Math 111

First semester calculus

(WARNING: Students cannot get credit for both Math 111 and Math 108)

Description of the course

Concepts covered in this course include: standard functions and their graphs, limits, continuity, tangents, derivatives, the definite integral, and the fundamental theorem of calculus.  Formulas for differentiation are developed and include formulas for trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions.  Applications to physics, economics and geometry are highlighted.

Successful completion of Math 111 is awarded 4 semester hours of credit. The lecture sections of the course meet 3 times a week for 50 minutes or twice a week for 80 minutes.  The fourth hour is a required class meeting in which students meet with a lab assistant or the course instructor to work through additional workbook style material and assigned homework problems.  Both in class and in the laboratory, the course uses graphing calculators as tools for experimentation and visualization. The laboratory assignments complement the lectures and examine themes that run throughout the course. The lab component accounts for 15% of the course grade.

Textbook 

          Essentials Calculus.jpg 

  • Single Variable Essential Calculus, Early Transcendentals, by James Stewart, published by Brooks/Cole Publishing, 2007. The course covers most of the material in chapters 1 through 5 .  This book will also be used in the Spring of 2008 for the next course, Math 112.
  • A student solutions manual and the student study guide may be purchased but are not required.
  • A lab manual that contains the assignments for the lab portion of the course must also be purchased at the bookstore.

Calculators

    • Students will need to have a TI-83 or TI-84 graphing calculator for Math 111 and Math 112.  The department will supply programs for these calculators that are needed during the course.  If you have a different model, you may either buy a TI-83 or TI-84 or trade calculators for the semester with a student who has a TI-83 or TI-84.
    • On tests and quizzes, you will not be allowed to use a TI-89 calculator or any calculator that is capable of symbolic manipulations.

                   

        Labs

                 You will need to purchase a lab packet at the College bookstore in Merchants Square. If you do not have one when classes begin, you may print Lab 0 and Lab 1 from the files below. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file. You may download Acobat for free from the Adobe site or you may go to a campus computer lab to access this document.

math111\Math111_Lab0_Fall2007.pdf
math111\Math111_Lab 1Fall2007.pdf
math111\Math111_Lab 2Fall2007.pdf

Prerequisites

Students are expected to be proficient in the following areas that are necessary for success in calculus:

  •  Algebra
  •  Trigonometry
  •  Logarithms

If you are worried about the level of your preparation for Math 111, you may wish to consider one or more of the following approaches:

  • Enroll in Math 103 (Precalculus) to improve your skills. This course is designed for students who plan to take calculus but whose algebra and trigonometry backgrounds need improvement. This course does not satisfy the College's first general education requirement (GER-1).  Here is a testimonial from a student who took the course before taking Math 111:

"In my opinion, there are two types of students who would benefit from taking Math 103. The first would be any student who had a year or more away from taking any Math courses. The second would be those students who have always felt that Math wasn't their "strong suit" so to speak. I fell into both of those categories and found 103 to be a tremendous help. It helped rebuild and strengthen my algebra foundation and prepared me for the new material I would encounter in Calculus. I can strongly recommend taking this course."

  • Enroll in a pre-calculus course in your home town the summer before you take Math 111.
  • Buy the textbook early and study Chapter One and the trigonometry appendix.  The answers to the odd exercises are in the back of the book.

Need only one course?

Math 111 satisfies the General Education Requirement (GER 1).  If this is the only reason you want to take the course, you might want to think about some different options that also satisfy the requirement.

          Math 104: The Mathematics of Powered Flight

The goal of this course is to study mathematics in an immediately applied context. This course is primarily aimed at non-science students and will fulfill the GER-1 requirement. This course will fulfill the GER-1 requirement.

Math 106: Elementary Probability and Statistics

This course introduces some basic ways of thinking about uncertain phenomena. Quantitative reasoning skills and statistical literacy are emphasized. An important theme is the role of probability in statistical inference. Math 106 has no prerequisites and fulfills GER 1.

Math 108: Brief Calculus with Applications

This course is an introduction to the calculus of polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions, including some multi-variable calculus, with applications in business, social and life sciences. This course will fulfill the GER-1 requirement

(Important notice: students cannot receive credit or both Math 108 and Math 111.)

 

For more details on individual sections of Math 111, please contact the instructor of that section.
 

Tutoring for Math 111 and Math 112

Free tutoring (beginning on Sunday of the first full week of classes) is provided by graduate assistants for Math 111 and Math 112 in Jones 112 from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday evenings.  If you wish to hire a private tutor, a list of tutors is available from the bulletin board next to the Math Department office in Jones 114.
 

Final Exam

The exam for all sections of Math 111 is administered during the math block as seen in the exam schedule.  The exam for Spring 2008 will be Monday, April 28, 2008.  The room assignments for the final exam are posted in the Mathematics Department in Jones Hall the week before the exam.

A Previous Final Examination Paper

          Fall 2001 Final Exam
                Key for Fall 2001 Final Exam

Math111FinalExamF06.pdf

Math111FinalExamKeyF06.pdf

Any Questions?

                        You may direct them to Professor Zapf by clicking at mjzapf@wm.edu
.