MTH 254 Vector Calculus I
Fall 2007


Instructor: Juha Pohjanpelto
Office/Phone: Kidder Hall 368C, 737-5156
Office hours: Monday 12:00--1:00, Wednesday 9:00-9:50, or by appointment
Email: juha@math.oregonstate.edu
Homepage: www.oregonstate.edu/~pohjanpp

Recitation Instructor (sections 021, 022): Fernando Morales
Office: Kidder Hall 320
Office hours: Tuesday 9:00-11:00, or by appointment
Email: moralefe@math.oregonstate.edu

Prerequisites: MTH 251, MTH 252, or equivalent
Texts: Hughes-Hallett, Gleason, McCallum, Calculus, Single and Multivariable , 4th ed., Wiley, 2005
 Hal Parks, MTH 254 Study Guide, 2007

Success in MTH 254 as in any other mathematics course requires a serious commitment on your part.  Class attendance and involvement as well as extensive regular reading and homework practice are pivotal to doing well in this course.  For every hour spent in class, plan to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours outside class studying the material. If you have a weak background in calculus or have had difficulties in succeeding in your previous mathematics classes, you may have to dedicate much more time than this to learning the material. I strongly recommend that you study and solve problems in small groups and seek help from other students when you get stuck with a new concept or an exercise. As preparation for this class, you should review the materials covered in MTH 251, MTH 252.

If you miss a day of class you should try to obtain class notes from one of your classmates and study the missed lesson. Calculus classes move fast and MTH 254 will be no exception, and you will find it difficult to catch up if you fall behind. Be sure to seek help immediately if you are having trouble with any concepts by asking questions in class, by making full use of the free tutoring services provided by the MLC, or by visiting your recitation instructor or me during the announced office hours.

You can find tips on how to survive a calculus class on the websites How to Ace on Calculus and Calculus Tips. Additional online exercises on integral calculus can be found on the COW and Visual Calculus webpages.

A list of recommended homework problems can be found at the end of each lesson in the Study Guide, and solving these will be important to your understanding of the course material. Some or all of these problems may be collected and graded up to your recitation instructor's discretion. Also be sure to solve all the Check Your Understanding at the end of each section in the text.

Exams: During the term you will be given five 10-15 minute quizzes, an in-class 50 minute midterm exam, and a final exam. No notes or books are allowed in the exams; however, you may use a basic scientific calculator. No make-up midterm exams will given after the scheduled time under any circumstances.

Grading Information
Recitations 100 points
Midterm Exam 100 points
Final Exam 200 points
Total points possible  400 points

Grading Scale:  The grading scale for the course is guaranteed to be no higher than the following cutoffs:
A:    360--400
B:    320--359
C:    240--319
D:    220--239
F:        0--219

You can view a day-by-day course calendar by clicking here.

Last Changed: September 21, 2006