Math 101, Sections 01 and 02: Calculus I

Fall 2002

Instructor: Alan Durfee

Office: Clapp 404B
Telephone x2299 (with answering machine)
email: adurfee
Office hours: Stop in anytime I'm around, which is most of the time, or make an appointment.

Lectures: Section 01: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00--9:50, Clapp 401. Fourth hour: Thursday 10:00--10:50, Clapp 401.

Section 02: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00--10:50, Clapp 401. Fourth hour: Tuesday 10:00--10:50, Clapp 401.

The fourth hour is used for for discussing homework problems, etc. You are not required to attend but it is recommended that you do. You can also attend the fourth hour for the other section of this class.

Text: Calculus, Early Transcendentals, Single Variable, Fourth Edition, by James Stewart. The basic material of the course is contained in Chapters 3, 4, and 5.

Homework: Homework can be handed in during class or put in the envelope outside my office door. Homework is due by 5 pm on the due date. Graded homework can be picked up any time from the other envelope there. Homework can be redone and handed in again, if done promptly (ie, within a few days). The graders reserve the right not to accept redone homework that is too late.

Graders:

Section 01: Stacy Carrier (sacarrie)
Section 02: last names:
- A-G: Jen Leahy (jcleahy)
- H-M: Sophie Lim (soyunlim)
- N-Z: Nerissa Ranjitkan (nranjitk)

Technology: It is strongly recommended that you have a scientific calculator which is able to calculate trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions. (A graphing calculator is fine, but not required.)

Quizzes and Tests: Most friday classes will start with a brief ten or fifteen minute quiz. The topics on the quiz will be announced the previous Wednesday. There will be two tests (Friday October 4 and Friday November 8) and a (self-scheduled) final examination. All quizzes and tests are closed book. If you are unable to take a quiz or test for any reason, you should consult with me, preferably beforehand. (You may call my answering machine at x2299 at any time, day or night.) They can always be taken early. Tests taken late for reasons other than illness will have points deducted from your score.

Projects: During the semester you will work on various projects in a group of two or three.

Evening help sessions: Sunday through Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 10:00 PM in Clapp 401, 402 or neighboring rooms.

Grading: Each test is 100 points, the final examination is 100 points, and each quiz is 10 points. Homework is 100 points. The points for each project will be determined.

Projects: Here are examples of projects.

How Eratosthenes (276--194 B.C.) used radian measure to estimate the diameter of the earth.
How Aristarchus (310--230 B.C.) used elementary trigometry to estimate the diameter of the moon and the sun, and the distances from the earth to these bodies.
How the average daily temperature during a year can follow a sine curve.
How the compound eye of the bee is designed so that it has the best vision.
How the growth of various populations (of yeast, e. coli, bread mold and people) can be modeled by the exponential function.
How Carbon-14 dating can be used to determine the age of Stonehenge, the Lascaux cave paintings and the Shroud of Turin.
How the age of the moon can be determined from samples of lunar rocks.
How the date and origin of an unfamiliar language can be determined.
How Newton's method can be used to generate fractal patterns and chaos.
Investigate older calculus books and report on how teaching of the subject has changed over the years.

In addition, we will do some exercises from a very early calculus book written by Maria Agnesi in 1748. She was a professor of mathematics at the University in Bologna, Italy, and the first woman in the western world who can legitimately be called a mathematician. Her text on calculus was aimed specifically at Italian students. There is a copy of the book in our rare book room. Portions of this book have been scanned and are on the web, along with the first English translation, which is in the Smith library.

The address of this page is www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/adurfee/f02/math101/math101-gen.htm. It also can be reached through my web page, the web page of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and the MHC course web page.

The address for the daily schedule is www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/adurfee/f02/math101/math101-sch.htm.