MAT 294 Fall 2005
Mathematics of Change
Line # 14606 /
46129
Instructors:
vicki@mathpost.asu.edu
1:15-2:00 pm
Dr. Michael Oehrtman
Texts:
No textbook is required for this course,
but we strongly encourage that each student purchase a student license of
MATLAB with Simulink by The MathWorks. This software will be used extensively
throughout the course and required to complete several assignments. In
addition, engineering courses at ASU East will make frequent use of this
program. It may be purchased at the ASU East Bookstore.
Prerequisite:
MAT 170 (pre-calculus) or the equivalent.
Course
Description: MAT 294 is the first semester
of our introductory calculus sequence. It is designed for students with
interests in engineering and the applied sciences and develops (1) a conceptual
understanding of the major ideas of the differential calculus, (2) technical
facility with its applications in computational science and engineering, and
(3) the ability to use these techniques to model a variety of complex systems.
Grades
will be determined as follows:
|
Points* |
Assignment |
|
Grading Scale |
Before Final |
|
|
90 |
Quizzes (3) |
|
A+ |
1055 and above |
861 and above |
|
188 |
WeBWorK (9) |
|
A |
1010 1054 |
824 860 |
|
80 |
MATLAB Projects (4) |
|
A |
980 1009 |
800 823 |
|
80 |
Written Assignments (4) |
|
B+ |
945 979 |
|
|
150 |
Group Projects (3) |
|
B |
900 944 |
|
|
150 |
Exam 1 |
|
B |
870 899 |
|
|
150 |
Exam 2 |
|
C+ |
835 869 |
|
|
200 |
Final |
|
C |
760 834 |
|
|
1088* |
Total Points Possible |
|
D |
650 759 |
|
|
|
|
|
E |
Below 650 |
|
* The actual number and distribution of assignments may differ
slightly from this list.
Quizzes: We will have five quizzes throughout the semester covering
the key concepts, terminology, notation, and structure of particular systems.
These are approximation, functions, rate of change, the definition of the
derivative, and differentials. You will be provided a handout that contains the
information for each of these quizzes. We will be using these ideas extensively
throughout the semester, and the purpose of the quizzes is to ensure that we
are all using the same language to communicate.
WeBWork:
We will use an online homework system that
contains problems focusing on major conceptual ideas and computational
techniques. This has the advantage of being instantly graded as well as
allowing multiple attempts at the same problems, so it is always possible
for you to earn 100%. You should persist in working each assigned
problem until you have found the correct answer. The WeBWork site is http://webwork.asu.edu/.
MATLAB Projects: Throughout the semester, you will be assigned several
programming assignments to be completed using MATLAB. We will discuss in class
some of the basics of using and writing code for MATLAB, but the ultimate
responsibility for learning the program is yours. Your first resource should be
the manual and help-system, however we will be available in office hours to
help with programming difficulties. We also encourage you to talk to other
students about how to use MATLAB, but you must write your own programs
independently.
Written
Assignments: You will be assigned small
but challenging problem sets in class that focus on mathematical modeling and
problem solving. Several of these problems will ask you to explain your
reasoning, draw diagrams, and interpret results. Many will ask you to use some
of the MATLAB programs you created. These written assignments will be scored by
the class grader with significant attention to the big ideas. A correct
numerical answer will receive no credit if it is not supported by appropriate
reasoning. Conversely, an incorrect answer can still receive partial credit if
the reasoning is strong.
Group
Projects: You will work in groups
throughout the semester to complete four projects (on series, limits, rate of
change, and optimization). For each topic, your project will be similar to
those of the other groups and exam questions may come from any of the
groups projects. You will learn from your classmates through
presentations and write-ups, and since you will be responsible for all of the
content, you should ask questions about anything that is not clear to you. We
will spend some time in class on these projects but you will be expected to
complete them outside of the classroom. You may meet together to work on the
projects or delegate responsibilities and assemble your work into a single
product.
Midterms
and Final: The two exams and the
cumulative final will account for over a third of your final grade in the
course and will assess mostly your conceptual understanding of the material.
While the problems on these exams will be difficult and require significant
problem solving, they will also be similar or identical to problems you have
already seen throughout the course.
Graphing Calculators:
You may want a graphing calculator for this course. The suggested
calculators include the Texas Instruments 83, 85, 86, 89, or 92, and the Casio
CFX-9850GB+ , FX2, or 9970G. You are responsible for knowing how your
calculator works! There are also calculator handouts on the web at http://fym.la.asu.edu/~fym/GraphCal/Graphing.html.
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