Syllabus for Math 1011, Precalculus

Session: Spring 2008, Section 001		Office Hours: one hour per day, and by appointment; see my schedule
Time: MWF 3:30-4:35 am		email: roberts@morris.umn.edu
Location: Sci 3650		my Spring 2008 schedule: http://cda.morris.umn.edu/~roberts/spring2008/schedule.html
Instructor: Dave Roberts		instructor's webpage: http://cda.morris.umn.edu/~roberts/
Office: Science 2360 phone: 589-6348		course webpage: http://cda.morris.umn.edu/~roberts/Precalculus.html

Goals

This is a preparatory course for students who intend to take calculus. You should take calculus as soon as possible after completing this course, preferably next semester.

A student who successfully completes this course should be able to

• manipulate functions algebraically and graphically,
• work with polynomial, power, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions,
• work with trigonometric functions, and understand trigonometric identities.

Beyond the curriculum, you should also expect to

• develop skill at problem solving,
• develop good study habits,
• develop confidence in your problem solving skills.

University policy says "one credit is defined as equivalent to an average of three hours of learning effort per week." Our course is a four-credit course, meeting approximately four hours per week. Thus, you are expected to spend eight hours per week working outside of class. My job is to make your learning effort as efficient and pleasant as possible, but it is your job to put in the quality time!

Textbook

The textbook for the course is Demana, Waits, Foley & Kennedy Precalculus: Functions and Graphs 5^th Ed. This is a good book, but it contains far more material than we will cover in this class. It should prove to be an excellent resource for you once you move on to calculus. To be prepared for the lectures you should read the section the lecture is on before the lecture is given. I will typically not be able to cover everything from the section in the lecture, but I will indicate what material you are responsible for from each section.

Graphing Calculators

A graphing calculator will be useful, but not required. Calculus at UMM is taught with the use of Mathematica. I will probably use Mathematica for any plots we need to look at in class. Plotting in Mathematica is simple, and it would be a good idea to learn that single Mathematica command before enrolling in calculus. Regardless, learning Mathematica is not required for this course and I do not expect you to try to learn it now. We are going to concentrate on the mathematics, not the technology.

Grading

Mastery of the topics we study will only come with practice. There will be five tests in the course, two types of graded assignments, and a comprehensive final exam. The grade for the course will be calculated by the following formula:

Ungraded homework

On the syllabus I suggest homework problems for each lecture (solutions to selected problems are available on the course webpage). You should do as much extra homework as you deem necessary to enhance your understanding of a topic. Falling behind in this course can lead to disaster, so it is important that you keep up with the homework.

Written Assignments

Written assignments will be handed out in class, and collected a few days later, in class (the due dates are listed on the syllabus). These assignments will be handed in at the beginning of class on the day they are due, unless you have spoken to me before and I have granted an extension.

I am demanding that solutions be written up well. This means solutions should be a self-contained document. They should be written legibly, contain diagrams or tables where appropriate, and should state the problem and explain the solution. Interspersing English sentences which explain what you are doing can help in this regard. With its worked-out examples, the book provides many examples of a good solution. To say it a different way, solutions with totally correct computations lacking in necessary good explanations will tend to receive 80%, not 100%.

Keep in mind when writing up solutions that I am interested in seeing the thought process that you used to solve the problem! If you have any questions about what constitutes a well written solution, come and talk to me. I am more than willing to help you with your assignments so that they serve a useful role in meeting the goals I have set out for us.

It is OK to collaborate on assignments, and I anticipate many of you will work with other students in the class, however, every student turns in their own solutions to all the problems on each assignment. Collaboration does not mean that others do your thinking for you. Collaboration in this course means there is a good back and forth conversation among study partners, but never direct copying of each another's work. For example, if a study partner gets stuck on a problem, you should help them get unstuck by telling them in words what it was that you did to get past the part they are stuck on. Using words instead of showing them your work is important, since they will then have been provided a hint but will still need to do the work themselves. This facilitates learning, which simply copying your work will not. If in helping a classmate you get to the point where you think you need to show them your work for them to be able to answer the question, don't show them your work-it is time for them to come visit office hours.

WeBWorK assignments

Tests

Tests will take place during class. You will not be allowed any outside material on your desks during tests. I will allow you to use a graphing calculator on tests, but I will design the tests so that they can be done without a calculator. Debriefing after tests should be done during office hours, after you have had a chance to reflect on the test.

Final Exam

The final exam will be similar in format to the tests, except slightly longer, and cumulative in nature. Here you will be required to show competency with the methods we have studied over the entire course.

Final Grade Points

Your numerical grades will be converted to letter grades and finally Grade Points via the following cutoffs (see the UMM Catalog for more on Grades and Grading Policy):

Expectations

• Be in class on time. I will begin class at 3:30 am sharp, and I nor you fellow classmates enjoy the disruption late arrival causes. I know that situations crop up that will entail late arrival (please come even if you are late!) but make sure it is the exception and not the rule.
• Cooperation is vital to your future success, which ever path you take. I encourage cooperation amongst students where ever possible, but the act of copying or other forms of cheating will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty in any portion of the academic work for a course is grounds for awarding a grade of F or N for the entire course. Any act of plagiarism that is detected will result in a mark of zero on the entire assignment or test for both parties. If you are in any way unclear about what constitutes academic dishonesty, reread the earlier section on Assignments where I discuss collaboration, and please come and talk to me if you have any questions. UMM's Academic Integrity policy and procedures can be found at www.morris.umn.edu/Scholastic/AcademicIntegrity/.
• Since the assignments are handed out days in advance, only under exceptional circumstances (which are officially documented) will I accept late work. You will receive a mark of zero if an assignment is submitted late. If you need to miss an exam for legitimate reasons, let me know in advance so we can work out alternate plans.
• If you have any special needs or requirements to help you succeed in the class, come and talk to me as soon as possible, or visit the appropriate University service yourself. Some resources include:

  The Academic Assistance Center www.morris.umn.edu/services/dsoaac/aac/

  Student Counseling www.morris.umn.edu/services/counseling/

  Disability Services www.morris.umn.edu/services/dsoaac/dso

  Multi-Ethnic Student Program www.morris.umn.edu/services/msp/
  

The hours at the math room (Library 360) at the Academic Assistance Center are

Mondays		7:30-10:00
Tuesdays		7:30-10:00
Wednesdays		7:30-10:00
Thursdays		7:30-10:00

More advanced students (and occasionally faculty) will be there to help you with this and other math courses.

I am looking forward to an exciting and productive semester with you all! I am positive that we can all make the most of this opportunity to grow and learn.

Getting Started

Look through Prerequisites p2--57 during the first week of classes. If you think there are holes in your math background, come see me right away.

Course Calendar

Here is the tentative day-by-day schedule. You are responsible for any changes to this schedule which are announced in class. Assignments will be handed out in class, and due on the date listed below. The Basic Functions from Section 1.3 appear throughout the course. I have identified where they appear by coloring them this color in the Content/Resources column. I have added links to the section headings if I have included some extra notes, or example problems from that section. These additional resources are not complete lecture notes!

Acknowledgement