MAT 371 - Advanced Calculus I
  Spring 2010
Line Number 26594

Syllabus


Instructor:

Dr. Michael Oehrtman
oehrtman@math.asu.edu
480-965-6647

Office Hours:

TTh: 11:45 am – 1:00 pm
or by appointment
(PSA 645)

Class Time:

Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30 – 11:45 am

 

 

Location:

LL 106

 

 

Class Website:

http://math.asu.edu/~oehrtman/mat371

 

 

Required Text: Introduction to Analysis, Fifth Edition, by Edward D. Gaughan

Course Description: This course develops the content of calculus through rigorous definition and proof. We will cover Chapters 05 in the text, although we may diverge from this occassionally. Learning to read and understand rigorous mathematics and to generate proofs requires significant effort that is different in nature from what was required to succeed in most mathematics classes you have previously taken. Consequently, much of our class time will involve your work in groups and presentations of problems and proofs at the board. I will also expect the class to take responsibility for assessing the integrity of these arguments.

Class Participation: I expect everyone in the class to contribute constructively to the class and group discussions. This can take several forms from clearly articulating points of confusion to uncovering problems with previous lines of reasoning to providing key ideas and breakthroughs. If your entire group is stuck and/or confused (there is something wrong if this doesn't happen on a regular basis), you should not give up and wait for me to come around, but you should be resourceful in trying to find new ways to attack the problem or on uncovering what is wrong with your previous attempts. You should also look for ways to draw other students into the conversation, since much of what you need to learn is how to listen and evaluate mathematical reasoning. You are not participating fully if you are at either extreme: either never talking or doing all of the talking.

Homework: You should allot a significant amount of time to spend on the homework for this class well in advance of the due date. Very few students will be able to earn much credit on an assignment worked just a day or two before it is due. You should also seek help in office hours well before the day an assignment is due, since it will take time to solidify and apply the ideas you take away from our discussions. The best way to  make sure that you are developing the appropriate insights and on the right track is to talk to other students about the problems. I encourage you to work together, but each student must write up his/her solutions in his/her own words. All assignments and due-dates will be posted on the homework page of the class website, and you are responsile for keeping track of them. If you forget to bring your homework to class, you may submit it up to 24 hours later with a 20% penalty. No homework will be accepted later than this under any circumstances. Type or write all of your work LEGIBLY on 8½"×11" paper with at least ONE-INCH margins on all sides free of writing except your name, date, and assignment number, and STAPLE all pages together. In general, assigned questions will require significant depth in your responses. In order to earn an A or B for the course, I anticipate that most people will need to spend approximately six to eight hours per week outside of class on homework, reading, and studying.

Reading and
Definitions: Reading assignments from the textbook will also be posted on the homework page. In order to understand what is being discussed in class you must have read the assigned material BEFORE coming to class. Reading terse and rigorous mathematical text often requires several passes and an active effort to look up definitions, sketch diagrams, reflect on counterexamples, etc. I view one of the main objectives of this class helping you to become good at reading and writing rigorous mathematics, but doing so will require time and practice on your part. You should not get discouraged if you experience significant confusion and frustration at times in this process, since this is normal and I will do all I can to help you overcome this. The first and perhaps most important step is for you to learn precise definitions and be able to state them without error and to learn to focus on the definitions of the terms in any statement you are trying to understand, prove, or disprove. Getting a definition "close" (but not exact) or focusing only on intuitive interpretations of terms can lead to completely incorrect reasoning, proofs and results.

Exams: Three exams will be given in the Mathematics Testing Center (PSA 21).These exams will assess your understandings of the mathematical content covered in the course, and before each exam, I will provide an overview of what will be covered. The Testing Center is open Monday through Thursday 9:00 am 8:00 pm (with latest entry at 6:30 pm) and Friday 9:00 am 5:00 pm (with latest entry at 3:30 pm). In order to be admitted to the testing center, you must present a valid ASU "Sun Card." Calculators will not be allowed on the exams.

Final:  The final exam will be comprehensive and administered in class on Tuesday, May 11 from 9:50 11:40 am. The Department of Mathematics follows Arizona Board of Regents policy, which states that all final examinations shall be administered at their officially scheduled times. A final exam schedule appears in the Fall Bulletin of classes and on the Web at http://students.asu.edu/final-exam-schedule. Requests to take the final examination at a time other than the published time will not be granted except in cases of conflict with the scheduled exam time for another course, having more than three exams scheduled in one day, personal emergencies, or for reasons of religious practice. The Department of Mathematics reserves the right to require written documentation to substantiate any claim of hardship. In particular, nonrefundable plane tickets, weddings, work schedules, and the like are not acceptable reasons for final examinations. Please keep this policy in mind when making end-of-semester plans.

Grades will be determined as follows:


50
Chapter 0 Quiz

A+ 970 and above


300
Homework

 

A

930 – 969



 

150

Exam 1

 

A

900 – 929



 

150

Exam 2

 

B+

870 – 899



 

150

Exam 3

 

B

830 – 869



 

200

Final

 

B

800 – 829



 


 

C+

770 – 799

 

1000

Total

 

C

700 – 769



 

 

 

 

D

600 – 699



 

 

 

 

E

below 600



 
Academic Dishonesty: In the “Student Academic Integrity Policy” manual, ASU defines “Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own in academic exercise.” Students are responsible for knowing the rules governing the use of another's work or materials and for acknowledging and documenting the source appropriately. You can find details at: http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity. Academic dishonesty, including inappropriate collaboration, will not be tolerated. There are severe sanctions for cheating, plagiarizing and any other form of dishonesty.


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