Lecture: MWRF 9:30-10:20 Oldfather (OLDH) 209

Instructor: Mark Brittenham

Office: Oldfather Hall (OldH) 819

Telephone: (47)2-7222

E-mail: mbritten@math.unl.edu

WWW: http://www.math.unl.edu/ ~ mbritten/

WWW pages for this class: http://www.math.unl.edu/ ~ mbritten/classwk/208s04/

(There you will find copies of nearly every handout from class, lists of homework problems assigned, dates for exams, etc.)

Office Hours: (tentatively) Mo 11:00-12:00, Tu 2:00 - 3:00, We 12:00-1:00, and Th 1:00 - 2:00, and whenever you can find me in my office and I'm not horrendously busy. You are also quite welcome to make an appointment for any other time; this is easiest to arrange just before or after class.

Text: Calculus, by Smith and Minton (McGraw-Hill, 2nd edition).

This course, as the name is meant to imply, is a continuation of Calculus 1 and 2. Our goal is to redo much of what was covered in the previous courses, for functions having several variables (whatever they are). Our basic goal will be to work through the chapters of the book not covered in Calculus 1 and 2:

(Ch. 9, Parametric Equations and Polar Coordinates)

Ch. 10, Vectors and the Geometry of Space

Ch. 11, Vector-valued Functions

Ch. 12, Functions of Several Variables and Partial Differentiation

Ch. 13, Multiple Integrals

Ch. 14, Vector Calculus

Homework will be assigned from each section, as we finish it. It is an essential ingredient to the course - as with almost all of mathematics, we learn best by doing (again and again and ...). Cooperation with other students on these assignments is acceptable, and even encouraged. However, you should make sure you are understanding the process of finding the solution, on your own - after all, you get to bring only one brain to exams (and it can't be someone else's). For the same reason, I also recommend that you try working each problem on your own, first.

Homework will be collected two class periods after it is assigned (e.g. Monday's assignment is due Thursday, Wednesday's is due Friday, ...), graded, and returned. Homework will be worth 120 points towards your final grade. Late homeworks will be recorded as turned in, but not graded.

In addition, we will have one significantly larger assignment. This project will be assigned at the begining of March, and will be collected several weeks later. You may choose to work on the project in groups of up to three, with one write-up turned in for the group, or you may choose to work on it individually. It will count 40 points towards your final grade.

Midterm exams will be given three times during the semester, in the evening, approximately every four weeks - the specific dates will be announced in class well in advance (likely candidates: early February, mid-March, mid-April). Each exam will count 100 points toward your grade. You can take a make-up exam only if there are compelling reasons (a doctor SAYS you were sick, jury duty, etc.) for you to miss an exam. Make-up exams tend to be harder than the originals (because make-up exams are harder to write!).

Finally, there will be a regularly scheduled final exam, on Tuesday, May 4, from 7:30am to 9:30am. It will cover the entire course, (probably) with a slight emphasis on material covered after the last midterm exam. It will count 140 points toward your grade.

Your course grade will therefore be calculated based upon a total of 120 + 40 + 3×100 + 140 = 600 points, and will be converted to a letter grade based partly on the overall average of the class. However, a score of 90% or better will guarantee some kind of A, 80% or better at least some sort of B, 70% or better at least a flavor of C, and 60% or better at least a D.

In mathematics, new concepts continually rely upon the mastery of old ones; it is therefore essential that you thoroughly understand each new topic before moving on. (In particular, a proper mastery of the material from Calculus I and II is central to making your Calculus III experience bearable.) Our classes are an important opportunity for you to ask questions; to make sure that you are understanding concepts correctly. Speak up! It's your education at stake. Make every effort to resist the temptation to put off work, and to fall behind. Every topic has to be gotten through, not around. And it's alot easier to read 50 pages of the text in a week than it is in a day. Try to do some mathematics every single day. (I do.) Class attendance is probably your best way to insure that you will keep up with the material, and make sure that you understand all of the concepts. I will not be taking attendance; I expect that you will simply see the wisdom of attending class, for yourselves.

Departmental Grading Appeals Policy: Students who believe their academic evaluation has been prejudiced or capricious have recourse for appeals to (in order) the instructor, the departmental chair, the departmental appeals committee, and the college appeals committee.

Jan. 12 First day of classes.

Jan. 19 Martin Luther King Day - no classes.

Jan. 23 Last day to withdraw from a course without a `W'.

Mar. 5 Last day to change to or from P/NP.

Mar. 14-21 Spring break - no classes.

Apr. 9 Last day to withdraw from a course.

May 1 Last day of classes.