Welcome to the Math 34A home page.

Trailer 387, Room 104,  MTWRF 11:00 - 12:10

Instructor:  Tom Howard

Email:  thoward@math.ucsb.edu
Office:  6431 L South Hall
Office Hours:
        Official Hours:   T 10:00 - class
                                 R 2:00 - 3:00
        Other Times:  I'll frequently be in my office 10:00 - class,  1:00 - 3:00 every week day.
                              Stop by if you're on campus and have a question, or email me in advance or
                              ask during class to make an appointment
Required Text:   Calculus and Mathematical Reasoning for Social and Life Sciences 
                          by Daryl Cooper

Homework:

There will be two types of homework assignments for this course.  Combined, the homework accounts for 40% of your grade.  As a result, if you ignore the homework assignments you won't be able to pass this class.  Be sure to do the homework!

Webwork:  Two Webwork assignments are posted each MW at 6:00 AM and are due each WF at 6:00 AM (e.g. Hwk_3a and Hwk_3b were posted M and will be due W).  So please get the assignment completed and submitted before bed the night before!
The assignments can be found at http://hw.math.ucsb.edu/webwork2/Math34A-02-MB07/ .  Until you change them, your username and password will both be your PERM number.  Email me if you have any questions.

For a list of functions and instructions for syntax (e.g. how do I enter square roots, and how to do I enter fractions) check http://webwork.math.rochester.edu/docs/docs/pglanguage/availableFunctions.html . If you still have trouble, let me know.  Also, try using the preview feature before submitting your answer.  It will show you what the computer thinks you have entered as it would appear on the black board.  For example, try entering sqrt(2+x)/5^2 and clicking preview (not submit) to see how the computer interprets it.  If that's not what you meant to enter, you'll probably need to use more parentheses.

Written Homework:  There will be a written assignment due every Monday at the start of class.  The purpose of these assignments is to give you practice writing up neat, complete solutions and practice graphing.

Due Monday, Aug 13:  1.4.3,  Read Chapter 2 (It's short) ,  2.2.19, 2.2.22, 2.2.27, Read problem solving strategies on page 46, 3.1.7
Due Monday, Aug 20:   2.2.21,  3.2.41,  3.2.43,  7.13.5,  7.13.3
Due Monday, Aug 27: 1.6.4,  2.2.14,  3.2.52,  4.6.7,  7.13.8
Due Tuesday, Sept 4:  6.1.1, 8.1.1, 8.2.6, 8.2.7, 8.4.7, 8.4.8
Due Monday, Sept 10: 8.7.14,  8.8.3,  8.8.11 (part b requires some thought), 8.10.9, 8.10.10

Exams:

The Midterm is Monday, Aug 27.  Usual time and place.  No textbooks, notebooks, or calculators.  You may bring one index card of formulas, etc., which should be stapled to the midterm and turned in.  Please turn off your cell phones at the start of the exam.  You should be familiar with all chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7  except for sections 3.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 7.4, 7.8,  and 7.10.  From 7.9, only review compound interest.

Practice Midterm (PDF) (Solutions)
Midterm Solutions

Practice Final (PDF) (Solutions)
Final Solutions


Grading:

Written Homework:  10%
Webwork: 30%
Midterm: 30%  (Monday, Aug 27)
Final: 30%   (Friday, Sept 14)

Schedule:

Week 1:

Monday      8/6:  1.1 Notation and how to write Mathematics
                          1.2  Distributivity:  FOILed again.
Tuesday      8/7:  1.3  Revenge of the Fractions
                          1.4  Solving Equations
Wednesday 8/8:  1.4 Solving Equations
                          1.5 Substitution
                          1.6 Functions and Inverse Functions
                          2.2 Graphing with graph paper
Thursday     8/9:  1.6 Functions and Inverse Functions
                          1.7 Pythagoras' Theorem
Friday       8/10:   2.1 Solving equations graphically
                           4.1 Dimensions and Units

Week 2:

Monday      8/13:  4.2  Area and Volume
                             4.3 Growth of Area and Volume
Tuesday      8/14:  Chapter 3 (Examples of word problems)
Wednesday 8/15:  7.1  Fractional exponents
Thursday     8/16:  7.2  Logarithms
                             7.3 Using Log tables
Friday         8/17:   7.5 Using Logs to Multiply and Divide

Week 3:

Monday      8/20:  7.6  Using Logs to find powers of numbers.
                             7.13  Logarithms to other bases
                             7.7  Solving Algebraic Problem Using Logs
Tuesday      8/21:   7.11  Half-life and Doubling Time
Wednesday 8/22:  7.9  Applications of Exponential Functions
                             7.10  Logarithms in Science
Thursday     8/23:   Review
Friday         8/24:   Review

Week 4:

Monday       8/27:  Midterm
Tuesday       8/28:  6.0  Straight Lines and Linearity
Wednesday  8/29:  5.1  Error and Relative Error and Limits
                              5.2 The Change in f(x)
Thursday      8/30:  8.1  Average Rate of Change and Secants
                              8.2  Speed, Velocity, and Instaneous rate of change
Friday          8/31:  8.3  The slope of a graph: secants and tangents
                              8.4  Notation for Derivatives

Week 5:

Monday        9/3:    NO CLASS
Tuesday        9/4:   8.5  Rate of change without time
                              8.6   The Tangent Line Approximation
Wednesday   9/5:   8.6  The Tangent Line Approximation
                              8.9  Calculating the Derivative using Limits
                              8.7  Differentiation
Thursday       9/6:   8.7  Differentiation
                              8.8  The exponential function e^x
Friday           9/7:   8.8   The exponential function e^x
                             8.10 The Sign of the Derivative

Week 6:

Monday        9/10:  8.12  Acceleration and the Second Derivative
Tuesday        9/11:  8.13  Maxima and Minima
Wednesday   9/12:  Review
Thursday       9/13:  Review
Friday           9/14:  Final