Math 2D (44500) - Winter 2015
Multivariable Calculus
Lecturer
Dr. Neil Donaldson
Office
RH 472
Office Hours
MW 11.30-1.30, or by appointment/if you find my door open...
Email
ndonalds@math.uci.edu
Lecture Times
MWF 8-8.50am HH 178
Homework/Resources page
Discussion Sessions
Sec 10
(44501) TuTh 1-1.50pm RH 114
Sec 11
(44502) TuTh 4-4.50pm ICF 103
Teaching Assistant
Greg Huey
Office
RH 248, 250A/B
Office Hours
M 1-2, Tu 3-4, Th 2-4
Email
greghuey.uci.ta@gmail.com
Syllabus
Differential and integral calculus of real-valued functions of several real variables, including applications.
Polar coordinates.
Course Text
Calculus: Early Transcendentals,
7th Ed., by James Stewart, Brooks/Cole 2012. Or the UCI custom Multivariable calc edition. Or
the non-early-transcendentals version (the multivariable material is covered identically). Since questions will
be set directly from homework sheets, the exact version of the book is not necessary. Any edition (including previous
eds) will be very helpful however!
For a more detailed syllabus including assessments click
here
Assessment
The final grade for the course will be tentatively be computed as follows:
45% final, 25% midterm, 20% Quizzes, 10% Homework
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Homework Questions
will be set each week. A small number of these will collected the following week, of which an even smaller number will be graded.
One homework will be dropped. Solutions to the homework questions will be placed in a eee drop-box after the submission deadline.
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Six Quizzes will be given in discussion class, and assume knowledge of the homework material for that day. One quiz will be dropped.
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There will be one midterm during normal class time on
Monday 9th February
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The final exam is in the usual classroom at
Monday 16th March, 8-10am.
The exam will be comprehensive.
Add/Drop & Enrollment Questions
In Mathematics classes, decisions pertaining to wait-lists, adds, drops, and pass/no-pass changes are
NOT made by the Professors, and Professors have NO ability to change these policies. Refer to these
links for information for how to navigate the system:
http://math.uci.edu/undergrad-courses/course-registration-and-placement-information#Top
http://math.uci.edu/undergrad-courses/course-registration-and-placement-information##3
Grading FAQ
- The purpose of dropped quizzes and homework is to allow you a day off, for whatever reason, be it fun or serious.
In order to have a second quiz or homework dropped, you must provide documentation covering AT LEAST TWO assessments.
If you choose to sleep in and miss one assessment early in the term before getting sick later on, you will have wasted
your lifeline.
- There will be no opportunity for extra credit.
- Any request to be treated differently to other students, except in the case of an emergency, will be denied or simply ignored.
This includes make-up quizzes/exams or any request to have your final grade changed. If you need to get a B- because you are on
academic probation then work hard enough to get an A.
- No curving will be done, instead you will receive a letter-grade equivalent with your midterm score. The overall letter-grade
scale will be determined at the end of term.
- The final exams will be available for you to consult, but not take away, in the Winter quarter. This is an opportunity to
understand where you went wrong, NOT to haggle for extra marks.
Class policies
- No calculators in the quizzes and exams - make sure you can do the homework questions without them!
- Make sure you have a legible ID card for the exams. If your UCI ID has a smudged picture, bring your driver's license.
Your exams will not be graded without proof of who you are.
- Late homework will not be accepted for credit although we will be happy to discuss its mathematical quality with you.
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Academic Honesty Both the Math department and UCI take a
dim view of dishonest behavior with regards to assessments:
e.g. submitting another's work as your own, copying during exams, bringing notes to exams, etc. Harsh penalties are in
place for students who try and are caught: depending on the seriousness you may be given an F for the assessment, for
the class as a whole, or even suspended from the University. Think before you try anything, for the result of getting
caught is always worse than the grade you'd get by acting honestly.
Studying Tips
- The purpose of coming to lectures is more to listen to what's being said rather than to copy what's on the board.
You will get the most out of class if you think about the problems being discussed and participate by trying to answer.
After the lecture, while the discussion is still fresh in your mind, you should write your notes out carefully, filling
in any gaps and adding any comments you heard in the lecture. If you don't understand what you've written, bring your
questions to discussion/office hours.
- Math is about being logical and communicating your understanding. This means writing in sentences!
Because we will be discussing and trying different approaches to solve problems in class, these examples will
often not be written 100% formally. When you write your notes, try to write up the class examples as formally as you can.
- The answers to the homework are there so you can see examples of answers written formally.
Compare these answers with your own and think about how you can improve.
- All this work requires time: you should be spending at least as much time studying outside of lectures/discussions
as you spend inside. You shouldn't expect a good grade just from turning up to class. Treat college like a full-time job.
- Here's a good self-test. When you've finished writing some notes, or a homework answer, always ask
yourself two questions:
- Will I understand what I've written in a few weeks?
- Could someone else understand what I've written without my being there to help explain it?
If the answer to both these questions isn't yes, then you shouldn't expect to get an A...
- Finally, here are some metrics:
- A grade of C/C- means you've shown you can handle any classes that follow on from this one.
- An A grade means two things:
- You know the definitions and theorems well enough to be able to apply them to unfamiliar situations.
- You should be able to stand at the board and teach much of the course material.