Fall, 2001 (MWF 12:00, with recitations TTh 12:00)

Instructor: Evans Harrell, Skiles 134, 894 4312, harrell@math.gatech.edu
Instructor's office periods: MWF 1:15-2:30
Assistants:

• TBA

This page will evolve during the term. Please check it for answers to questions which concern the whole class. You may also wish to consult:

• The 1501 class web page
• The Syllabus
• The calendar

The FAQs

1. Where is the class?
   • The lectures take place MWF at 12:00 in Physics Lecture Room 1, in the Howey Building
     Recitations take place in various rooms in the Skiles Building on Tuesday and Thursday. Check on your own section on http://oscarweb.gatech.edu/fall/classes/MATH/MATH1.html target=_blank>OSCARWeb.
2. Is it possible to "overload" into this class?
   I have no control over this, although I am as a rule opposed to overloading, which adversely affects the quality of instruction. Please consult the School of Math web page for instructions, and, if you need more information, speak with Prof. Brakebill in Skiles 229.
3. Where can I get personalized help with calculus?
   There are many resources available to you. If the prof's and the TA's office periods do not meet your needs, you could try some of the many campus tutoring resources listed below. This information may be out of date; click here for more recent information.

   MATH LAB:
   Monday 12-4, Tuesday and Wednesday 11-4, and Thursday 11-3
   Skiles 257
   MATH 1113, 1501, 1502, 1711, 1712, 2401, 2601, and 3802
   Contact:  Rena Brakebill at brakebil@math.gatech.edu
   
   OMED:
   Sunday through Thursday 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
   Chapin Building, Room 208 (enter the building via the fire escape between
   Chapin Building and D M Smith Building)
   First and second year mathematics courses.  
   (Open to all, not just minorities.)
   Contact:  Dr. Mona Meddin at mona.meddin@omed.gatech.edu
   
   SUCCESS PROGRAMS' 1 TO 1 TUTORING:
   Call (404) 894-1945 or use the online appointment book at
   http://lotus.stucen.gatech.edu/1to1/ for a free appointment with a tutor in
   MATH 1501, 1502, 2401, and 2403.
   Contact:  Dr. Paddy Kennington at paddy.kenninton@vpss.gatech.edu
   
   

4. Are we responsible for the stuff done in class which is not in the textbooks? Responsible in the sense of on tests, not that I am a grade grubber, that is.
   No! Things like the parabolic coordinate system are just for your enjoyment. I will make it clear if there are exceptions to the rule, and will try to provide appropriate reading in that case.
5. Are calculators allowed in the tests?
   As it says in the syllabus:
   Calculators and tests. No restrictions will be placed on the use of calculators that do elementary mathematics on the tests. Calculators that can do calculus symbolically shall not be brought to tests. (Any that are will be considered as contributions to the School of Mathematics. We will be happy to provide you with a receipt so you can claim the donation on your taxes.) No credit will be given on tests for a correct answer without the intermediate steps.
   Graphing is OK, calculus on the calculator is not.
6. What if I feel I was misgraded on the test?
   The procedure, if you feel that an error was made in your grading, is to resubmit the test to your TA or to Professor Harrell, with a clear description of the problem. You should never write anything on your test afterwards that might be interpreted as looking like what you wrote during the test itself. Rather, use a separate sheet of paper or a colored pen.

   The question will be reexamined by whichever member of the team graded it in the first place, and my instructions will be to use exactly the same standard as the first time. (Thus an error could go either way, on reexamination.) As for work not shown, it is explicitly stated on the test instructions, that you should "give clear evidence of your reasoning (or points will be taken off)."

7. Did you get my mail?
   Well, if I didn't, how would I know? I try to send at least a brief acknowledgment to my students' mail, so if you got no reply, you may wish to try again. However, you should be warned that if your handle is GarbageMan666@aol.com, the subject line had better be "1501" and not "hey," because if it looks like spam it may be thrown away without being read.
8. I was just wondering if you update the grades on line after a test or quiz.
   I try to update them shortly after major tests, but otherwise the updates are sporadic.
9. I am writing to inquire about what applications you would recommend for Math 1501 and if they are available for the Macintosh.
   We require Maple for mathematical calculations, and it certainly runs on the Macintosh, as well as Windows (all flavors), Unix, Linux, etc. I believe the computer store sells a "software suite" which contains Maple and many other useful applications at a good price.

   Maple is is a powerful tool, and we will sometimes use Maple calculations in class, and in a limited way on assignments. If you already have Mathematica, its capabilities are pretty much equivalent to those of Maple, and you will not be forced to switch. We do not regard other mathematical software besides Mathematica as substitutable for Maple.

   The limited amount of Maple you will be expected to know for this class is described in a worksheet on the basic Maple commands.

10. Is there any way I can use Maple without buying my own copy?
    Georgia Tech has a site licence, so Maple is available at the various computer clusters on campus. On a temporary basis, you could perhaps use the demo version of Maple at
    http://www.maplesoft.com/trial.html
    (for Windows users). However, see below:
11. I have tried twice to download the trial version of Maple 7, and each time it has installed properly. Then, however, when I try to open it I am given an error message stating that a license manager file does not exist or could not be found. Do you know what this error message means or what I should do to be able to run Maple?
    Sorry, I have no connection with Maple other than using their software. You would have to contact their tech support to answer your question.

    When I told people about the trial version, I was not suggesting it as a long-term solution. I think students will be better off with the real thing.

12. I got something in the mail about a Maple workshop. Should I sign up for the class? What will it teach me?
    Maple will be used in a limited way in our class, and when some Maple commands are useful, I will let you know what they are.
    The decision whether to study Maple more intensely depends on how much use you will have for it in the future and how much you enjoy doing calculations with the computer. There will be future opportunities to learn Maple, by the way.

    I do not know what is being offered in these Maple classes, but I would guess it not only inlcudes the basic things we will do (algebra, graphing, basic calculus commands), but also some programming.

13. Where can I find out more about this cool pi ( ) gizmo?
    Try the Pi-Search Page or Yahoo's Pi Page
14. Exactly where are the reserve materials located in the library?
    As you go in the main door of the library, the circulation desk is to your left. The reserve desk is at the right end of the circulation desk.
15. My roommate is in calc 3, so he is helping me, but some of the problems that you assign are even, and I don't know how to check my answers for them, because I don't know if I did them right. Is there some manual that has that, so I could purchase it or something?
    I am not aware of any such manual you can buy. We intentionally assign some exercises without answers in the back, because otherwise people might rely on the answers before giving it the good college try. However, there is another way you can check almost all the problems in the book: Maple - the mother of all solution manuals.
16. When is the final exam?
    Monday, 10 December, at 2:50 pm in Lecture Theater L1.

    The complete final schedule is on-line at
    

    http://www.oscarweb.gatech.edu/fall/oscar/finals.html.

    Please tell me as soon as possible about conflicts (with full, precise details about the class or classes with which we have a conflict), graduating status, etc. I needed this information by e-mail or in writing by Friday, 30 November. If you did not contact me already, I'll see you on Monday.

17. How well do I need to do on the final to get a B?
    Let me describe the exact algorithm I will use for assigning letter grades.

    All students will be ranked according to the formula given in the syllabus. As far as the inputs to the formula go, they will be rescaled so that each element has a common median. This includes a recitation grade as computed by your TA - each section's recitation grades will have the same median.

    Once students have been rank-ordered, I will examine individual final exams before drawing the lines A/B, B/C, C/D, and D/F. There are no + or - grades at Tech. I will look at the tests of the students who, by the numbers, have a shot at a given grade, say B. Some of those students will show on the final that they are solidly in the higher category (B rather than C). They will then be assigned a B, and anybody with a higher numerical score will also get a B or A. Likewise for the other grade divisions. This seems to me the fairest way to assess performance, but it makes it hard to tell you in advance what score you need on the final to get a certain letter grade, which is an FAQ. But you have pretty good information on that point on the grade web page. If you have, say, an estimate of B-/C+, it means that a final only a little better than your past average should do the trick. If there is no + or -, you will probably end up with that grade unless the final is noticeably better or worse than usual. If you are solidly in the middle of the C's, it would be a little surprising to end up with any other letter grade, but don't fail to show up, because a really bad final could do it.

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