Math 236 - Multivariable Calculus - Course Policies

    Overview

    This course is a continution of the topics covered in Calculus I and Calculus II. In Calc I and II, you dealt mainly with functions f(x) of one variable. As you may expect, in Multivariable Calculus we'll be studying functions f(x,y) of two variables. Things suddenly become much more complicated, and more interesting, when dealing with functions of more than one variable. For example, what does it mean to ``take the derivative'' of a function f(x,y)?

    Many of the topics we will cover this semester allow us to solve many problems that do not seem to be immediately related to calculus. Here are just a few:

    1. Many small rectangles are combined to form one large rectangle. If each small rectangle has a pair of sides of integer length, does the large rectangle have one pair of sides with integer length?

    2. At the peak of his career, how far could Nolan Ryan throw a baseball?

    3. What is the most efficient shape to make a box to hold 49 ounces of Honey Nut Cheerios? By the way, this is the size sold at many warehouse club stores.

    4. After much construction, the highway department is close to finishing a new cloverleaf interchange at the intersection of Route 140 and I495. (Ok. They really haven't, but it would be nice.) How much sod is needed to cover the area inside the exit from I495 south to 140 north? That is, how much sod is needed to cover one leaf of the cloverleaf?

    Reading the Text and Working with Other Students

    Two of the goals of this course are that you learn to read a math text and that you learn to communicate mathematics. Mathematics is a very personal discipline that is best learned by doing rather than by observing.

    Many of the assignments this term will be group assignments where you will work in groups of two or three (of your choosing). Each assignment will receive a grade, and the group will determine how the points are allocated to each member. For example, if a group of three receives an 85 on an assignment, then the group will have 3 x 85=255 points to distribute among them. I will be available to mediate this process, if necessary.

    You will have a reading assignment for nearly every class meeting, and it is extremely important that you complete the reading before class, because your assignments will help shape the class meetings. The class meetings are not intended to be a complete encapsulation of the course material, but will be used to clarify your questions from the reading.

    Evaluation

    Your final grade will be determined by
      2 Exams 30%
      Comprehensive Final Exam 20%
      2 Group Projects 25%
      Homework 20%
      Reading Assignments 5%

    Exams

    On each of the two exams, there will be a short inclass part and a more substantial takehome part. See the Tentative Syllabus for the dates of the exams.

    The final will be entirely takehome and is due Tuesday, December 17 at 12:00 noon.

    Group Projects

    There will be two group projects assigned during the semester. You will have two class periods to work together on the project, and your written report will be due a week or so later (see the syllabus for specific dates).

    One of the main goals of the projects is that you learn to communicate mathematics precisely, both verbally within your group and in writing. The reports should be written in complete sentences explaining the results and major ideas involved. You may divide the writing of the report in whatever way is agreeable to the group, but everyone should completely understand the whole of the paper. Further, each member should proofread the entire paper for consistency and typos.

    I will give you a handout that explains my expectations for the written reports in more detail.

    Homework

    Homework will be collected nearly every Friday, beginning September 12. I will grade three to five problems from each assignment, with each problem graded fairly leniently and assigned a score of 0, 1, or 2. The most important aspect of the homework is that you make an effort on every problem!

    The homework assignments will alternate between Individual assignments and Group assignments. On each assignment, one student will be designated as the primary author who writes-up the solutions. The role of primary author must rotate among the members of the group.

    For the Individual assignments, I encourage you to work with other students, but each person must turn in a separate paper.

    Here are a few guidelines for the presentation of your homework. If you do not follow these, I reserve the right to return your homework ungraded!

    • Your writing must be clear and legible.
    • Your homework should be well-written, using complete sentences to justify your results. A list of answers without explanation is not acceptable.
    • Here is a good rule of thumb to follow when writing up your homework:
      Write your solutions so that you could hand them to another student in Multivariable and she could understand your explanation.
    • If you write in pen, there should be no scratch-outs.
    • Do not turn in paper torn from a spiral notebook with ragged edges.
    • Clearly label each problem.
    The homework is due in my office by 4:00 on the due date. Be aware that
    Late homework is not accepted! No exceptions!!

    Reading Assignments

    I will put a copy of each reading assignment on the course homepage. Each assignment will indicate which parts of the section are especially important and which can be skipped.

    Your assignment is to email me three or more questions that you have from the reading. Your questions should be very specific, such as ``On page 5, in the second paragraph, why are the solutions to x=0 the points (0,y,z)'' rather than ``I didn't understand any of it.''

    Your email is due by 5:00pm on the day before class. For example, your questions for Wednesday's class are due by 5:00 on Tuesday. This gives me some time to think about your questions before class.

    See the Guidelines for Submitting Reading Assignments for more information.

    Class Attendance

    Although class attendance is not a specified percentage of your grade, I will keep a class roll to help me determine borderline grades at the end of the semester. If you do miss class, you are responsible for the material that was covered.

    Getting Help

    Please come see me during my office hours! If you have a conflict and cannot make my office hours, please call or email me and we can set up an appointment for another time.

    If you want to know check on your grade at any time during the semester, please ask me and I can give you a rough idea of your current standing.

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