MATH 103A Syllabus Spring 2011

8/7/2019 MATH 103A Syllabus Spring 2011

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Math 103A Intermediate Algebra Syllabus

Course No. 11513Instructor Dr. Irina Roderick Phone(415) 485 9522 ext. 7522 Office: SC149Textbook Intermediate Algebra, 8th ed., by Bittinger and EllenbogenTime and location MW 9:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m; F 9:10 a.m. - 10:00 a.m SC 177Office Hours MWF 7:00-7:30; 1:00-2:00 p.m.; F 10:00-11:00 a.m. SC 149Math Lab MWF 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. SC 115

Please note: I teach other classes besides the one that you are enrolled in (please check thecatalog) and perform other duties related to my job as an Instructor and Department Chair. WhileI am lecturing, conducting office hours, or performing my other duties, I am not available for e-mail or phone communication. Your e-mail messages will be answered on a daily basis onweekdays during regular business hours 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. when not otherwise engaged.

“Never regard study as a duty,but as the enviable opportunityto learn to know the liberating

influence of beauty in therealm of the spirit for your ownpersonal joy and to the profit of the community to which yourlater work belongs.”

--Albert Einstein

Content Elementary functions and graphs; equations and inequalities in one and two variables;systems of equations; matrices; radical expressions and equations.

Attendance Successful completion of the course requires attendance and a strong commitmenton your part. Not all the material presented in the course can be found in the textbook. You areresponsible for all the material covered.

Reading It is important that you read the appropriate section before the start of each classmeeting. This is not an "optional" part of your homework! All lectures and activities will be givenunder the assumption that you have done this. You should plan on spending 8-12 hours aweek outside of class working on activities related to this class.

Writing Every week you will be expected to work the problems listed in the schedule. Theseproblems will not be formally entered into your grade. They have been assigned to help youpractice the concepts covered during lectures. I will not grade every problem that is assigned,but I will check all homework for completeness. Homework will count in borderline cases along

with the attendance. A portion of the following lecture section may be spent addressing anyquestions that might arise while you work these problems. All homework needs to be writtenlegibly and using proper mathematical language. It is recommended that you also have at yourdisposal a set of colored pencils and a ruler and that you avail yourself of these utensils both inclass and when doing your homework.

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IMPORTANT: All assignments are expected to followthe required format. Correct answers with incorrect orincomplete work will receive few or no points. If I cannotread or follow your work, no credit will be given. Allwork will be done in pencil. I will not accept any work inpen. All assignments must be stapled. I will not acceptpaperclips or dog-eared fold.

All graphs will be sketched on engineering paper. It isrecommended to switch to engineering paperaltogether.

I expect my students to learn correct mathematical notation, vocabulary, and ways in which tocorrectly express concepts through the use of the written word. Writing point deductionsoccur for factual and/or vocabulary errors and/or for incomplete (or nonexistent)explanations. Not all problems require an explanation (e.g. you never need to "explain" youralgebraic steps). Application problems and multi-step problems require explanation.

IMPORTANT: Homework will be collected onMondays (or during the next class meeting if Monday

happens to be a holiday.) A point will be deductedfrom your final grade for each missing homework. Noassignments will be accepted after Exam 5. Read thelast sentence several times – feel the absoluteness of this statement.

Grading Your grade in this class will be determined by 5 exams and a final exam. Emphasis forgrading is whether the procedure or method you used is appropriate and how good is your skill atapplying it. If a problem requires a specific method, you must show that you have used thatmethod, or no credit will be given. Minor arithmetic errors will not result in a total loss of creditfor the problem. No credit is given when you fail to answer a specific question.

IMPORTANT: Your grade in this class is a reflection of thedemonstrated ability to meet the Student Learning Outcomeslisted below:

1. Find zeroes of polynomial functions and factor the function completely.2. Be able to present a complete algebraic analysis of a given linear function.3. Solve inequalities in one or two variables; solve absolute value inequalities.4. Solve systems of equations in several variables algebraically and using matrices.5. Solve application problems involving linear equations and their systems.6. Perform operations with polynomials; factor polynomials using various factorization

techniques.

Technology No calculator will be allowed.

Exams There will be 4 exams given. There will be a comprehensive Final Exam. Make-upexams will be given at the instructor’s discretion upon receipt of a typed signed and dated letterfrom a student requesting a make-up exam. No textbooks or lecture notes may be used on theexams except for a single card on which are written helpful basic formulas. No samples of previously worked problems may be included. Photocopies are unacceptable. Your help cardmust be handed in with your exam. Up to 5 help cards are allowed for the Final.

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Exams (5) 65%

Final 35%

A B C D F90 - 100 % 80 - 89 % 70 - 79 % 62 - 69 % Less than 62%

It is recommended that you drop the course if you are unsatisfied with your performancefollowing the second exam. After this point, it is highly unlikely that you can improve a non-passing grade to a passing one due to the amount of the grade already determined and the lack

of understanding of foundational material. Please, if you stop attending, drop the classimmediately.

Expectations I expect you to arrive on time every day with the appropriate materials, to put realeffort into class and home assignments, to behave appropriately for a college classroom. At alltimes, you must be respectful and courteous to your classmates, to me, and to the learningenvironment. Your conduct should benefit, not hinder anyone in this class. Conduct which isdisrespectful or which disrupts another student’s ability to learn can result in removal from theclass. If you must leave early please let me know at the beginning of the class. I do not acceptstudents spontaneously walking out of class. Academic dishonesty is not tolerated. No electronicdevices of any kind except a calculator (if permitted).

IMPORTANT: I reserve the right to drop a studentunder the following circumstances: poor attendance,consistent failure to turn in homework on a weeklybasis, consistently substandard quality of writing,consistently substandard grades on the exams,conduct that does not meet the code of student’sconduct of the College of Marin.

Keys to Success Assuming that you have met the prerequisites for this course, you are fullycapable of successfully completing this course. That having been said, there are certain actionsyou must take. Read section(s) before coming to class. Prepare a list of questions that I willanswer. If you don’t ask questions during class you are leaving it up to chance as to whether thequestion will ever be addressed. Everybody needs help sometimes; when that body is you,please avail yourself of the available help. After lecture on the material, you must complete theassignment before coming to class. This will make you prepared for the understanding of thecurrent day’s lecture. Take comprehensive notes during lecture time and refer to them whenworking on your homework. Understanding a topic while the instructor is discussing it and beingable to successfully apply a topic are two very separate issues. The fact of the matter is that youwill not truly learn the material until you have practiced applying the material. Write yoursolutions to the practice problems as if you were taking an exam. You will frequently be asked toexplain a concept or verbally outline a solution on exam questions. If you have practiced writingcomplete sentences, it will seem natural to you to do this when it comes time to take the exam.

VERY IMPORTANT: All graded work will beevaluated for your ability to meet the followingwriting objectives as well as for mathematical

content. Papers which are submitted that show noattempt to meet the writing objectives will receive ascore of 0! :-ORead the last sentence several times – feel theabsoluteness of this statement.

Writing Guidelines

1. Every solution must be written vertically down on the page in a single column. No cells,zigzag lines or any other intricate ways of partitioning the page and jamming mathematicsinto those partitions. There are two of us on every page of work submitted for gradingpurposes – you and me, your Instructor. I need space to give you feedback.





2. Every solution must be written in such a way that the question asked is clear simply byreading the solution.

3. Every solution must be written neatly. Illegible work will remain unmarked.4. All (relevant) information given in the problem must be stated in your solution.5. Unexplained variables in application problems have no meaning and shall be rejected.6. Solutions with incorrect notation are incorrect solutions and shall be rejected.

7. Your answer shall not be encased in a box, but rather stated at the end of your solution.8. Incomplete mathematical sentences and ambiguous conclusions shall be rejected.

9. Show ALL work. Unsubstantiated work will receive little or no credit.10. Solutions obtained with the help of the calculator solely instead of algebra will be rejected.11. Solutions that are obtained without the use of algebra will be rejected.12. Solutions to application problems must start with the explanation of the variables used.

Tentative schedule The following schedule may be changed in response to institutional,weather or class problems. Your regular attendance will help you learn about any changes if theyhappen.

Date Chapter/Section Homework Wk 1Jan24-28

1.1 Some basics

1.2 Operations andproperties1.3 Solving equations1.4 Intro to problem-solving

1-13 odd, 15,19,21,25,29-41 odd, 45-55 odd,57,58,59,61,63,67-75 odd1-108 eoo (every other odd), 109-127odd,133,137,139,143,147,149,150,151, 1591-91 odd, 93, 94, 951-43 odd, 46, 47

Wk 2J31-Feb4

1.5 Formulas1.6 Properties of exponents1.7 Scientific notation

1-37 odd, 43,45,51,59,61,63,651-115 odd, 116-119, 121-137 odd1-55 eoo, 63

Wk 3Feb 7-11

Exam 12.1 Graphs2.2 Functions

3, 7-19 odd, 25,27,31-61 odd, 62,63,67,71, 731,5,7,11-27 odd, 3135,37,43,47,51,57,59,61,63,67,69,71, 73-79 odd, Sec.4.2 #75, 77, 79

Wk 4Feb 14,16

2.3 Linear functions2.4 Another look2.5 Other equations

3-69 eoo, 71,73,75,77,79,85-95 odd1-53 odd, 67-85 odd, 89, 91, 931-97 odd

Wk 5Feb 23,25

2.6 The algebra of functionsExam 2

1-31 odd, 35,37, 41, 43,47, 49, 51, 53,55, 59, 63, 69-75 odd

Wk 7Feb28-Mar4

3.1 Systems of equations3.2 Solving by substitutionor elimination

1,3,7,9,11,13,17,21,25,27,31, 33, 37, 39,41, 43,45,53,55, 57,611-61 odd

Wk 8

Mar 7-11

3.3 Applications

3.4 Systems of eq-ns in 3variables

Do the word problems you set up in 3.1

21,25,27,33, 35,37,41,43,451,3,7,11,15,17,27,29,35, 37, 39

Wk 8Mar 14-18

3.5 Applications3.6 Elimination usingmatrices

3,5,7,9,13,15,23-33 odd1-17 odd, solve 3.2 # 7, 11, 17, 19, 21, using matrices

Wk 9Mar 21-25

Exam 34.1 Inequalities andapplications

1-61 odd, 65, 67, 69,71, 73

Wk 10Mar28-Ap1

4.2 Intersections, unions,etc.4.3 Absolute value eq-ns/ineq-s

1-61 eoo, 63-71 odd, 75, 77, 791-81 eoo, 83,85,87,88,89,90, 91, 107, 109, 115, 117



Wk11Apr4-8

4.4 Inequalities in 2variables.4.5 Linear programming

1, 3,7, 11, 13,15,19, 21, 25,31,35,43,45,47, 49, 55,57,58, 59, 611,3,7,9,11,13,15, 21, 23

Wk 12Apr18-22

Exam 45.1 Intro to polynomials5.2 Multiplication of polynom.

1-10, 11, 13, 17, 19, 25, 27, 31, 35, 39, 47, 57-85 odd,89, 95, 99-103 odd1-8, 9-85 eoo

Wk 13Apr 25-29

5.3 Common factors andfactoring by grouping5.4 Factoring trinomials

1-59 odd, 71,73, 751-85 odd, 89-95 odd, 101, 103, 107

Wk 14May 2-6

5.5 Factoring perfect sq.trinom.5.6 Factoring sums/diff. of cubes

1-71 odd,75-81 odd, 91, 95, 991-53 odd, 57, 59

Wk15May 9-13

5.7 Factoring: generalstrategy5.8 Applic. of polynom. eq-ns

1-69 odd, 75, 771-71 eoo, 73, 79, 83, 87, 91, 99, 101, 103, 105

Wk 16May 16-

20

Exam 5Final Review

May 27 Final 2:10-5:00 p.m.


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MATH 103A Syllabus Spring 2011