Math 156: Calculus I

Fall 2022


Instructor:

 Sam Hopkins (call me "Sam")
Office: Annex III (Graduate School) - #220
E-mail: sam.hopkins@howard.edu 

Classes:

 Mon-Tue-Wed-Fri, 2:10-3:00pm
Annex III (Graduate School) - #224

Office hours:

 Tue 1-2pm (or by appointment)
Annex III (Graduate School) - #220

Course content:

 We will study differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions, applications of the derivative, differentials, indefinite integrals, and definite integrals. The goal here is developing the student's geometric insight into the concepts of differentiation and integration, and applying these concepts to problem solving and "real world applications."

Prerequisites:

 Math 007 (Precalculus) or outstanding score on Mathematics Placement Examination

Textbook:

 Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 9th Edition, by J. Stewart et al.
Contact me if you need help accessing the textbook.

Grading:

 The grading for the course will be based on Quizzes, Midterm Exams, and the Final Exam. The grading scheme is:
  • Quizzes = 40% of grade
  • Each of 2 midterms = 20% of grade
  • Final exam = 20% of grade
In-class quizzes will happen every Tuesday, except for weeks when midterms take place. There will be 12 total quizzes and your lowest 2 scores will be dropped (so 10 of the 12 quizzes will count).
There will be two in-class midterms in the semester. They will take place on Tuesdays and be announced 1-2 weeks in advance. The final will happen after the end of classes, during finals week.
Studying with your fellow students is a good idea, but collaboration on graded assignments is not permitted. The use of calculators, outside notes, or other tools from the Internet, is not permitted. Assignments and grades will be posted to the Blackboard site.

Syllabus:

 Click here for a pdf version of the syllabus (which also includes a more detailed course outline and information about the Code of Conduct, Grievance Procedure, Disability Accommodations, etc.)

Class notes:

 Batch 1; Batch 2; Batch 3; Batch 4; Batch 5; Batch 6; Batch 7
(Change "_gray.pdf" to "_bw.pdf" for black & white.)

Quizzes / exams:

 8/23: Quiz #0 (Diagnostic)
8/30: Quiz #1
9/6: Quiz #2
9/13: Quiz #3
9/20: Quiz #4
9/27: Quiz #5
10/4: Midterm #1; Study Guide
10/11: Quiz #6
10/18: Quiz #7
10/25: Quiz #8
11/1: Quiz #9
11/8: Quiz #10
11/15: Midterm #2; Study Guide
11/22: Quiz #11
11/30: Quiz #12
12/6, 3:30-5:30pm: Final Exam; Study Guide

Other resources:

 Old final exams can be found on the math department website here.
Course material for Calculus I from previous years can be found on Prof. Sitaraman's website here.
Active Calculus is a free, online textbook for learning calculus; it does not follow exactly the same outline as the Stewart book we are using, but content from Chapters 1 through 5 there closely aligns with what we will learn this semester.