John Travis
MCC 315
925-3817 (voice mail)
travis@mc.edu (email)
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Textbook | Course Description | Course Meetings | Grading

Textbook: Applied Mathematics for the Managerial, Life and Social Sciences, S.T. Tan, 2nd edition

Requirement:  Scientific or graphical calculator.   A home computer with internet access would also be helpful when using some of the computational programs we will download from the internet.  However, students can always utilize the computer labs on campus to perform these tasks.

Prerequisite: MAT 205 or equivalent

Course Description: One may represent many real life situations in the form of an equation or a set of equations called a mathematical model.  Appropriate mathematical methods must be utilized in order to solve these problems.  Applied calculus is designed to give non-mathematics majors an introduction to the tools and concepts of calculus primarily through applications.  The emphasis of the course is on the mechanics of computation and the interpretation and effective use of limits, derivatives and integrals.  These concepts can be widely used in business as well as in the life and social sciences.  Applications will be drawn from all of these disciplines.  Calculators and computers will be used throughout the course to facilitate understanding.

This course carries 3 hours of academic credit.
 

From the college catalog:  A study of the applications of calculus for disciplines outside of mathematics such as business, economics, management, computing and information systems and the life and social sciences.  Topics include differentiation, integration and multivariate calculus and applications.

Learning Objectives: This term, the student will demonstrate an understanding of the following concepts and methods:

• correctly use functions and functional notation, including exponential functions
• evaluate functions
• determine limits of functions, including indeterminant cases
• ascertain the continuity of functions
• investigate the derivative of simple functions using the definition
• determine the derivative of functions using the rules of differentiation
• manipulate exponential and logarithmic functions
• differentiate exponential and logarithmic functions and make applications to the life sciences
• investigate marginal functions for use in business applications
• apply derivatives to ascertain the behavior of functions
• utilizing derivatives to optimize functions in a variety of settings
• determine the antiderivative of simple functions
• integrate more complicated functions using techniques of integration, including substitution
• apply the integral to a variety of problems, including determining areas, consumers' and producers' surplus, and future and present value
• use functions of several variables
• determine partial derivatives and make applications

In aiming at these target ideas, we will use graphical calculators and computers to promote better intuition, greater understanding and increased proficiency in doing mathematics.

The downloadable software:  Graphmatica , Winplot

Meetings: The format of class meetings will consist of lectures by the instructor. Student participation will be encouraged via classroom discussions as well as problem sessions where the student will present their work.

This class meets as scheduled. You are expected to be in class on time.  University policy states that a student cannot miss more than 25% of class meetings and receive credit for the course. Further, attendance will be necessary in order to understand the material and make a good grade. The student is responsible for work and material missed when absent. Cheating in any way will be properly rewarded according to University policy (Tomahawk; Undergrad. Bulletin, pp. 46;  http://www.mc.edu/publications/policies/219.html ).

If you need special accommodations due to learning, physical, psychological, or other disabilities, please contact Dr. Buddy Wagner in the Counseling and Career Development Center. He may be reached by phone at (601)925-3354 or by mail at P.O. Box 4013, Clinton, MS 39058.

Grading: There will be at least three exams during the semester.  Also, there will be a quiz grade coming from an average of daily short quizzes covering the assigned homework and a some assigned projects (time permitting). Any quizzes or projects missed will be awarded a grade of zero. Your final average will be computed by taking an average of the exam grades and the quiz grade.

Near the end of the term, an out-of-class, comprehensive makeup exam will be given for any student missing an exam(s) for an excused absence. There will be no makeups for quizzes.

The grading scale is

A=90-100

B=80-89

C=70-79

D=65-69

F=0-64

All graded work will be returned to the student for keeping. If there were any question later about your grade, you would be expected to show these papers.