Course Content:

Course Description:  ADVANCED VECTOR CALCULUS/CALCULUS IV (4-4-0). This course develops the calculus of real- and vector-valued functions of one and several variables. Topics include matrix algebra and linear maps; vector-valued functions and their analysis; the geometry of Euclidean n-space; functions of several variables and their differentiation; gradients and directional derivatives; partial derivative; arc length; vector fields, divergence, and curl; Taylor's theorem for several variables; extreme of real-valued functions in n-space; LaGrange multipliers; multiple integrals and the chain rule; improper integrals; line integrals; area of surface; surface integrals; Green's Theorem; Gauss' Theorem; Stokes' Theorem; conservative fields

Instructional Methodology: This course is taught in the classroom primarily as a lecture/discussion course. There is also a computer lab component.

Course Rationale: This course serves as an extension of the traditional calculus sequence and contains additional topics relevant to students majoring in engineering, physics, and applied mathematics, including: 

Prerequisites:

Please make sure you have the necessary prerequisites for this course. That means you need a C or better in MATH 2415 (Calculus III) or its equivalent.  If I feel you are not prepared for this course, I may choose to withdraw you. If you have any questions about your preparation for the course, please come and talk to me about it.

Course Materials:

Textbook: Vector Calculus, 6th edition (ISBN 1429215089), Marsden & Tromba, W.H. Freeman and Co., 2012.

Technology Required:  You must have access to technology that enables you to (1) Graph a function. (2) Find the zeroes of a function. (3) Do numerical integration.

Optional:  Mathematica version 9 (student edition) by Wolfram Research.  (This is available for your use at several locations on campus as well as most ACC campuses.)

Grading:

There will be 4 exams during the semester.  In addition, you will be assigned several computer labs which will count for a substantial grade.  Grades will be distributed as:

Tests 1, 2, 3, 4

20%

each

Computer labs and assignments

15%

Homework/quizzes

5%

If you take any test late for any reason, there will be a penalty of 10 points off your test grade. However, no late tests will be allowed after I hand the graded tests back in class.  If you miss a test, you must try to take it during this “late” period.  If you do not take the test during that period, you will receive a 0 for that grade.  Under

Grades will be assigned as follows:

A

90% or better

D

60% - 69%

B

80% - 89%

F

below 60%

C

70% - 79%

W

Withdrawn by student or instructor prior to last withdrawal date on school calendar

I

Incomplete grades (I) will be given only in very rare circumstances. Generally, to receive a grade of "I", a student must have taken all tests, be passing, and after the last date to withdraw, have a personal tragedy occur which prevents course completion. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.

Homework:

You should bring your homework to class every day.  It will be collected regularly.  There may also be in-class assignments or quizzes collected for a grade (as part of your homework grade). There will be a penalty on late homework. Homework that is more than a week late might not receive any credit.  If you do not follow the instructions that will be announced in class about how to organize and submit your homework, you may not receive full (or any) credit for it.

Attendance:

Attendance is required in this course.  It is extremely important for you to attend class regularly.  I MAY drop you from the course for excessive absences, although I make no commitment to do so.

Withdrawal:

It is the student's responsibility to initiate all withdrawals in this course.  The instructor may withdraw students for excessive absences (4) but makes no commitment to do this for the student. After the last day to withdraw, neither the student nor the instructor may initiate a withdrawal. It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decide to withdraw from the class.  The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary. The student is also strongly encouraged to retain a copy of the withdrawal form for their records.

Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall, 2002, may be charged a higher tuition rate, for that course. State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities.  With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count towards this limit.  Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC college catalog.

The withdrawal deadline for Spring 2015 is April 27, 2015.

Classroom behavior:

Classroom behavior should support and enhance learning. Behavior that disrupts the learning process will be dealt with appropriately, which may include having the student leave class for the rest of that day. In serious cases, disruptive behavior may lead to a student being withdrawn from the class. ACC's policy on student discipline can be found in the Student Handbook on the web at: http://www.austincc.edu/handbook

Class participation:

All students are expected to actively participate in this class. This can include asking relevant questions in class, participating in class discussions and other in-class activities, helping other students, coming to office hours with questions, and doing other things that contribute to the class.

Keeping up:

Please, try to keep up with the homework and with the lecture in class. There just isn't much time to catch up. This means you have to be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to do the homework and to study.

Ask questions:

Please, please, please, if you don't understand something, or you aren't clear about something, or if you think I (or the book) have made a mistake (it has been known to happen), or if you have any other questions, please ask. Don't let confusion accumulate. If you don't want to ask in class, come to our office hours (or call) and ask. It is much easier to ask a question now than to miss it on the test.  I expect all students to participate in class discussions and other activities. Trust me, you will get much more out of the class if you become actively involved in it.

Always show your work:

It is much more important that you understand the processes involved in solving problems than that you just give me the right answer. If I see from your work that you understand what you are doing, I will usually give partial credit for a problem, even if you made a mistake somewhere along the line. If you don't show your work (unless I believe you could reasonably do it in your head), I may not give you full credit, even if the answer is right. If you can really do something in your head, that's great, but when in doubt, write it down.  It is also very important that you write what you mean. I will correct your notation the first few times, but I will start counting it wrong if you continue to write things incorrectly. In addition, please write clearly and legibly. If I can't read it, I won't grade it.

Time required and outside help:

To do homework and study requires two or three times as much time outside of class as the time you spend in class in order to succeed in this course. If you need more out-of-class help than you can obtain in your instructor's office hours, free tutoring is available in any of ACC's Learning Labs.

ACC main campuses have Learning Labs which offer free first-come, first-serve tutoring in mathematics courses. The locations, contact information and hours of availability of the Learning Labs are posted at: http://www.austincc.edu/tutor