Mon Wed Fri 9-10 am, in Cupples I, room 111.
| Instructor | phone | office | office hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renato Feres | 5-6752 | Cupples I 17 | feres@math.wustl.edu | MWF 3:30-4:30, TuTh 10-11 (or by appoint.) |
This class is designed for students planning to take calculus and would like additional preparation. The course aims to build both the technical skills and the conceptual understanding needed to succeed in calculus and previews some selected topics from calculus.
The main textbook is: Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus, 3rd. ed, by Stewart, Redlin, and Watson (Brooks/Cole). As additional reading material, we will use: The Parrot's Theorem, by Denis Guedj.
Homework assignments, their due dates, as well as suggested problems from the textbook will be posted on our on-line bulletin board.
You should have a graphing calculator. The TI-83 or TI-83plus is the recommended calculator and the one that is used by the instructor and TA's in the calculus sequence. You will often need the calculator in class for examples and in-class assignments.
There will be homework assignments weekly to be turned in and graded, along with many suggested problems, which will not be handed in. It is essential that you try to do as many problems as possible. Math is not a "spectator sport" and cannot be learned by simply watching someone else work problems. Also, working on problems is the best way to test whether you understand the material and to find areas where you need more work. You are encouraged to work together on any of the homework problems, but each student should write up his/her solutions independently. Keep in mind that in grading the homework, the instructor is not only looking for the correct final answer, but for a neat, organized summary of the work involved to obtain the answer.
There will be frequent in-class assignments, so attendance is required. The four lowest grades on the in-class assignments will be dropped. From time to time, we will take part of the class time to discuss the "Parrot's theorem."
Exams, except for the final, will be given in class. The dates are shown below. They are one hour long each. (The final is 2 hours long.)
| Exam I | Exam II | Exam III | Final | |
| Friday, February 1 | Wednesday, March 20 | Wednesday, April 10 | Monday, April 29 |
The 3 exams and the final count for a total of 70% of your grade. In-class assignments and your participation in class discussions will count for 15% and homework is the remaining 15%. The grade scale will be decided at the very end. It won't be, however, worse than the following.