MATH 2283, Fall 2019. Course information and policies. 09/02/2019

INSTRUCTOR: Ionut Ciocan-Fontanine
OFFICE: Vincent Hall 450; tel. 612-625-7801;
EMAIL: ciocan@math.umn.edu;
URL:   http://www.math.umn.edu/~cioca001/2283/info.html
OFFICE HOURS: MF 3:35 - 4:25 pm, Th 2:30-3:20pm, Vincent Hall 450, or by appointment.

TEXT: Wayne Richter, Sequences, Series and Foundations (available at ALPHA PRINT in Dinkytown).

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This is an introduction to the kind of mathematical reasoning used in more advanced Mathematics courses. Topics covered include: truth tables, quantifiers, mathematical induction, completeness of the real numbers, sequences, series, Taylor series, power series solutions to differential equations.

GRADING POLICY: Grades will be based on homework, two midterm exams, and a comprehensive final exam, contributing as follows:
 
 

homework
2 midterms final exam total
total points 100 points 

200 points 
(100 points. each)
200 points 500

percentage of grade
20% 40%
40% 100%

 If your cumulative score is at least 450 points (that is, 90%) you are guaranteed an A, if  your score is at least 375 (75%) you are guaranteed a B-, and if your score is at least 300 (60%) you are guaranteed a C- for the class. 

  SCHEDULE OF EXAMS:
    Midterm Exam 1    Thursday,  October 17
    Midterm Exam 2    Tuesday,  November 19
    FINAL EXAM:     Thursday, December 19, from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.

HOMEWORK: Homework will be assigned daily in the lectures. As a general rule, you should at least try to do ALL the exercises in the book. For each week's assignment you will be required to write down complete solutions to a number of specified exercises and turn in your solutions; selected exercises will be graded. The homework assignment for each week will be collected in your recitation section on the following Tuesday. You may also drop it in your TA's mailbox before the recitation it is due. Late homework will be accepted at the discretion of your TA; however, you may be deducted points for lateness. A list with the assignments, including the exercises you should turn in, can be found by following the homework link   in the course home page.

EXAMS: The exams will consist of problems similar (possibly identical!) to the ones assigned as homework. In addition, I may ask  that you reproduce in the exams some proofs of theorems I presented in the lectures. Naturally, the exams will be closed books/notes.

MISSED EXAMS POLICY: Missing an exam is permitted only for very serious and unavoidable extenuating circumstances, and only if you notify me in advance. In all cases of absence from exams a written excuse is required. Otherwise you will get a score of 0 on the exam. Even if you are excused from taking a midterm exam, you will not be given a make-up. Instead, the following procedure will apply: at the end of the semester, two grades will be computed for a student who missed a midterm, and the highest of the two grades will be the one awarded for the class; the first grade will be determined by giving appropriate extra weights to the other midterm exam, while the second grade will be determined by giving extra weight to the final exam. Except in truly exceptional situations, a student who misses the final exam will fail the course.

INCOMPLETES: These will be given only in extraordinary circumstances, and are at my latitude. More precisely, I will consider giving you an incomplete if you have successfully completed all but a small portion of the work of the course and some severe, unexpected event prevents you from completing the course. This means that you must have taken the 2 midterms and must be doing work at the C level or better. You will have to sign a contract detailing what you have to do to complete the course. I will not give you an incomplete simply because you are behind in your work; in the latter case you should try to drop the course.

S/N GRADE: If you are registered S/N, I will submit a grade of S if your letter grade is C or above, and otherwise a grade of N.

CALCULATORS: During exams you will be allowed to use calculators (including graphing calculators). However, they should generally be useless for this class.

ATTENDANCE: Attendance will not be taken into account towards the final grade for this class, however it is very highly recommended. You are responsible for all material covered in class and all assignments. Experience shows that poor attendance most often results in a poor grade.