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Math 20C Spring 2016
Course Syllabus

Course:  Math 20C

Title:  Calculus and Analytic Geometry for Science and Engineering

Credit Hours:  4 (Two credits if taken after Math 10C; no credit if taken after Math 31BH or Math 21C.)

Prerequisite:  AP Calculs BC score of 4 or 5, or Math 20B (or equivalent) with a grade of C- or better.

Catalog Description:  Vector geometry,   vector functions and their derivatives.    Partial differentiation.    Maxima and minima.    Double integration.

Textbook:  Vector Calculus, sixth edition, by Jerrold E. Marsden and Anthony J. Tromba; published by W. H. Freeman and Company; 2012

Subject Material:  We will cover parts of Chapters 1 - 5 of the text.   A list of the topics scheduled to be discussed can be found on the course calendar

Homework:  Homework is a very important part of the course, and in order to fully master the topics, it is essential that you work carefully on every assignment and try your best to complete every problem.  We will have two different kinds of homework assignments in this class: online homework (which will be graded) and "paper-and-pen" homework (which will not be graded).

Reading:  Reading the sections of the textbook corresponding to the assigned homework exercises is considered part of the homework.    Lecture time is very limited and not every subject can be fully discussed in the time allotted for lecture.    Thus, you must read the assigned sections of your textbook (and work through the examples) to fully understand the subject.    You should expect questions on the exams that will test your understanding of concepts addressed in the reading and assigned homework exercises >whether or not they are discussed in the lecture.

Exams:  There will be two midterm exams and one final exam. See the course calendar for the specific dates and times.

Regrade Policy:  Midterm exams will be returned in the discussion sections.   If you believe there might be an error in the grading and wish to have your exam regraded, you must observe the following rules:

  1. Return your exam immediately to your TA. Regrade requests will not be considered once you take your exam out of the room.
  2. Retrieve your exam during discussion section or arrange to pick it up from your TA within one week after it was made available for pickup (i.e., returned) in section. In order to be considered, regrade requests must be submitted within one week after being returned in section.

Grade Recording Errors:  Keep all of your returned homework and exams and check TritonEd to make sure that the grades on your papers are the same as the grades recorded on TritonEd.  If there is any mistake in the recording of your scores, you must bring us the original assignment/lab/exam in order for us to make the correction.

Grades: Your cumulative average will be the best of the following two weighted averages:

After your weighted average is calculated, letter grades will be assigned based on the standard grading scale:

A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- F
97 93 90 87 83 80 77 73 70 < 70

We may adjust the above scale to be more lenient (depending on the overall class performance), but we guarantee that we will not adjust the scale to make it harder to get a better grade.  Please note:

Piazza:  Piazza is an online discussion forum that allows you to ask questions using mathematical symbols and expressions.  Piazza was designed to enable you to get help quickly and efficiently from classmates, TAs, and instructors.  Rather than emailing questions to the teaching staff, you are encouraged to post your questions on Piazza.  Find our class page at: https://piazza.com/ucsd/spring2016/math20d/home.  If you have any problems or feedback for the developers, email team@piazza.com.

Electronic Computing Devices:  Graphing calculators and computer programs (or online computing websites such as Wolfram|Alpha) can be very helpful when working through your homework.  However, a calculator/computer should be used as an aid in learning concepts, not just as a means of computation.  You should use these devices when working on math problems at home, but always keep in mind that you will not be allowed access to any electronic computing devices during exams.  Of course, this also means that you will not be asked to solve problems on exams that require the aid of an electronic computing device.

Suggestions:  Below are some suggestions that we hope will help you to succeed in this course:

Academic Dishonesty:  Academic dishonesty is considered a serious offense at UCSD.  Students caught cheating will face an administrative sanction which may include suspension or expulsion from the university.  It is in your best interest to take pride in your work maintain your academic integrity. (Click here for more information.)


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