Math 101, Section 02: Calculus I

Spring 2000

Section 02: MWF 10-10:50 (Clapp 402). Instructor: Margaret Robinson
Information

Text: Calculus Lite by Frank Morgan (A K Peters, 1997; Second Edition). We will cover chapters 1 through 16, except possibly for chapter 13. The core material of the course is contained in our text.

Projects: In addition to the material in the text we will be doing a number of modules throughout the semester whose intent is to show how calculus is used in other subjects. Here are some of the possibilities:

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 airplanes can use the minimum amount of fuel for a trip, and how birds can do the same.
How the compound eye of the bee is designed so that it has the best vision.
How well population growth can be modeled by the exponential function.
How the age of the moon can be determined from samples of lunar rocks.
How airplanes use inertial navigation to determine their position.
How the date and origin of an unfamiliar language can be determined.
How calculus is used in economics.

In addition, we will assign 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 which we hope to put on display, and a copy of the first English translation in the Smith library.

Homework: Homework will be handed in during class and returned in class. Homework can be handed in again, if done promptly (ie, within a few days), and the grade on the redone homework will replace the original grade. The grader reserves the right not to accept redone homework that is too late.

Technology:We will be using the computer programs CALCWIN and Journey through Calculus, which are available on the computers in Clapp 402, 422 and 417. In addition, we expect to be using graphing calculators; in any case these are recommended but not required.

Evening help sessions will be held Sunday through Thursday, 7:00--10:00 PM, in Clapp 401, 402 and the surrounding classrooms.

Quizzes and Tests will be on Fridays. There will be two Exams and a final. The week before each exam (including the final) there will be a quiz. There will three quizzes. The final examination will be self-scheduled. If you are unable to take a quiz or test for any reason, you should call your instructor right away, preferably before the event.

Grading: The current grading system is: Each test is 100 points, the final examination is 150 points, and the homework, quizzes and projects are worth a total of 250 points.