Fall, 2000 (MWF 2:00, with recitations TTh 2:00)

Instructor: Evans Harrell, Skiles 134, 894 4312, harrell@math.gatech.edu
Instructor's office periods: M 3:30-4:30, W 12:00-1:00, F 12:00-12:30, Skiles 134
Assistant: Scott Fletcher, gte741i@prism.gatech.edu, tel: 678 770 6425
Assistants' office periods: W 4:00-6:00 in Howie (Physics Bldg.) S204 (subject to change)

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 1512 class web page
• The Syllabus
• The calendar

The FAQs

1. Where is the class?
   The lectures take place in Room 256 of the Skiles Building on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
   Recitations will take place in Room 256 of the Skiles Building on Tuesday and Thursday.
2. 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:

   Help is available for students in first and second year mathematics courses.
   Please refer your students to the following tutorial programs.
   
   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
   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
   
   

   There are also some on-line resources under development, such as the on-line tutor at mathphysics.com
3. 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 weird coordinate system and the parabolic coordinate system are just for your enjoyment. I will make it clear if there are exceptions to this rule, and will try to provide appropriate reading in that case.
4. 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. No credit will be given on tests for a correct answer without the intermediate steps.
   Graphing is OK, calculus on the calculator is not.
5. 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)."

6. 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 "1512" and not "hey," because if it looks like spam it may be thrown away without being read.
7. Any suggestions for term-paper topics?
   1. Analyze in detail some problem from your courses in science or engineering, which use vectors, matrices, series, ordinary differential equations, or numerical analysis. Example: The theory of special relativity uses the algebra of some 4 by 4 matrices known as the Lorentz transformations; describe how they work.
   2. Read about adjacency matrices and their applications, and analyze the numbers of ways to get from, say, one vertex of a Platonic solid to another in n steps along edges.
   3. Investigate the Monte Carlo method of integration in more detail than the Maple worksheets. Compare the cost of calculations using different methods, and come up for criteria for when one method is better than the others. Perhaps combine this with some programming or work with Maple or Mathematica.
   4. Numbers like pi can often be calculated with infinite series; describe some of them and investigate why they work and how rapidly they converge.
   5. Sometimes other series of functions are useful and interesting, like Fourier series. Explain what a Fourier series is and how it is used. (Recommended for those who have run into these series before.)
   6. Discuss the theory of abstract vector spaces, including ones which are infinite-dimensional; begin with Section 2.6 of H². How is infinite-dimensional space different from finite-dimensional space, other than being "more so"?
   7. Discuss Cantor's theory of the cardinality of sets.
   8. Describe the theory of determinants and permutants.
   9. Describe how rotation and projection matrices are used in 3D computer graphics, or write a C++ program which illustrates them.
8. I didn't buy the book by Demko when I got my copy of SHE. What can I do?
   Demko's book goes into more depth than the books by Hubbard and Hubbard or Salas et al., so we do recommend that you get a copy. If you cannot find one at a reasonable price, you can read it at the reserve desk in the GT Library
9. Ii 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.
10. I am writing to inquire about what applications you would recommend for Math 1512 and if they are available for the Macintosh.
    We recommend 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 will not be strictly required for this course, but we believe it is a powerful tool, and we will sometimes use Maple calculations in class. If you already have Mathematica, its capabilities are pretty much equivalent to those of Maple, and you will not be forced to switch.

11. I got something in the mail about a Maple workshop. Should I sign up for the class? What will it teach me?
    Maple is totally optional 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.

12. Where can I find out more about this cool pi ( ) gizmo?
    Try the Pi-Search Page or Yahoo's Pi Page
13. Earlier you had sent an email telling us exactly where the key to the H&H was located in the library. Could you please tell me where I could find it.
    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.
14. When is the final exam?
    The final schedule is on-line at
    
    http://www.oscarweb.gatech.edu/fall/oscar/finals.html. In particular, our final will be in period 9, i.e., Wednesday, 13 December, from 2:50 to 5:40 p.m.
    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 need this information by e-mail or in writing.
15. Will you be teaching Honors Calc III this spring?
    Tentatively, no. I have been assigned to teach Calculus II again and a graduate class. But I'll be teaching various classes you might take in the future, and would be happy to see anyone from this class again.
16. Will we need a permit to take Calc III Honors, or can we just sign up for the course?
    Here is the official answer from Prof. Brakebill:

    
    Any student in 1502 or 1512 can register for Honors Calculus III during this
    phase of registration.  At the end of the term, we will drop students who
    make lower than a B in Calculus II from 2411.  During Phase II in January,
    only students with A/B can register for 2411.  No permits are required.
    
    

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