Material
The plan at this point is to cover chapters 1-13 in the
text. This may evolve over the
semester. Any changes will be posted here.
Technique
This is a "W" course. That means that there is to be
a fair amount of writing, and that aspects of writing
will be a large part of the grade.
In a math course
getting the right answer is usually seen as being the
most important part of grading. Here that is not true.
The way the answer is written will be the most important
part of the grading.
Grading
At this point the plan is to base the grade on a large number of
quizzes and a smaller number of exams. The number and frequency
will be determined later.
Attendance
Because of the large number of quizzes, regular attendance is
crucial. If know in advance that you will have to miss more
than two classes because of prior committments, you will
have to discuss this in the first week with me (Matt Brin). If
the number of classes to be missed is large, you will have to
take the course from another section or in another semester.
Anyone missing more than 10 classes during the year cannot
get a passing grade. The only options will be an F, W or I. The
grade of I will only be given for medical reasons.