MAT 125 - Calculus A (Stony Brook Manhattan Campus)
Summer II 2008

Instructor: Andrew Clarke. Office: (Stony Brook Campus) Math. Tower Rm. 3-103. Email: aclarke at math.sunysb.edu

Lecture times:

The class meets Monday and Wednesday from 9:30-12:55 in SB Manhattan Room 224, starting Monday the 14th of July.

Course Description:

  MAT 125 is the first course in the three semester sequence of calculus. This part of the sequence concentrates on differentiation. We will look at many things including basic manipulations with functions, limits and continuity, differentiation in terms of rates of change and slopes of tangent lines, and a few other things. Look at the syllabus for more information.

Textbook

- Single Variable Calculus, by James Stewart, (Third Edition), Thomson Brooks Cole Publications. This book is available from the university bookstore but I would also look at prices from online retailers. Note that there are at least two books of this title by Stewart. The one we need is the the Stony Brook Edition of the third edition.

Homework

The assessment for this class will consist of five homeworks, a midterm test and a final exam. It should be emphasised that mathematics is best learned through examples and exercises so making good attempts at the homework problems is very necessary. Students are strongly encouraged to work together on the homeworks and to speak to the instructor during office hours, however just to clarify ideas and not for homwork help.

You cannot learn mathematics without working problems. Homework problems will be assigned each week. Do all of the assigned problems. Solutions should be written neatly and clearly. Selected ones will be graded. It is also recommended that you work additional problems to increase your understanding. If you do not understand how to solve a certain problem, get help from your instructor, your classmates, or from tutors in the Math Learning Center. You are encouraged to study and discuss homework problems with others from the class, but please write your solutions yourself.
See the link on your left for the list of homework problems, and their due dates. Homework will be assigned every Wednesday, and will be due the following Monday.

Quizzes

There will be approximately one quiz per week throughout the term.

Office hours

After the lectures, from about 1pm in the lecture room. Speak to me in person or write an email if you would like to meet at another time.

For more information about differential calculus, including some excellent explanations and very cool animations of tangent and secant lines and Newton's Method, look at the Spring 07 website.

Grading

The final grade for this class will be computed from your final exam score, homework and quizzes weighted by the following amounts:

Homework and Quizzes 30% Homework due each Monday, starting the second week of classes.
Midterm 30% Wednesday 30th of July, 9:30-12:55, in the classroom.
Final exam 40% Wednesday 20th of August, 9:30-12:55, in the classroom.

Important : There will be no make-ups for missed homework and quizzes.

Calculators

Books and other written material are not allowed during exams. Department approved calculators are permitted. If you need to bring a backpack etc. to an exam, you must place it, all pockets and flaps closed in plain sight of the proctors.

Students with disabilities - If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, you are strongly urged to contact the staff in the Disabled Student Services (DSS) office: Room 133 in the Humanities Building; 632-6748v/TDD. The DSS office will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. A written DSS recommendation should be brought to your lecturer who will make a decision on what special arrangements will be made. All information and documentation of disability is confidential. Arrangements should be made early in the semester (before the first exam) so that your needs can be accommodated.