MATH 201: Multivariable Calculus

Fall 2009

Description and goals: This is a first course in multivariable calculus intended to introduce the basic ideas of differential and integral calculus in dimesions 2 and 3. Some applications in geometry and physics will be discussed. The course is not proof-oriented but students are expected to gain a good understanding of the concepts and be able to use them in applied problems. Picture: "Bianchi-Pinkall flat torus" from http://virtualmathmuseum.org

Syllabus

Core Problems

Additional Resources

Announcements:

• 11/21: Check out your grades as of today.

• 11/17: Check out the second midterm solutions.

• 11/8: Here is the second midterm review sheet with a few practice problems. I'll go over these problems on 11/12, but make sure you think about them ahead of time.

• 10/17: Check out your grades as of today.

• 10/13: Check out the first midterm solutions.

• 10/4: Here is the first midterm review sheet with a few practice problems. I'll go over these problems on 10/8, but make sure you think about them ahead of time.

• 9/27: Check out this page for an interactive gallery of some quartic surfaces (courtesy of Paul Blanchard of Boston University). Also interesting is this page where you can see various sections of such surfaces interactively (courtesy of Jonathan Rogness of the University of Minnesota).

• 9/26: As a reminder, there will be no class on Tuesday 9/29 (classes will follow a Monday schedule). As already indicated in the course syllabus, the next quiz will be on Tuesday 10/6 instead of Thursday 10/1.

• 9/10: Here are four animated examples of graphs in polar coordinates. The polar equation of the curve is shown at the top of each frame. A circle, a cardioid, a spiral, and a four-leaf clover.

• 9/8: The solutions to core problems set 1 are posted. You can view them by clicking on the "Core Problems" link above. (That is where I will post the solutions from now on every week without announcing them here.)

• 9/4: Here are the day and evening schedules of the Math Lab; feel free to go there for extra help with your homework:
  Day tutoring and video tapes (in Kiely 331, starting Sep. 8): Mon-Thu 9am to 4pm, Fri 9am to 2pm
  Evening tutoring (in Kiely 508, starting Sep. 14): Mon-Thu 5pm to 8pm

• 9/1: Welcome!

General Information and Ground Rules:

• Class lecture meetings are Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:40 - 3:30 in Kiely 277.

• Problem solving is an absolutely essential part of this course. You cannot master the course material without working on a variety of problems consistently throughout the semester. To help you choose the right ones, every Tuesday I will post a number of core problems on this webpage. You are encouraged to work in groups and discuss the problems with each other. The assigned problems will not be collected (see however the next item).

• Quizzes will be given during the last 15 minutes of selected lectures (see the syllabus for the exact dates). The questions will be based on the material of the previous week's assigned problems. You should make every effort to take all the quizzes, as it will directly affect your course grade. At the end of the semester, your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

• Course grade will be based on the following scheme:
  
  

  Quizzes	Two Midterms	Final Exam
  20%	20% each	40%

• The exams are scheduled as follows:
  
  

  Midterm 1	Midterm 2	Final
  Tuesday October 13 (in class)	Tuesday November 17 (in class)	Tuesday December 15, 1:45-3:45 room TBA

• The prerequisite for this course is MATH 143 or MATH 152. If you have not passed either of these, you should not be enrolled in this class. Please go to the Math Department office (Kiely 237) and seek advice.

• If a midterm exam is missed because of a documented illness or valid emergency, the course grade will be determined on the basis of the other work done during the semester. Exams missed for other reasons will count as failures.

• At the end of the semester, everyone who has not withdrawn from the course will receive a grade. Incompletes will never be given to avoid F's.

Saeed Zakeri