Welcome to Math 90! Math 90 is a 4-unit course, intended to be taken with the continuation course which will be offered in the spring semester. This semester we will cover inequalities, functions, graphs, limits, continuity, differential calculus, and applications, along with review of selected necessary high school algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Students must meet the ELM requirement for Math 6 in order to enroll in this course. The course covers chapters 1 through 3 of Stewart’s text, plus Chapters 2-12 of the Companion (chapter 1 of the latter text is considered review. If it does not seem like review, you should review it very soon!).
Calculus is a very interesting and very useful subject. This course, however, will be demanding. This is not “dumbed-down calculus.” You will be expected to put in a lot of time and effort to learn the material. I will do my very best to teach it to you, but you must ultimately take the responsibility to stay caught up, seek extra help when you need it, and monitor your progress in the class. I am always here to help you do this.
I am very much looking forward to this course. I hope my enthusiasm rubs off on you!
Homework List (partial) Calculator PolicyUpon completion of this course, students should understand:
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
| Chapter (Stewart) | Description | Corresponding Chapters (Ebersole) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Functions and Models | 2 (Chapter 1 is considered review) |
| 2 | Limits and Rates of Change | 3-5 |
| 3 | Derivatives | 6-12 |
Homework is due Wednesdays and Fridays at 4pm. You may give it to me directly or place it in the box outside my office labeled "MATH 90 -- BYLER." Please write your full name, the due date, and "12:00" or "1:00" to indicate what section you are in, at the top of the first page. Wednesday homework will be accepted through Friday at 4pm for half credit. Friday homework will not be accepted late for any reason. I will drop your lowest two homework scores. Be sure to read and understand the Homework Format Requirements and Guidelines. It will be enforced! Homework of more than one page must be stapled. This is not optional. Do not write teeny-tiny to get out of this, please!
Warning: You are expected to budget at least 8-12 hours per week for homework and study outside of class. Do not attempt to concentrate all this work on Tuesday and Thursday nights! You will never finish assignments, let alone learn anything, if you do not start a few days early, while you have the chance to get help. You may check your answers in the Solutions Manual in my office any time I am there, as long as you have completed the problem yourself first.
There may be bonus problems (for extra credit) assigned in class which do not appear on the syllabus. These will often be given during the first five minutes of class, to encourage you to be on time.
Quizzes will be held in class on Thursdays, except during midterm weeks, starting September 11 (week 3) and ending November 20 (week 13). They will be given during the first 10 minutes of class. Note that class on Thursdays is in EE 182. Please be on time because the quizzes start exactly at the top of the hour! If you miss a quiz, you get a 0. I will drop your lowest two quiz scores. The quizzes will be based on the material covered in the previous week's homework, including the homework due the previous day. For example, the first quiz on Thursday, September 11 will cover the material from the homeworks due on Friday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 10. Make sure to review the homework and come to office hours with any questions well before the quiz!
IMPORTANT. Reading comprehension is as important in mathematics as in any other subject. On any quiz or exam you should expect to see problems which are not exactly like the homework.
The midterm exams will be Fridays, September 26, October 31, and December 5 (weeks 5, 10, and 15). I will announce in class which sections will be covered on each midterm. There are no makeups for any reason. If you have missed an exam, or feel that you are likely to miss an exam, contact me immediately to discuss your plans for passing the course.
The final exam is comprehensive. Please check the Fall 2003 Schedule of Classes to determine the day and time of the final as soon as possible. If you feel you have a conflict with the time given, contact me immediately. Please note that it is strictly against University policy for me to give final exams early for any reason.
Missing class is bad. It is the single most preventable cause of bad grades! This is a sequence course with a tight syllabus. I will not be able to slow down for you, because that material is going to be needed in the spring term (and throughout your life). So you simply must show up every day to avoid missing something critical. If you must miss class, get the notes from someone as soon as possible, go over them (preferably with the student who took the notesÑit will be valuable for him or her as well to talk through the material), and then come to office hours with any questions. I cannot repeat my lecture for students who skip class.
Enrollment in this class is by permission number only. You will need to obtain two permission numbers from me (please see details provided at the first class meeting) by the end of the second week of classes. I will not be giving out permission numbers after Friday, September 5. Priority will be given to students who attend class regularly.
If you are enrolled and decide not to take the class, you have until Monday, September 8 to drop the class without signatures from both me and the dean of the College of Science and Mathematics (please see p. 61 of the current course catalogue for details). Please drop as soon as you have made your decision in order to allow others to join the class.
| Homework | 15% |
| Quizzes (3) | 15% |
| Midterm 1 | 15% |
| Midterm 2 | 15% |
| Midterm 3 | 15% |
| Final exam | 20% |
| Effort/Attendance/Participation | 5% |
| 90-100% | A |
| 80-89.9% | B |
| 70-79.9% | C |
| 60-69.9% | D |
| 0-59.9% | F |
** Due to possible curving, your grade may end up higher, but not lower, than this chart indicates.
Calculators are generally not allowed on quizzes or exams. I do not anticipate making any exceptions. The reasons for this policy are as follows:
Calculators these days are very powerful machines which can actually facilitate learning in many instances. Many complicated computational procedures which had to be taught in previous generations are now obsolete, and classes can now concentrate on more refined and theoretical concepts. However,
Therefore, to keep the exams equitable, and to avoid brain rot, I choose to disallow calculators of any kind.
I wish to maintain a positive, comfortable learning environment in our class. Please show respect for others by:
Failure to adhere to these ground rules may result in your dismissal from the class.
Cheating is quite prevalent at Fresno State, and thus the penalties for getting caught are severe. Don't do it. Notes of any kind are not permitted during quizzes or exams. I may ask for hats to be removed or for you to switch seats for extra security. Collaboration on homework assignments is allowed and encouraged; however, everyone must turn in his or her own homework, in his or her own words. The University policy on academic dishonesty will be followed in cases of cheating and plagiarism. This means, at minimum, a score of 0 on any assignment or exam in which cheating or plagiarism is suspected. Please don't do anything that looks even remotely like cheating. It's not worth it.
The University policy on students with disabilities will be followed. If you have a disability documented with Services for Students with Disabilities which requires accommodation, please see me as soon as possible to make arrangements.
Do not allow yourself to remain lost in the class. The night before the midterm is not the time to discover that you are in over your head! Whenever you need help, you must get it right away. Sources of help include the following:
In an effort to get to know each of you personally, and to encourage you to find my office, I will give 5 points bonus homework credit to everyone who comes to one or more of my office hours the second week of classes (September 1-5). You do not need to have questions or stay the full hour. Just come and introduce yourself!
* Disclaimer: Although I have no plans to do so, all dates and policies are subject to change or exception according to announcements made in class.
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| Last updated 9/15/2003 |