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I've grouped the class meetings into seven blocks of two weeks each. Generally, homework (HW) is due on the first Thursday of each block and will be graded and returned the following Tuesday. The HW lists below are intended to bethe minimal required to get by. You should do at least 50 per cent more, by choosing similar questions for yourself until you have mastered each section. The exams fall on the second Thursdays of blocks 2, 4 and 6. Each covers the previous 2 HWs, the lectures up to one week before the exam, and topics to be listed below, such as textbook proofs.

You can print this page if you like, but I will add to it and change it as we go. So check back here regularly. I will normally also announce any major changes in class, if time permits.

How to read the schedule:If anything is unclear, please ask. Mainly, you need to keep up with the HW and hand in the correct problems on time. For example, note that the first HW is due on the third class day, Tuesday Aug 30. It includes all the listed problems from Chs 0.4, 0.5 and 1.1. As you see in row 1 of block 1, I suggest working the Ch 0 problems on Aug 23 after class, so that you don't fall behind. HW2 is due Sept 8, and includes Chs 1.2 thru 1.5.

Notice that Exam 1 is scheduled for Sept 15, and that I've provided some study advice in the "Weeks 3-4" section. I may update these remarks at any time, so check back a few days before each Exam. I usually provide a short list of textbook proofs to learn for each test, but do not provide sample exam questions [your HW is your best exam preparation]. Also, I will not hold "review days", unless we are ahead of schedule. You can find lots of my old exams on the exam page. Your exam will probably be of similar difficulty, but may contain very different questions. Also, some old exams were for 50 minute or 75 minute classes, but your exams will be 100 minutes.

Weeks 1-2

Read Ch 0 and the Appendix (as needed) and Ch 1.1 thru 1.4. Review precalculus as needed. Look over this website including the syllabus, my policies and the exam page. If you need special treatment (a certified disability, a religious holiday conflict, you don't want your HW graded, tech issues, etc) see me ASAP. If there is a good reason why you can't be in class at normal times, bring me a written explanation. 

I have posted some True-False practice quizzes on the exam page (partly because older editions of our book gave very little practice with this). There may be problems like these on any of my exams, and students tell me that my practice quizzes help. If you are having any problems, this would be a good time to start coming by my office, or sending me email. If you find an error on this website or make a similar contribution, I may give a little extra credit. Include your name on any email you send me.

Starting in the 2nd week, you can meet with our Learning Assistant, Jennifer Arniella, for questions you have, or special presentations. Her hours will be
a) Thursdays right after class in PC 214 approx 12:50pm to 2pm.
b) Thurs 4pm to 6pm, just outside DM409A. (also, check the nearby patio)
c) Fri 2pm to 4pm in DM409A.
Note that I am also changing my own office hours starting in the second week.

I encourage you to form or join a study group, and get help from Jennifer. But answer the graded HW exercises by yourself. If you use a solutions manual, just use it to check your work.  You are not required to own a graphing calculator or CSA and can skip any steps that ask you to use those. These may be helpful for HW, and I recommend MathGV (free download) to experiment with graphs. But calculators are not allowed on exams. Note that pg A23 is in Appendix B (a review of trig), near the end of your book.

In some recent semesters, I gave a quiz on PreCalculus (algebra, trig identities, word problems, etc) in the first week or two. The poorly-prepared students had to do remedial work to stay in the class. I won't repeat that this semester, and leave it up to you to decide if you are ready. You can look on my exam page for the quizzes given in Spring 2006 and Spring 2007. If you self-score yourself below about 40 to 50%, you should see me.

Weeks 3-4

See above for Jennifer's LA hours. Also, the Math Dept has hired an LA to help students from all sections of Calculus I. Lisandra is holding her LA session in DM 409A MWF  from 9:30 am to 1:00 p.m. FIU provides other tutoring help, such as the Learning Center, and onliine tutoring (see my Help pages, or see me if interested).

Many people find Ch 1.4 difficult at first, so don't despair. We will cover it step-by-step, and the remaining topics are probably not as hard.

Most of the problems on Exam 1 will resemble problems from HW 1 and 2, so I suggest you study mainly from those, and related problems. But I also want to check that you are keeping up with the class, so there may be a few easy questions based on my lectures through Sept 8. Those "recent lecture topics" [eg Ch 1.6 or so] might appear on both Exam 1 (easy problems) and Exam 2 (normal problems) and this remark goes for later exams as well. Proofs to know for Exam I - a) The Main Trig Limit and b) proofs from the HW (mainly from Chs 1.4 and 1.5). Also, prepare for problems like 1.1-17 with explanation (these are almost like proofs).

If you are concerned about which answers need to be simplified, etc, see my grading policies, but that's not required reading. 

Always check this page a few days before each exam for updates. This info is generally more complete [and accurate] than my remarks in class, and much more accurate than the rumors I sometimes hear about my upcoming exams. You can find links to old exams, and TF practice, on my exam page, though many of those were written for a different book, different time period, or a different schedule. If you really want to get off to a good start, you can also look over my help pages, explore links there, visit me and our LAs, and email me with questions.

Weeks 5-6

FIU has an active Math Club which welcomes new people. See the math dept web page (or  me) if you are interested. Also - please feel free to ask me about other math courses, about our actuarial program, etc. There is a new "Study Hall" for students in various math courses like ours. See the Math Dept web site for more info.

Weeks 7-8

My lectures have gotten a little ahead of my original plans, so I have adjusted this page (on Oct 3) to match the reality. Note that HW 4 now includes Ch 3.3.

Exam 2 will mainly cover HWs 3 and 4, Chs 1.6 to 3.5, and the lectures thru Oct 6. It overlaps with both Exam I and Exam III a little.

One focal point is the definition of derivative and how to use it. There will also be calculation problems in which you can use shortcuts such as the power rule or just memorization.  Know the proofs of the Product Rule and the Power Rule and of the continuity of sin and cos. Know the derivatives of the basic functions (including trig, square root, 1/x, ln(x), exp(x) and inverse trig) and be able to justify them with the limit definition, or by other methods as done in class. Practice enough easy related rates and LLA exercises until you are confident with approx the first half the HW from those sections.

Remember that some old exams and True-False are posted on my exam page. Also, remember that FIU offers you several ways of getting math help outside of class [See the math dept web page, or my help pages] If you try these services, I'd like to hear whether they worked well for you.

On some previous Exam 2's, the lowest scores were on problems directly from the textbook exercises (see my old exam keys for examples). I suggest you study more from textbook exercises than from old exams.

Weeks 9-10

I think the drop deadline is 10/31, but you should check this yourself. See me if you need advice.

Weeks 11-12

Exam 3 will cover HWs 5 and 6, and Chs 3.4 - 4.5,  including my lectures through 11/3 (and we may have some time for review on 11/8). 

Practice True-False questions on all these sections. Be able to explain (and use) the main LLA formulas. In previous semesters, many students scored poorly on RRates and L'Hopital problems - so practice those! After doing all the HW, and getting the basics down pat, try alternating bewteen a few RRates and MaxMin problems, to make sure you can see the difference easily. Practice graphing as in Chs 4.1-4.3. A common problem is to get the math mostly right and then fail to "connect the dots".

As usual, check this page for updates a few days before the exam.

Please check on Panthersoft whether you are registered for the course. I may also post a roster here soon.

Extra Credit projects (completely optional of course) are due Tues 11/22. One option is to learn about Newton's Method by reading it yourself; then do approx half the exercises, to show me you have learned it well. Work alone. I will try to give you a fair amount of credit, probably about the same value as a HW assignment, but it depends on the work you give me. Check with me before you start.

Weeks 13-14

Extra Credit projects are due 11/22, along with HW7, which includes Ch 5.1. You don't have to hand in HW on 5.2 etc, but these problems are good practice for the final exam. Remember that Nov 24 is a holiday.

Be sure to hand in everything by 11/29 (late HW 7, notes from doctors, etc). Also, check that your grades have been recorded correctly (you can use the average written on Exam 3 to do that for your Exam scores) and that you are registered for the course. I may not have enough time to help with these things after 11/29.

The final exam counts 30 points, and cannot be dropped; see my policy page about this, about incompletes, etc. Roughly half of it will be on recent topics (HW 7 and beyond). Know the proof of  Rolle's Theorem, and the MVT and of its application in the f'(x) >0 theorem. Know the proofs of the Product Rule and the famous sin (x) / x limit. Be able to do proofs like Example 1 of 2.4, and calculations like Example 1 of 3.2 (for almost any basic function, such as 1/x or square root of x, etc). Be able to explain the Substitution Rule from the Chain Rule.

Be sure to practice the topics which were weak spots on previous exams. I will try to say more soon, but would include Related Rates and Limit calculations in that list. You can suggest topics for me to review on the last day of class (by sending an email, for example).

A couple of students have recommended the Khan Academy web site for extra help with the material.

Final Exam : Thursday, 12/8/11, 9:45am to 11:45am, in the usual room. It will cover the entire course, but will emphasize topics after HW6.

I hope you enjoyed the course and learned a lot ! Please let me know if anything special has affected your progress this term, for better or worse.  And please keep in touch. I am always interested to hear how my students fare in their future coursework, etc

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Pre Calculus HW [optional]

If you tried one of my Prerequisite Quizzes on my Exam Page and scored below about 40 to 50%, you should see me. In the past, I required 100 PreCalc  HW problems, to bring your skills up to speed. Or, if you don't want to hand these in, and have the standard FIU textbook, "Algebra and Trig" by Sullivan, 7th Edition (purple), you can follow the guidelines below. If the quiz indicates that you are weak on both algebra and trig, do the "STANDARD" list below, from that book. Otherwise, you might want to emphasize whichever you feel weaker on. If you want to hand them in for credit and feedback, they are due *** (see me ... 2011).

STANDARD: Do problems 5 and 15 from every section of Chapters "R" through 7. But you can omit sections R6, 1.7, 2.6, 2.7, 3.6, 4.7, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9 and 6.8. This should be approx 100 problems - you can slightly adjust my list to make it exactly 100 if you like. If you want these graded, please write "STANDARD LIST" at the topof page one.

TRIG EMPHASIS: Do the same sections as for "Standard" but do problems 5, 11 and 15 from the sections in Chs 6-7. Do only problem 5 from those in Chs 2-4.  Please write "TRIG EMPHASIS" across the top of page one, and make a note of any adjustments you have made to the list.

ALGEBRA EMPHASIS: Do the same sections as for "Standard" but do problems 5, 11 and 15 from the sections in Chs 2-4. Do only problem 5 from those in Chs 6-7.  Please write "ALGEBRA EMPHASIS" across the top of page one, and make a note of any adjustments you have made to the list.

OTHER: If you want to use a different book, for example, bring it by my office and I'll give you an individualized list of problems. You'll have to loan the book to me later, for grading. Also, hand in the list along with the HW.

As always, YOU are responsible for your own skills and preparation. If you find certain sections difficult, you should do more problems than required, until you have mastered that topic. If you need help with PreCalculus, please visit an FIU tutoring center. For Calculus help, you can see me, if you prefer.