Math 210: Calculus I (Fall 2024)
- See here for the syllabus.
Announcements
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No class Wednesday 10/16.
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(9/23) Here is the diagram of the hierarchy of differentiation rules.
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(9/20) Here is the study guide for midterm 1 and here is the formula sheet you will be given.
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(9/18) Here is a solution for the week 3 writing assignment.
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(9/18) Here is the worksheet for logarithmic differentiation.
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(9/13) Here is a solution for the week 2 writing assignment.
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(9/11) If you want extra practice problems for differentiation rules, look in the textbook: page 69 problem 1–42, page 85 problem 1–24, page 93 problems 1–44, page 96 problems 1–23, and page 103 problem 1–26.
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(9/9) Here are the worksheets for week 3: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,
Problem sets
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Week 9 (Due Monday 11/4) Section 4.2 #3, 5, 16, 20; Section 4.3 #1, 2, 12, 16, 18, 30; Section 4.4 #1, 2, 7, 27, 30, 56, 83, 84
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Week 8 (Due Monday 10/28) Section 3.7 #1, 13, 39, do the same process as in this section’s problems to the functions $b(x) = (x^2 - x)e^x$ and $c(x) = \arctan x$; Section 4.1 #1, 2, 4, 10, 22.
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Week 7 (Due Monday 10/21) Section 3.5 #1, 2, 4, 12, 24, 27; Section 3.6 your choice of four total from #2–20 or from the problems on the 10-18 worksheet.
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Week 6 (Due Monday 10/14) Section 3.2 your choice of three from #5–12; Section 3.3 #2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 16; Section 3.4 #1, 2, 4, 9, 18, 26
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Week 5 (Due Wednesday 9/25) Differentiate: $\displaystyle a(x) = 4x^2e^x + \frac{\cos(e^{\arctan x})}{\ln x}$
Differentiate: $\displaystyle b(x) = \sin(\cos(\tan(\sec(x)e^{x^2})))$
Differentiate: $\displaystyle c(x) = \sqrt{x^4 + e^4 + \sin(4x) + \tan(e^x - x^2) + \frac{\log_3 x}{x}}$
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Week 4 (Due Monday 9/23) Section 2.8 #4, 8, 22, 27, 30, 36; Section 8.7 #1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9; Section 2.4 #1, 2, 4, 14, 17, 18
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Week 3 (Due Monday 9/16) See here, page 1.
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Week 2 (Due Monday 9/9). Section 1.6 #1, 2, 4, 8, 25, 26, 30; Section 2.1 #3, 4, 6, 12, 26; Section 2.2 #11, 12, 22, 24, 27
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Week 1 (Due Monday 9/2). Section 1.2 #2, 4, 10, 12, 16, 24; Section 1.3 #10, 34; Section 1.5 #2, 4, 6, 7, 18, 20,
24, 33
Writing assignments
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Week 9 (Due Monday 11/4) Work out formulas in terms of $k$, where $k$ is an arbitrary positive integer, which gives the values of the definite integrals $\displaystyle \int_0^1 x^k \, \mathrm{d} x$ and $\displaystyle \int_{-1}^1 x^k \, \mathrm{d} x$. Explain why these formulas work.
(Extra credit) A function $f(x)$ is odd if $f(-x) = - f(x)$ for all $x$ and $f(x)$ is even if $f(-x) = f(x)$ for all $x$. Explain why, for any $b$, $\displaystyle \int_{-b}^b f(x) \, \mathrm{d} x = 0$ for odd $f(x)$ and $\displaystyle \int_{-b}^b f(x) \, \mathrm{d} x = 2 \int_0^b f(x) \, \mathrm{d} x$ for even $f(x)$.
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Week 8 (Due Monday 10/28) Read the textbook’s proof of the extreme value theorem on page 164. Summarize the key ideas of the argument in your own words, and draw a picture to illustrate it. (Extra credit) Do the same for the textbook’s proofs of Rolle’s theorem and the mean value theorem, on pages 165 and
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Week 7 (Due Monday 10/21) Your friend insists that a function can have its maximum occur at two different places without having a minimum. Explain why they are correct by giving an example. Are they still correct if you insist the function be continuous everywhere on its domain? Justify your answer. (Extra credit 1) Consider the function $r(x)$ defined as $r(x) = x$ when $x$ is rational and $r(x) = 0$ when $x$ is irrational. Determine the set of points where $r(x)$ is continuous. (Extra credit 2) Consider a fixed finite set $S = \{a_1, \ldots, a_n\}$ of real numbers. Define the function $\chi_S(x)$ as $\chi_S(x) = 1$ if $x$ is an element of $S$ and $\chi_S(x) = 0$ otherwise. Determine the set of points where $\chi_S(x)$ is continuous.
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Week 6 (Due Monday 10/14) Read pages 29–31 of Penelope Maddy, “How applied mathematics became pure” (2008), where she discusses how calculus is used to approximate a discrete reality. Pick one of the problems from section 3.2 you did. Following Maddy’s analysis, explain for your specific problem the idealizations and simplifications made to be able to apply calculus.
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Week 5 No writing assignment.
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Week 4 (Due Monday 9/23) Use logarithmic differentiation to explain why the quotient rule for derivatives works. (Extra credit) Use the inverse function rule to explain why the rules for arcsin and arccos work.
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Week 3 (Due Monday 9/16) See here, page 2.
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Week 2 (Due Monday 9/9). Consider the step function $u(x)$ defined as $u(x) = 0$ if $x \le 0$ and $u(x) = 1$ if $x > 0$. Determine where $u(x)$ is differentiable and justify your answer. (Extra credit) Find the derivative of $f(x) = \lvert x^2 - 1 \rvert$, identifying where $f(x)$ is not differentiable. Justify your answer.
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Week 1 (Due Monday 9/2). Write up an explanation for problem #25 and (extra credit) #26 on page 42.
Readings
- By Wednesday 8/28. Skim sections 1.1 through 1.3 and confirm that you know all the concepts therein.
Schedule
This course is organized into three units. Units 1 and 2 each end in a midterm, while unit 3 ends in an oral final. Homework consists of problem sets and writing exercises, and is on a weekly schedule due Mondays. (Exam weeks have an adjusted schedule.)
The schedule below is tentative; we might have small adjustments in the dates. For each week I’ve included which sections from the textbook we will be covering.
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Unit 1 (8/26–9/27): The derivative
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Week 1: Introduction, hyperreals [1.4, 1.5]
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Week 2: The derivative [1.6, 2.1, 2.2]
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Week 3: Computing derivatives [Chapter 2]
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Week 4: More about differentiation [2.6, 2.8]
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Week 5: Yet more about differentiation, review, exam [None]
(Fall break 9/30–10/4.)
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Unit 2 (10/7–11/8): Uses of the derivative and an introduction to the integral
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Week 6: Related rates, limits, and continuity [3.2, 3.3, 3.4]
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Week 7: Extreme points [3.5, 3.6]
(No class Wednesday 10/16.)
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Week 8: The shape of graphs and integrals [3.7, 3.8, 4.1]
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Week 9: The fundamental theorem of calculus and computing integrals [4.2, 4.3, 4.4]
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Week 10: Area between curves, review, exam [4.5]
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Unit 3 (11/11–12/6): Miscellaneous applications
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Week 11: Numerical integration and infinite limits [4.6, 5.1]
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Week 12: L’Hôpital’s rule, limits, Newton’s method [5.2, 5.3, 5.9]
(Thanksgiving break 11/25–11/29.)
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Week 13: Increments, overspill time [5.10]
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Week 14: Oral finals
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Important dates:
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Friday, Sept 27: Midterm 1
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Friday, Nov 8: Midterm 2
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Oral Final: Scheduled individually with me the week of 12/9. Exact times TBD.