- Announcements
- Thanks for signing up! I'm glad that you're here.
- Anyone new to NKU?
- Today we'll
- get acquainted,
- go over course details,
- talk a little about what this course is about, then
- you'll take a diagnostic test to predict how well you're going to do. That's a dirty trick, but I find that it's strongly predictive of your success -- so it's worth doing. I hope that you'll take it very seriously, even though it does not figure into your course grade.
- Roll
- 3x5 cards: Please fill out the card, indicating
- Name (first and last -- but use the name that you want me to call you).
- Hometown
- What is your experience with calculus?
- What is your calling? ("a calling has to do with one's larger purpose, personhood, deepest values, and the gift one wishes to give the world.... A calling is about the use one makes of a career." David Orr, Earth in Mind)
- What is your dream job?
- What is something special about you?
- The course website will be useful:
http://www.nku.edu/~longa/classes/mat129
- Syllabus (logistics, etc.)
- The plan of attack: we'll get through (much of) chapters one
through five in Stewart.
Assignments will be updated on the website. Keep checking on those.... You have one already!
It's to get an account on the IMath system, which we'll be using for part of our homework. It's been years since I used this, but I used to use it, and liked it. I'm working with Dr. Krug on this, but I'm expecting some glitches early on. Please let me know if things aren't working. Don't start by blaming yourself -- it may be us!
- You'll want access to either a copy of Mathematica, or a
calculator at least on a par with a TI-89 -- that is, a graphing
calculator with a "CAS" -- Computer Algebra System. I encourage you to download
a free copy of Mathematica.
However, your exams are going to be taken with only a scientific calculator, so you'll need one of those as well. But for your own work, I recommend a good graphing calculator and (even better) Mathematica.
These really reduce the tedium associated with some aspects of advanced mathematics, and allow you to check your work. That being said, since you'll have access to neither for the exams, you'll want use these as aids and not as crutches.
- The Calculus lab (MEP 457) may prove helpful.
- You should do the reading in advance of our discussion of
each section in class. Wednesday we'll start working on some
background material in chapter 1. Please read section 1.5, and
review the previous sections.
- Sign your classroom
agreement. Major upshot: no electronics (other than calculators) in
class....
The big ideas of Calc I are contained in Gil Strang's "Auto Analogy":
Imagine that the car is operated on a long, straight road. Just for the sake of convenience, we won't allow it to travel in reverse!
- Given the graph of the speedometer readings over time, can we tell what the odometer read over time?
- Given the graph of the odometer readings over time, can we tell what the speedometer read over time?
Calculus answers both of these with a resounding "Yes!"
Each of these questions relates to the two fundamental subject matters of univariate calculus I: the differential calculus and the integral calculus. We're going to be studying both of these this semester. Can you think of some simple cases where it's easy to answer in the affirmative?How about more complex ones?:)
- This is a calculator-free test.
- Please don't write on the exam itself (so I can reuse these). Use your answer sheet as scratch paper, as needed.
- Please try your hardest, even though this will not be counted in your course grade. It is simply designed to help you to assess your preparation for this course.