Calculus I (Fall 2020)

Logistics

Time: MW 4:10pm-5:25pm (New York)
Office Hour: 5:30pm-6:30 pm (New York)
Location: Zoom
Instructor: Chung-Hang (Kevin) Kwan
Email: ck2854 "at" columbia "dot" edu

Teaching Assistant: NIL
Email: NIL
Help Room: Zoom
(For more information about the Help Room, see here .)

Textbook: James Stewart, Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 8th Edition
(More information about the textbook is available here. Please make sure you have access to the corrrect edition when working on the homework problems.)

WebAssign: The class key for this section is columbia 3547 6521 .
(More information about WebAssign is available here.)

Course Description: Limit, Differentiation, Integration, and their Applications (Chapters 1 to 6 of Stewart.)
Prerequisites: Precalculus. (See here) Moreover, you have to be good at algebraic manipulations. For review of pre-calculus, see Paul's Online Notes

Important Dates: For more details, please refer to the academic calendar.

Final Announcement

• Date: Mon, Dec 21 2020, 4:10 pm-6:40 pm (New York Time)
• Duration: 2.5 hrs (including taking photos of your solution sets and uploading them to Canvas/Gradescope)
• Format: Written Test
• Scope: Chp. 1, Chp. 2 (except 2.4, 2.8), Chp. 3.1-3.6, Chp. 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.7, Chp. 5, Chp. 6.1

Midterm II Announcement

• Date: Nov 18 (Wed), in-class: 4:10 pm- 5:25 pm (New York Time)
• Duration: 75 min (including taking photos of your solution sets and uploading them to Canvas/Gradescope)
• Format: Written Test
• Scope: Chp. 3.1-3.6 & Chp. 4.1, 4.3, 4.5

Midterm I Announcement

• Date: Oct 7 (Wed), in-class: 4:10 pm- 5:25 pm (New York Time)
• Duration: 75 min (including taking photos of your solution sets and uploading them to Canvas/Gradescope)
• Format: Written Test (please refer to the practice midterm; to be posted on Sep. 30)
• Midterm I will be graded on correctness and explanation. You must justify your answers sufficiently to get full credits. Correct answers without justification will receive no credit.
• You don't need to print the question paper out. Just write your solution on some blank papers and you only have to submit your solution.
• Please make sure your handwriting is legible and the resolution of the scan is sufficiently high.
• Scope of Midterm I: Up to the material covered on Sep 30 (Wed) class. More precisely, Chp. 1, 2.1-2.3, 2.5-2.7 (exclude Squeeze Theorem in Chp 2.3 and "Precise Definitions" under Chp 2.6)
• The use of books, notes, cell phones, calculators, or other electronic devices is not permitted in any exams.
• Optional: You may scan your written work for the practice midterm and submit it on Canvas by noon, Oct. 5 (Mon) so that I can take a quick look at your work before the class starts (which will be on Review of Midterm I). I would try my best to give you some brief comments asap.
• This is also a good chance for you to see how long does it take for you to scan your solution set and submit it to Canvas. Also, it would be great if you can time yourself when you attempt the practice midterm.

Grading

• Homework: 30%
• Midterm Exam 1: 20%
• Midterm Exam 2: 20%
• Final Exam: 30%

Homework: There will be weekly homework consisting of a WebAssign component and a written problem set. Generally, it is posted every Wednesday and due the next Wednesday before the class (i.e., Wed 4: 10 pm, New York Time).

• WebAssign Homework: Five attempts are allowed for each problem, and hints (if available) will be shown after three incorrect submissions. If you suspect there is a technical issue, please do not use up all of your submissions and contact me by 11:00 am on Tuesday (New York Time).
• Written Homework: Submit via Canvas on time. For handwritten solution sets, please make sure your handwriting is legible and the resolution of the scan is sufficiently high. Please submit a single pdf file for each homework. The majority of the written problems will be taken from the textbook and more difficult than the WebAssign problems.
• No late submission will be accepted, but the lowest homework score will be dropped. Collaboration is encouraged, but you must write up your own solutions independently. You must cite any resources you consult other than the textbook (Google, Wikipedia, Help Room, classmates, etc.); failure to do so is considered plagiarism.
  
• The written part of the homework will be graded on correctness and explanation. You must justify your answers sufficiently to get full credits. Correct answers without justification will receive no credit.

Examinations: There will be two midterms (20% each) and one final (30%). The topics to be covered in each exam will be announced later. The use of books, notes, cell phones, calculators, or other electronic devices is not permitted in any of the exams. If you have a conflict with any of the exam dates, you must contact me at least one week in advance for alternative arrangements. In case of medical or family emergency, you must contact me as soon as possible and provide a note from your doctor or dean.

Plagiarism: Any work plagiarized from outside sources or between classmates will receive no credit and potentially result in disciplinary actions.

Resources

Canvas: All course materials (homework, solutions, supplementary notes, etc.) and grades will be posted on Canvas. Important announcements will also be sent out via Canvas.

Help Room: The Help Room is open 10 am to 6 pm Mondays through Thursdays, and 10 am to 4 pm on Fridays (New York Time). The full schedule is available here . Feel free to seek help from any TA's who are on duty.

WebAssign: WebAssign is required in this section. Please refer to the information here. I recommend that you take advantage of the Personal Study Plan for additional practice problems.

Disability Services: In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations, students must first be registered with the Disability Services (DS). More information on the DS registration process is available online here. Registered students must present an accommodation letter to the instructor before exam or other accommodations can be provided. Students who have, or think they may have, a disability are invited to contact DS for a confidential discussion.

Tutoring Services: Information is available here.

Recommendation

• Make sure you have a solid understanding in pre-calculus.
• This class will be example-based. In fact, the theory of calculus is built from many practical examples and applications in mind. So, be ready to get your hands dirty!
• Review the course material on a regular basis. It would be very beneficial if you attempt some practice problems on your own during studying.
• Ask for help in a timely manner. Ask more questions!
• Do the homework problems as much as possible by yourself before seeking help.
• In the written homework, please pay attention to the ways you present your answers. Make sure your answers are organized and well-explained. You don't have to write long paragraphs as in the textbook, but at least you need short, complete sentences.
• Do not use random notations and abbreviations in your written homework.
• Explain the notations introduced in your homework.
• Read the comment written by the TA in each graded homework.
• It would be very helpful if you can do a short pre-reading (say 15-20 min) before each class.
• Enjoy the classes!
• More from you???

Syllabus and Schedule

The following is subject to change as the course moves along.

Last updated: December 16, 2020.