Math 71/90 Old News - October

• 10/4 (1): Congratulations! Nearly everyone did well on the last quiz! The solutions are available to download from this page (see Quizzes, above). Keep up the good work! And be sure to get an early start studying for the next quiz (see 10/4 (3), below), since more sections will be covered.
• 10/4 (2): The homework list has been updated through this Friday's assignment.
• 10/4 (3): This Friday's quiz will cover Sections 5-B.2, 4-A, and 4-B.1 of Ebersole, plus Sections 2.2 (2) and 2.3 of Stewart. You should know how to
  • Determine the limit, the left-hand limit, and/or the right-hand limit of a function f(x) as x approaches a given number, including infinite limits. This means:
    • Know when to use Dr. Byler's limit law as discussed in class
    • When "Dr. Byler's limit law" does not apply, know whether the x value you are approaching represents
      • a hole (limit is the y-coordinate of the hole)
      • a vertical asymptote (must check whether graph goes up or down on either side of the asymptote), or
      • a gap as discussed in class (limit does not exist)
  • Identify which functions are polynomials and which are not
  • Factor and/or solve quadratic equations of the form ax²+bx+c=0, including those that require use of the quadratic formula.
• 10/4 (4): I have compiled your current grades through HW 5, Midterm I and Quiz 4. They are posted outside my office. You will need the last 4 digits of your PeopleSoft ID to identify your scores.
  You should check your scores to make sure that they correspond with your records. Very rarely, I or my grader sometimes will miss a homework or quiz or record the wrong score. If one or more of your scores differs from what is shown, please show me the work in question as soon as possible so I can correct it.
  Please see me if you have any questions or concerns.
• 10/11 (1): The homework list has been updated through this Friday's assignment.
• 10/11 (2): This Friday's quiz will cover Sections 4-C, 5-A, and 6-A of Ebersole, plus Section 2.5 of Stewart. You should know how to
  • Solve a quadratic inequality of the form ax²+bx+c > 0
  • Find the domain of a function that looks like a square root, cube root, etc. of a quadratic expression
  • Given a graph of a function f(x), determine the values of x where f(x) is continuous, continuous from the left, and/or continuous from the right
  • Given a formula for a polynomial function, fraction of polynomials ("rational") function, square root function, or piecewise function f(x), determine the values of x where f(x) is continuous, continuous from the left, and/or continuous from the right
  • Determine the intervals where a function is continuous, including knowing when to use square brackets, i.e. [ or ]
• 10/16 (1): The homework list has been updated through Wednesday, October 27. There is a change from what I announced in class on Friday: Section 7-B of Ebersole will not be due until Wednesday, October 27.
• 10/16 (2): This Friday's quiz will cover Sections 6-B and 6-C of Ebersole, plus Sections 2.6 and 3.1 of Stewart. You should know how to
  • Interpret the average rate of change of a function as a slope of a secant line
  • Calculate the average rate of change of a function over an interval
  • Interpret the instantaneous rate of change of a function as a slope of a tangent line
  • Calculate the instantaneous rate of change of a function at a number x = a
  • Calculate the formula for the slope of a tangent line of a function using correct limit format
  • Recognize the prime notation for the derivative of a function, i.e. f'(x)
• 10/16 (3): A reminder that we are having our second MIDTERM on Friday, October 29. You will have the entire 50 minutes to complete your test. It will cover Chapters 3 through 7 of Ebersole plus Sections 2.2 through 3.3 of Stewart. I will put a practice exam on this web site soon. It is not too early to start studying for the exam! Please see the tips I gave for Midterm I for guidance.
• 10/16 (4): As announced in class my Thursday office hours will be reverting to their old time of 4:30-6:00pm effective this Thursday, October 21.
• 10/20: The practice midterm is now available above.
• 10/22: The practice midterm solutions, along with the solutions to today's quiz, are now available above. Once you have completed the practice test, please study the solutions carefully and write down anything you do not understand. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have in office hours. I will also set aside the last 20 minutes or so of Wednesday's class for questions.
• 10/28: There was an error in the solutions to the practice exam. On Work and Answer #3, I forgot to finish the solution. I found g'(x) but then didn't go on to find g'(2). The solutions have now been fixed.

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