INTRODUCTION: Calculus is a central pillar of scientific
education, and
is
a
principal language and problem solving tool for science and
engineering. At the University of Maryland, Math 140-141 is the first
year sequence of calculus courses
designed for science, engineering and mathematics students.
CLASSES: Math 140 meets 5 times a week: MWF in large lecture,
and TTh in approximately 20-student sections for 80 minutes. The first
portion of the TTh session (normally
around 15-20 minutes) is normally for questions related to homework
problems; the remainder of the
session is devoted to worksheets prepared especially for that session.
You
will generally work in groups of about 4 students; the group's task is
not
only to produce solutions to the problems on the worksheet but also to
make
certain that each member of the group participates and in the end
understands
how to solve the problems. The problems on the worksheets have been
carefully tailored (by our professors and teaching assistants) so that
they should be able to be solved by you; you will probably gain more
insights by discussing these problems with others (e.g., in your
group). Don't be discouraged when you find problems whose
solutioins do not pop out instantly. Remember that learning takes
work; one cannot learn calculus by osmosis or by listening to others
talk about it.
TEXT: Math 140 comprises Chapters 2-5 and Section 10.3 of
"Calculus," 6th Edition, by Robert Ellis and Denny Gulick (Thomson
Custom Publishing, 2003). Chapter 3 concerns limits;
Chapters 3 and 4 focus on the derivative and applications of the
derivative; Chapter 5 introduces the integral, and Section 10.3
discusses conic sections. The text is written to be read by
you. If you have questions while reading it, then jot down the
questions and ask them.
The goal of your professor and TA is for you to learn calculus and succeed in the course. We also hope that you will enjoy calculus, and take pride in your understanding of the subject.
Professor Gulick's office is Room 1111 in the Mathematics Building.
His office telephone number is 301 405 5056.
His email address is dng@math.umd.edu.
His office hours during Fall 2004 are generally after class, and by appointment.
Edited by D. Gulick, August 29, 2004