Honors Multivar. Calc., MTH 254H-001
| Instructor: | Mark Iwen |
| Time and Place: | Lectures are MWF 1:50 pm -- 2:40 pm, in A320 Wells Hall The Lab is Th 3:00 pm -- 4:20 pm, also in A320 Wells Hall |
| E-mail: | markiwen@math.msu.edu |
| Office: | C342 WH |
| Office Hours: | M 12:30 pm -- 1:30 pm, W 2:45 pm -- 3:45 pm, and Th 2:00 pm -- 3:00 pm |
We will discuss vectors in space, functions of several variables, partial differentiation, multiple integrals, line and surface integrals, and Green's and Stokes's Theorems. If time permits, we will also discuss more general surface integration formulas, and explore differential forms.
Course website for MTH254H-001:
http://math.msu.edu/~markiwen/Teaching/MTH254H/MTH254H_F14.html
The course website is mandatory reading for the course. On it you will find the course schedule, the syllabus, and supplementary reading. Homework assignments will be posted on the schedule.
Textbook:
Vector Calculus, Sixth Edition, by Jerrold Marsden and Anthony Tromba.
W. H. Freeman and Company, ISBN-13 978-1-4292-1508-4
We will cover most, if not all, of the material discussed in this nicely written book.
Additional Math Help:
Additional help can be obtained at the Math Learning Center. The specific hours when multivariable calculus help is guaranteed in Wells Hall are here (see the hours for MTH 254H).
Prerequisites:
MTH 153H, or MTH 133, or LB 119
Homework:
Homework assignments will be given every week and will constitute 15% of your final grade. The homework questions will be posted on the web with their due dates. Posting of new assignments will be announced in class. You must submit your homework solutions during the class period on the due date unless prior permission has been granted to submit otherwise. Late homework assignments will never be graded. The lowest homework score will be dropped when computing your average homework grade. Homework solutions must be original copies in the student's own handwriting. No other submissions will be graded. Solutions must be clear and neatly written to receive credit. Solutions to homework assignments will be discussed in the lab section. A subset of the homework problems will be graded each week.
Quizzes:
You will be given a total of 11 in-class and closed notes/book quizzes during the Thursday lab sections (one most weeks). Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. These quizzes will constitute 15% of your final grade.
Exams:
You will be given two in-class midterm exams during lab sessions, and one cumulative final exam. The midterm exams will count 40% toward your final grade. The cumulative final exam will count 30% toward your final grade. A makeup exam, which will be given only in legitimate cases of illness or personal emergency which is documented by a physician or other appropriate official, will take place during the last week of the semester. This exam will take the place of any missed midterm exam and will be comprehensive. A student who finds it necessary to miss an exam should contact the professor before the exam to explain the circumstances.
You will be given the first in-class midterm exam during the lab session on Thursday, October 2nd. The second in-class midterm exam will be given during the lab session on Thursday, November 6th. The cumulative final exam will be held on Friday, December 12th, from 12:45 p.m. -- 2:45 p.m..
Grading:
Your final course percentage will be determined by averaging your homework, quiz, midterm exam, and final exam percentages with the following weights: Homework (15%), Quizzes (15%), Midterm Exams (40%), and the Final Exam (30%). The result of this weighted average will then be rounded to the nearest integer.
Your final grade (e.g., 3.5, 4.0, etc.) will be assigned according to a class ranking. That is, the weighted averages calculated as above for all the students in the class will be rank ordered. Finally, threshold scores (e.g., a score above which a 4.0 is earned) will be determined, thereby establishing each student's final grade in the class. The threshold scores for each grade will never be higher than those indicated in following table.
| 90% -- 100% | A | 4.0 |
| 85% -- 89% | A-/B+ | 3.5 |
| 80% -- 84% | B | 3.0 |
| 75% -- 79% | B-/C+ | 2.5 |
| 70% -- 74% | C | 2.0 |
| 65% -- 69% | C-/D+ | 1.5 |
| 60% -- 64% | D | 1.0 |
| 0% -- 59% | F | 0.0 |
Incomplete grades will be given only in unusual cases of illness or other personal emergency, which causes the student to miss a significant amount of the course. This grade cannot be given for any other reason.
Academic Integrity:
You are expected to complete in-class quizzes and exams on your own, without collaboration or the use of any outside resources. Any violation of this rule will be treated according to the MSU policies on academic integrity. Please familiarize yourself with these policies if you have not already.
You are encouraged to work with your peers on solving homework assignments. However, all submitted homework solutions must be written up in your own words. Submitting another student's written work as your own will be considered plagiarism.