Math 26A, Sections 1 and 2, Fall 2012
Dr. Geetha Ramachandran
Room BRH-127, Math/History Building
Course Title:Calculus I for the Social and Life Sciences

Office Hours:
M W F 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.
M W 2:00 - 2:45 p.m.
Class Hours:

MWF 9:00 - 9:50 a.m. in Brighton Hall 202 for section 1
MWF 12:00 - 12:50 p.m. in Humboldt Hall 202
for section 2.
Text:
Applied Calculus for the Life and Social Sciences by Larson, Houghton Mifflin Publisher, 2009.
Course Outline:
We will cover chapters 1-4 and chapter 6 in the book.
There will be three midterm tests and a COMPREHENSIVE FINAL examination
Homework:
Problems from the exercises section in the text will be suggested for practice.
Learning Objective:
Understand the definition of the derivative and interpret the definition geometrically and in a variety of applied contexts including instantaneous velocity. Know the fundamental rules of differentiation including the chain rule and use these rules to compute the derivatives of polynomials, rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions. Use the limits and the derivative to identify asymptotes, relative extrema, and inflection points of curves and apply these techniques to curve sketching. Know the Extreme Value Theorem and use this result to solve optimization problems. Understand the definite integral as the inverse of differentiation, know the basic rules of integration, and use these rules to evaluate elementary antiderivatives.
Examinations:
  • Test 1 on 09/26/12 (Wednesday)
  • Test 2 on 10/24/12 (Wednesday)
  • Test 3 on 11/19/12 (Monday)
  • Final Exam is on 12/12/12 from 8:00 -10:00 a.m. for section 1.
  • Final Exam is on 12/12/12 from 10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. for section 2.
Grading:
Homework
10%
Quizzes
 10%
Midterm Tests
50%
Final Exam
30%
  • NO MAKE-UP TESTS WILL BE GIVEN
  • LATE HOMEWORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
  • Prerequisites for this course is Math 11 or three years of high school mathematics which includes two years of algebra and one year of geometry; completion of the ELM requirement and a passing score on the Intermediate Algebra Diagnostic Test.
Drops:
 You may drop this course without penalty until Friday, October 5, 1012. For procedural details refer to the DROP POLICY document of the CSUS Math and Statistics department. On or after Oct 5, 2012, you must be passing this course with a grade of C or better AND MUST have a written medical excuse from a licensed M.D. in order to drop this course without penalty.
Attendance:
Regular attendance is important. Experience shows that attendance is highly correlated with good performance in the course.