve a variety of problems.


General Information

Text: G.B. Thomas, Jr., M.D. Weir, and J. Hass, Thomas' Calculus. Early Transcendentals, 13th Edition, 2014.
Web Site: http://www.wpi.edu/~vadim/Calc_I/A16_Info.html

Course Structure:
Main Topics:
  • Introductory Concepts
  • The Derivative
  • Applications of the Derivative
Grading Scheme:
Maple Labs (15%, 6 x 2.5% each),
Homework-Based Quizzes (30%, 5 x 6% each),
Exams I & II (30%, 2 x 15% each)
Final Exam (Basic Skills & General Exam) (25%)
Quizzes, labs, and tests will have their own 30, 100, and 100 point scores respectively. The perfect scores correspond to the presented percentages.

Point ranges (in percents) for grades are given by: A: 100% - 90%; B: 90% - 80%; C: 80% - 70%; NR: < 70%.

Conferences

Conference meetings held to facilitate your learning and help you with the course homework will be run under the guidance of the TA, Wenjing Li. She will also be responsible for three Test Preview Help Sessions (see Examinations Section below). More info/details will be provided at the first conference.

Computer Labs

The Lab Sessions will be organized in order to let you gain experience with Maple Computer Algebra System and its use in the problems related to Differential Calculus. The course includes six meetings in the Computer Lab (SH003) that will be focused on the following topics:

Math Instruments Lab 1 (Aug. 31, Sept. 1): Introduction
Lab 2 (Sept. 7, 8): Solving Equations
Lab 3 (Sept. 14, 15): Limits
Lab 4 (Sept. 21, 22): Derivatives
Lab 5 (Sept. 28, 29): Implicit Differentiation
Lab 6 (Oct. 5, 6): First and Second Derivative Tests

The work in the Lab will be coordinated by Jane Bouchard and Dina Rassias, the Maple Instructor's Associates. Nine sections of the MA1021 labs will be run by the TAs, Jill Resh and Evan Witz. Each lab should be completed and turned in during the same lab period it is introduced (therefore, there is no make-up labs). This and other policies/rules will be introduced and discussed in the first lab period.

Home Work & Quizzes
Practice problems will be given for each topic covered - assigned problems will be listed in the Homework Assignments section. Homework is not handed in, so each student should take a personal responsibility for doing sufficient study and practice.

Alternatively, to evaluate your course progress, five 15-minute quizzes will be offered throughout the course. The quiz problems will be chosen from the homework assignments made in a few preceding classes. The quizzes will be held in the beginning of the lecture meetings in accordance with the Schedule of Events.

IMPORTANT: a reproduction of only final answers in the quiz paper will result in no credit - we rather look for complete solutions including all steps and shown in full math notation.
Examinations

Two intermediate Exams and a Final Exam will cover the course's main topics. The Tests are scheduled for the days following the lecture consideration of the topics covered in several preceding classes.

No laptops, gadgets, tablets, smartphones, etc. are allowed at the Tests/Exam. Calculators are also not allowed; they in fact won't be of any help in any of the text/exam problems.

Test
The web Test Preview will give you clear ideas about the Tests/Exam contents: corresponding information, instructions, and sample problems (for the Tests) will be posted two days before the event. Also, Special Test Preview Help Sessions will take place prior to each Test and the Final:
Exam No 1: Friday, Sept 9 <=====> Test Preview: Thursday, Sept 8, 5-6 pm (SH106)
Exam No 2: Thursday, Sept 29 <==> Test Preview: Wednesday, Sept 28, 3-4 pm (SH106)
Final Exam: Wednesday, Oct 12 <=> Test Preview: Tuesday, Oct 11, 3-4 pm (HL202)

Bonus Points and Other Policies

There will be opportunities to earn bonus points. Each Test will include a bonus problem. Also, you may get bonus points for an excellent work in the quizzes at the instructor's discretion.

When solving your tests and working on your homework problems, remember that you are expected to SHOW ON PAPER ALL WORK IN FULL NOTATION. While calculators are not necessary in this business, they may serve as a tool to check your results, but not as the means to get it. Evaluations of math expressions, limits, derivatives, etc. obtained using advanced calculators, computer algebra systems (Maple, MATLAB, etc.), or some web engines will not be accepted.
Laptops, gadgets, tablets, smartphones, etc. are consdiered a major distraction in the lecture meetings and thus have no use there.
Adaptations & Accommodations

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you have medical information to share with me that may impact your performance or participation in this course, please make an appointment with your instructor as soon as possible you have approved accommodations, please request your accommodation letters online through the Office of Disability Services student portal.

If you have not already done so, students with disabilities who need to utilize accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. This office can be contacted via email: DisabilityServices@wpi.edu, via phone: (508) 831-4908, or in person: Daniels Hall First Floor 124.
Academic Dishonesty

WPI's Academic Honesty policy, definitions and examples of academic dishonesty, and other info on the subject (including explanations of the steps that will be taken if students are suspected of violating the policy) can be found at http://www.wpi.edu/offices/policies/honesty/; each student should familiarize him/herself with this info. All acts of fabrication, plagiarism, cheating, and facilitation will be prosecuted according to the university's policy. If you are ever unsure as to whether your intended actions are considered academically honest or not, see your instructor.



Syllabus & Schedule of Events

Week
1: 		Intro to Calculus: Functions; graphs of functions (1.1). Operations on functions (1.2). Trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic functions (1.3, 1.5). Direct and inverse functions (1.6). Rate of change & tangent lines (2.1). Limits and limit laws (2.2).
  • Lecture meetings: Aug 25, 26, 29, 30
  • Conference: Wed, Aug 31
Week
2: 		Intro to Calculus (cont'd): Limit: rigorous definition (2.3). One-sides limits (2.4). Continuity (2.5). Limits involving infinity & asymptotes (2.6). The Derivative: Concept of the derivative; tangent line (3.1). The derivative as a function (3.2).
  • Lecture meetings: Sept 1, 2, 6, 8
  • Conference: Wed, Sept 7
  • Quiz 1: Fri, Sept 2
  • Test Preview Help Session #1: Thur, Sept 8
Week
3: 		The Derivative (cont'd): Differentiation rules (3.3). The derivative as a rate of change (3.4). Derivatives of trigonometric functions (3.5).
  • Lecture meetings: Sept 12, 13, 15
  • Conference: Wed, Sept 14
  • Quiz 2: Thur, Sept 15
  • EXAM #1: Fri, Sept 9
Week
4: 		The Derivative (cont'd): The Chain Rule (3.6). Implicit differentiation (3.7). Derivatives of inverse functions and logarithms (3.8)
  • Lecture meetings: Sept 16, 19, 20, 22
  • Conference: Wed, Sept 21
  • Quiz 3: Thur, Sept 22
Week
5: 		The Derivative (cont'd): Inverse trigonometric functions (3.9). Related rates (3.10). Differential and linear approximations (3.11).
  • Lecture meetings: Sept 23, 26, 27
  • Conference: Wed, Sept 28
  • Test Preview Help Session #2: Wed, Sept 28
  • EXAM #2: Thur, Sept 29
Week
6: 		Applications of the Derivative: Extreme values (4.1). The Mean Value Theorem (4.2). Monotonic functions; the First Derivative Test (4.3).
  • Lecture meetings: Sept 30, Oct 3, 4, 6
  • Conference: Wed, Oct 5
  • Quiz 4: Mon, Oct 3
Week
7: 		Applications of the Derivative (cont'd): Concavity and curve sketching (4.4). Applied optimization (4.6). Newton's Method (4.7)
  • Lecture meetings: Oct 7, 10, 11
  • Conference: Wed, Oct 12
  • Quiz 5: Mon, Oct 10
  • Test Preview Help Session #3: Tue, Oct 11, 3-4 pm, HL202
  • Basic Skills Review: Tue, Oct 11, 7- pm, AK116
  • FINAL EXAM: Wed, Oct 12, 7-9 pm, Perreault Hall Upper (FLR-UPR)
NB: There is no class on Thur, Oct 13.

How to Succeed Homework Assignments N e w s Test Preview

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Last modified: Thur, Aug 25, 2016