Introduction to Advanced Mathematics

MATH 290

Exams

Advanced Calculus
Math 290-001
Krug Hall 204
Mon/Wed 10:30-11:45pm

Instructor:	Dr. Goldin
Office:	Science and Tech I, Room 207
Office Hours:	Monday 12pm-1pm, Wednesday 9:30am-10:15am, and by appointment. If you plan to come to office hours on Mondays, you do not need to let me know in advance, however on Wednesday please email me if you plan to come, with the time you plan to be there.
Phone:	703-993-1480. Messages are not checked regularly. The best way to reach me is by email.
Email:	rgoldin@gmu.edu

Prerequisite
C or better in Math 114 or equivalent. If you earned a C in previous calculus classes, you will find this course extremely difficult. Earning a B or better from prerequisite courses is recommended.

Text
The text is A Transition to Advanced Mathematics, 7th edition by Douglas Smith, Maurice Eggen and Richard St. Andre. We will roughtly cover Chapters 1-5, and some of Chapter 7.

Course Content
We will roughly cover material from Chapters 1-5 in this text, with possible additions from Chapter 6 and/or 7. I will alert you to more details or any skipped or added sections as we go forward. The purpose of the course is to learn enough of the language of mathematics and some basic techniques to be able to understand, formulate, and write correct proofs as well as to be able to appreciate the meaning of mathematical definitions and statements of theorems. This will be done by using definitions and concepts from various areas of mathematics. The course is intended to provide a bridge between computational courses (like the calculus sequence) and more rigorous theoretical courses like advanced calculus (Math 315) and advanced algebra (Math 322, Math 321). Students usually find the transition difficult and so I consider class attendance and participation to be of the utmost importance.

Math 290 is the course that fulfills the writing-intensive requirement for the mathematics major. Thus developing the ability to write proofs of a high quality is one of the central goals.

Exam Dates
The exam dates are subject to change, but they are currently scheduled for

Exam 1: February 20, and
Exam 2: March 25

Please check back here for any changes as the semester goes on.

Final Exam: Wednesday, May 8, 2013, 10:30pm-1:15pm.

There are no make up tests allowed unless you have an extremely serious and well-documented excuse. You must see me in advance if at all possible, such as a religious reason. If this is not possible due to the nature of the exam conflict, you must provide written documentation, such as a dated and timed letter from a doctor/hospital in the case of medical excuse, a death certificate in the case of a family death, etc. A flat tire or car trouble is NOT a valid excuse. Oversleeping is not an excuse. Minor medical difficulties such as a headache or flu that does not require being in the doctor's office is not an excuse. A court date to dispute a ticket is not an excuse. If you are not sure if your reason is excusable, and/ or if you can possibly make it to the exam but it's inconvenient, then it is not an excuse.

Problem Sets
There are regular problem sets. You may work with other students on homework, but you must write up your own work independently (with no shared typed files). You should indicate with whom you worked. Homework is graded for content and style. Part of the grade involves
1) Stapling.
2) Writing your name.
3) Being neat, legible, organized appropriately.
You should always REWRITE your work before turning it in. Late homework will be accepted at most ONCE during the semester (up to one week late) with no penalty. Subsequent late homework will not be accepted for any reason.

Grading
There are 500 points available in this course. Of these 100 will be offered in the form of take home assignments, 110 each for two class tests, and 180 total points for the final exam. As the semester goes on, there will be various challenges you will need to meet in order to unlock points you can earn.

I reserve the right at my discretion to increase your grade slightly. I will not decrease your score unless I find a violation of class policy or honor code. However, there is no sympathy for students who do not come to class, do not read in advance, and do not do the homework! Make-up tests are given only in extraordinary situations that require written proof. Partial solutions will be posted online as soon as possible.

Disability statement
If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Resources at 703.993.2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through that office.

Honor Code
The University Honor Code is to be followed at all times. Sharing information of any kind about exams or quizzes is prohibited. Any violations will be sent to the Honor Committee and will result in a grade of zero. See the University Honor Code.

Tutoring Center
The Math Tutoring Center is located in the Johnson Center Rm 344. Help is available on a walk-in basis and it is FREE! For hours of operation see http://math.gmu.edu/tutorcenter.htm

General Remarks
Please be considerate of other students.
NO LAPTOPS ARE ALLOWED IN THE LECTURE HALL. If you have a specific need, please see me to discuss.
Please come to class on time. If you must arrive late or leave early sit in the back near the door to minimize the distraction.
Please turn off your cell phone before class. Please close your tablets unless you are using them to take notes.
If I find you continuing to need reminders about the computer or cell phone policy, I will write down your name and deduct points from your problem set score.

My responsibility as the instructor of this course is to answer questions and organize the material in a logical manner to facilitate learning. Your job as the student is to learn the material! You do this by attending class, paying attention, doing homework, resolving questions about the material, and studying hard. My expectation is that you are working approximately 8-10 hours each week outside of class on the material related to this course.