| Fundamental principles |
I will try to conduct this class according to the principles expressed in Ardila's Axioms particularly "Every student deserves to be treated with dignity and respect [by their teacher and their classmates]." I welcome feedback about how well I am doing, and I encourage students to talk to me if their experience (in my class or elsewhere) is not consistent with these axioms. |
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| Course Description |
First of three semesters in a calculus sequence for science and engineering majors. Functions, graphs, limits, derivatives, rules of differentiation, definite integrals, fundamental theorem of calculus, applications of derivatives and integrals. Credit is not allowed for both MA 141 and MA 121 or MA 131. MA 141 and you |
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| Prerequisites |
MA 111 or MA 108 with a grade C- or better or qualifying score on math placement exam. |
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| Learning Outcomes |
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate proficiency in working with single variable functions represented in a variety of ways: graphical, numerical, analytical, or verbal; establish meaningful connections between these various representations to analyze functions effectively. 2. Apply limit theorems, left and right limits, limits involving infinity, and L’Hopital’s Rule. 3. Apply derivative rules and theorems to functions of a single variable to find derivatives either explicitly or implicitly. 4. Use derivatives in practical applications such as distance, velocity, acceleration; linearization; differentials; and related rates. 5. Determine the shape and attributes of a graph of a function of a single variable using tools of calculus including limits, and first and second derivatives. 6. Use first and second derivatives to optimize functions by finding critical numbers, inflection points, and extreme points. 7. Interpret and create visual representations of limits, continuity, differentiability, and tangent line approximations for a function of a single variable at a point. 8. Antidifferentiate basic functions of a single variable; use Riemann Sums to estimate areas under the curve; apply the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus and integration techniques to evaluate definite and indefinite integrals. 9. Use integrals in practical applications such as volumes of solids of revolution; area between curves; and distance, velocity, and acceleration. |
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| Credit load | 4 credits | ||||||||
| Instructor | Nathan Reading | ||||||||
| Office | SAS 4118 | ||||||||
| Telephone | 919-515-3261. This is an office desk phone that does not accept text messages. Email is a much better way to reach me than phone. | ||||||||
reading AT math DOT ncsu DOT edu Please include your section number (001, 003, or 009) in all emails to me. | |||||||||
| Course website and Moodle |
This site is https://nreadin.math.ncsu.edu/141. You will be responsible for material on this site. You will be notified by email or in class when new information is posted on the site (except for regularly occurring changes like posting of assignments and quiz/test solutions). There is also a Moodle page for this course, which you can find in the usual way through Wolfware. We will use the Gradebook and a few other features. | ||||||||
Class email list | There is a class email list. You will be responsible for any information emailed to the list. You will be expected to check your ncsu email account at least every day. | ||||||||
| Class Sessions |
This class is scheduled for Fall 2025. Section 001: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 8:30-9:20 in SAS 1102 Section 003: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 9:30-10:25 in SAS 1102 Section 009: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 1:55-2:45 in Riddick 450 Attend the class session in which you are enrolled. Attendance at lectures is part of the course. Classroom Guidelines Here is the most up-to-date schedule for the class. This schedule (except for test dates) is subject to change as the course progresses. | ||||||||
| If you (or I) are not well |
If you are not well, please stay home. Class will be automatically recorded, and these recordings will be available soon after class on the Moodle page. These recordings might not show the board very well, so it is important that you find a "buddy" in the class (or preferably more that one) who takes good notes and is willing to send you copies of their notes after class. Depending on how well the recordings come out, the notes may be more useful than the recordings. If I am not well, but am well enough to teach online, we may move class and/or office hours to Zoom. There is a Zoom link on the main Moodle page. I think/hope we will not use it, but it's there so we can use it at short notice if necessary. (This is another good reason to check your email regularly.) Important: The Zoom link is not what you will use if you are absent. This class is not usually on Zoom. |
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| Office hours |
Nathan Reading's office hours: Mondays, 12:45-1:35 and 3:00-3:50, in my office, SAS 4118. Fridays, 10:45-11:35, in my office, SAS 4118. You may attend any of the office hours held by the teaching assistants, even if you're not in their recitation section. Brandon Koprowski's office hours: Mondays, 4:00-5:00 in SAS 4121. Fridays, 9:30-10:30 in SAS 4121. Javier Madariaga's office hours: Thursdays, 10:00-12:00 in SAS 4125. Zongxin Tian's office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30 in SAS 3108. Scheduled office hours are a "drop-in" service. No need to tell me whether you are coming. You are allowed to come to whatever part (or all) of the office hour that fits your schedule and your needs. It may be possible to make appointments at other times. To make an appointment, email me. I discourage students from simply dropping by my office outside of scheduled office hours. I also discourage students from hanging out in my office hours doing homework until they have a question. Regularly scheduled office hours are not held during the first week of class or after the last day of class. Office hours may occasionally need to be changed to allow me and/or your TAs to fulfil all parts of our job responsibilities. The regular office hours schedule is subject to change as the semester progresses. | ||||||||
| Text |
Calculus for Scientists and Engineers, Volume 1 by Franke, Griggs and Norris. This is an online textbook available through Cengage/WebAssign. Look for the book under "My Resources." You must purchase access to WebAssign, because it is your access both to the textbook and to homework. Here is a WebAssign help page written specifically for NC State students. | ||||||||
| Reading Assignments, Lecture Schedule and Tests |
Students are expected to read the text in addition to attending lectures. Here is the most up-to-date schedule for the class. This schedule (except for test dates) is subject to change as the course progresses. |
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| Other learning resources |
There is drop-in tutoring at the Mathematics Tutoring center. You may also want to check out the Academic Success Center for other tutoring options and other help. Here are some MA 141 student resource videos. | ||||||||
| Homework |
You will be doing online homework through WebAssign. Log in with your unity ID and password, and look under "My Assignments." There will be WebAssign due almost every week, typically on Wednesday. You can request homework extensions through WebAssign, with a 25% penalty on the problems not completed before the extension request. For best success, I strongly recommend writing out your WebAssign homework before you enter answers into the computer. You are expected to do your own work on homework. You are not allowed to use any artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as chatbots, text generators, paraphrasers, summarizers, or solvers, to complete any part of your assignments. Any attempt to use these tools will be considered academic misconduct. Even aside from the very important issue of integrity, using AI tools (or in any way doing your homework without using your own brain) is self-punishing for a course in which 90% of your grade is determined by in-class quizzes and tests, where your own brain is all you will have available. WebAssign exists to give you feedback in real time, but just doing WebAssign until you get "green check marks" does not guarantee that you are prepared for quizzes and tests. You will need to put in the effort to understand the lectures, the textbook, the WebAssign, and possibly additional exercises from the textbook. For that reason, I strongly recommend that you organize your work around this page of homework assignments rather than the WebAssign page, because the assignments page will also remind you to be engaged with the textbook. Your primary contact for WebAssign problems is your TA. They will forward the issue to me if they don't know how to help you, and I will forward it to the department expert if I don't know how to help you. |
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| Quizzes |
On Wednesdays when homework is due, there will be a quiz (in lecture) on the homework assignment due that day. The purpose of the quiz will be to test your understanding of the assigned sections. It will be my intention to write a quiz that students will do well on, if they have mastered the lecture material, the textbook, and especially every homework problem. If you find that your performance on quizzes is not what you would like it to be, then you probably should be putting more effort into lectures, reading, and homework. I may also occasionally give "pop" quizzes in lecture. If you have an excused absence on a quiz day, contact Dr. Reading (not your TA) right away by email. If you do not contact me before the quiz, you will also need to explain/justify why you didn't contact me earlier. |
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| Midterm exams | There will be three midterm exams in lecture on the following dates:
I will not be dropping the lowest exam grade. Students who miss an exam with an excused absence will have the opportunity to take a makeup test. If you have an excused absence on a test day, contact Dr. Reading (not your TA) right away by email. If you do not contact me before the test, you will also need to explain/justify why you didn't contact me earlier. | ||||||||
| Final Exam |
Tuesday evening, December 9, 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The location of the final exam will be announced later in the semester. |
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| Calculator use | I will be writing quizzes and tests that don't need a calculator, and calculators will not be allowed on tests or quizzes. Similarly phones should be in a backpack or pocket where they are not accessible during a quiz or test. You can use any calculator you want for homework, but don't become dependent on certain functions (for example graphing) that you won't have on the test. | ||||||||
| Comments, answers, review sheets, ets. |
Here are some Comments and answers on quizzes and tests and some review sheets. |
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| Grading |
The student's numerical score will be determined by weighting exams and quizzes as follows: 15% for quizzes, 10% for WebAssign, 15% each for the three exams and 30% for the final. The numerical score will be a number from 0 to 1000, and final grades will be determined on the scale below. Precise cutoffs for + and -- grades will be determined after the final. These gradelines may be adjusted slightly but only in a way that improves the letter grades assigned. Please don't have unrealistic expectations about the gradelines being adjusted. They will probably not be adjusted, or will be adjusted by only a very few points.
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| Grades on Moodle | We will be keeping track of your grades on Moodle, and you can always see them there. | ||||||||
| N.C. State Polices, Regulations, and Rules | Students are responsible for reviewing the NC State University Policies, Rules, and Regulations (PRRs) which pertain to their course rights and responsibilities, including those referenced both below and above in this syllabus: Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy Statement with additional references at https://oied.ncsu.edu/divweb/policies/ Code of Student Conduct. |
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| Policy on Attendance and Make-ups | Attending every lecture and recitation (in its entirety) is considered part of the course requirement. No provisions will be made for students to make up missed quizzes or tests except as spelled out in the University's attendance regulation available at http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03 . If you have an excused absence from lecture or recitation, please contact your TA (not Dr. Reading, unless you are missing a quiz or test). Excused absences: If you have an excused absense on a quiz or test day, email me (Nathan Reading) as soon as possible. |
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| Policy on Incompletes | Incompletes are not offered except in cases where special circumstances (such as outlined in the attendance regulation mentioned above) make it impossible for a student to complete the course. Even in these special circumstances, incompletes will not be offered unless the student was in a position to pass the class before the special circumstance arose. In particular, incompletes cannot be used as a way to "bail out" when a student feels that they cannot pass the course or feels they cannot do all the work that they put off until the end of the semester. |
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| Statement on privacy | Students may be required to disclose personally identifiable information to other students in the course, via digital tools, such as email or web-postings, where relevant to the course. Examples include online discussions of class topics, and posting of student coursework. All students are expected to respect the privacy of each other by not sharing or using such information outside the course. |
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| Statement for students with disabilities |
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with the Disability Resource Office at Holmes Hall, Suite 304, 2751 Cates Avenue, Campus Box 7509, 919-515-7653. For more information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (NCSU REG02.20.01). |
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| Academic Integrity | Students are expected to conform to standards of academic integrity as described in the Code of Student Conduct, which can be found in the Code of Student Conduct. The student, by signing or writing their name on a quiz or test or by submitting homework online, affirms that they have neither given nor received unauthorized aid. Violations of academic integrity will be handled in accordance with the Student Discipline Procedures (NCSU REG 11.35.02). |
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| NCSU Counseling center |
As a student you may experience a range of personal issues that can impede learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug concerns, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance and may impact your ability to participate in daily activities. It is very important that you have a support system and that you ask for help when you are struggling. The Counseling Center at NC State offers confidential services for full time NC State students, including same-day emergency services and telehealth counseling services. Check out counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu. |
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| Help for students in distress |
Although the counseling center is a great help, sometimes it's hard to recognize when we need help. So we need to look out for each other too. Occasionally, you may come across a fellow student whose behavior worries you. You can and should report worrisome behavior to the NC State Cares website: https://prevention.dasa.ncsu.edu/nc-state-cares/about/. You can report anonymously, but if you share your contact information, they can follow-up with you personally. |