MS 203 - Multivariable Calculus

Professor: Erich Friedman

About the course:

We will meet every MWF at 11:00 in Elizabeth 202, and every T at 11:30 in Elizabeth 205, the Math/CS computer lab. This course will cover material from chapters 9-12 of the text, Calculus: Concepts and Contexts by Stewart. Topics of the course include functions of many variables, vector calculus, partial differentiation, multiple integration, parametric equations, and other coordinate systems. You will be expected to understand why calculus works, as well as how to do the calculations involved. You will need to understand and do proofs to succeed in this course. We will also be learning how to use the computer as a tool for doing calculus. The development of calculus some 300 years ago was perhaps the greatest mathematical achievement in history. I hope you enjoy discovering it with me.

About me:

My e-mail address is erich.friedman@stetson.edu. My web page can be found at http://www.stetson.edu/~efriedma/. My office is Elizabeth 214-2. My office hours this semester are:

I am always in my office during these times. If you cannot make my regularly scheduled hours, let me know and we can set up another time to talk. Please come by if you need help, or if you just want to chat. You will soon see that my lecture style is informal. I will be calling you by your first names (or a nickname if you prefer), so please call me Erich.

About you:

You should have passed MS 201 and MS 202, or taken equivalent calculus courses elsewhere. The courses MS 245 and MS 255, while not required, will make this course less stressful. You should be comfortable with limits, taking derivatives, and using derivatives to find relative extrema. You should remember the basic techniques of integration, and how to apply them to find area or total change. As we will be working with a computer, you will need a Stetson e-mail account. If you do not have such an account, go to CIT (basement of Lynn Business Center) to get one immediately. Attendance in this class is not mandatory, but do not expect me to help you if you do not help yourself. Please be respectful of both me and your classmates. This means coming to class on time and not socializing in class.

About your grade:

Homework will not be collected, but I will answer questions in class as time permits. These problems are designed to help you prepare for the tests. I encourage you to work together on the homework problems, especially as the answers are not in the back of the book. You should do as much or as little homework as you need, but the leading cause of failing this course is not doing enough homework.

Tests will be given after we finish each one of the five major topics. The test dates are listed on the syllabus. You are allowed to use a calculator on the tests. You will be expected to show your work and justify your answers. I do not give make-up tests. If you miss a test without telling me beforehand, you will receive a zero. Each test will be worth 100 points.

Mathematica Projects will give you a chance to do longer problems outside of class with the help of a computer. Mathematica is a computer algebra system that we will be using extensively -- it does algebra, calculus, graphics, and much more. I will hand out a sheet on how each section of the book can be utilized in Mathematica. We will spend our time in lab next week to introduce you to Mathematica. On the Tuesdays announced on the syllabus, you can use class time to work on your projects. You may work on these projects in pairs. These five projects will be due after we finish each chapter, and will be worth 20 points each.

The Final Exam will be comprehensive, and is worth 200 points. There are 800 points total.