MATH 311-300: Topics in Applied Mathematics I

SECTION: 300

Summer 2020

General information (Go to ecampus for more information about this course)

First Day of the Class: May 27 (Wednesday)
Last Day of the Class: August 3 (Monday)

Graders/TAs: There are now two graduate students from the Mathematics Department by the names Tanuj Gupta (https://www.math.tamu.edu/~tanujgupta17) and Jackson Autry who will be in charge of grading quizzes, homeworks and exams. If you have any questions on your scores on quizzes, homeworks and exams, please contact Jackson Autry and/or Tanuj Guta but NOT me. Tanuj Gupta's email address is tanujgupta17@math.tamu.edu. Jackson Autry's email address is jautry@math.tamu.edu. Tanuj Gupta will be available to answer any question you may have during his office hour TR: 2-3 PM (central time) and/or during other times by appointment in his personal Zoom meeting room The link for his meeting room is https://tamu.zoom.us/j/4131939161

Technical Requirements and Support for ecampus: This course will use ecampus (ecampus.tamu.edu) to post various course related materials including homework, quizzes, delivered lectures in script and videos, exams, grades etc. Help with eCampus is available at https://ecampus.tamu.edu/student-help.php . To access the system, you will use your TAMU NetID and password. There is also a link to ecampus in Howdy. Please contact me immediately if you are unable to access the course website. If you require more technical assistance, try Help Desk Central (http://hdc.tamu.edu/ or 979-845-8300). Help Desk Central is open 24-hours each day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Lecture Style: Lectures will be delivered online (synchronously) using Zoom platform. You are expected to join using ZOOM and your microphone should be working. The camera should also be working so that I can see you if and when needed during the lecture. You will need the Zoom ID given above to join the lecture. You can join even before 10:00 am but I will start the meeting at 10:00 am sharp MWF. You are required to turn off your cell phone during my lecture.

The Division of IT has two initial suggestions for those experiencing network latency or jitter. First, you all should turn off all other applications consuming bandwidth. Note that connectivity may vary by location, particularly if there are other internet users in the immediate area (an apartment or a home) who are using bandwidth-intensive programs. Second, depending on problems with connectivity if we face I may have to ask you to turn off your video to reduce bandwidth consumption. If the problem persists, you may contact Help Desk Central through chat, email, phone, or web for assistance. The Division of IT has doubled personnel to assist faculty, staff, and students through the weekend.

During regular classtime, I will write on my laptop screen which it lets me do in tablet mode and I will use Microsoft One Note. My handwritten part of the lecture will be saved in pdf format and uploaded on ecampus the same day. The entire lecture including audio during the entire session will be recorded on the zoom cloud a link to which will later get emailed to me by zoom. It takes a while before I get the link from zoom (may be couple of hours after I end the lecture). The link of it will be posted by that evening if not before on ecampus in the folder "Synchronous lectures (Script and Videos)" inside the folder "Course Materials". So, check this folder on ecampus that evening, if not earlier.

OPEN ACCESS LABS and ON-CAMPUS STUDY AREAS: Students seeking internet and computer access may go to the SCC, Business Library \& Collaboration Commons, Blocker, and AGLS. Students needing a study space and quiet zone may visit the Commons, sections of the MSC, the 1st floor of Evans Library, and White Creek Community Center. The number of students allowed in these areas at one time is limited and social distancing will be maintained. Hours of operation will be adjusted if needed. Additional information is provided for students in the "What's Open for Learning" section of the Keep Learning page.

Course description: Systems of linear equations, matrices, determinants, vector spaces, linear transformations, orthogonality and inner product spaces, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalization; vector analysis, including gradient, divergence, curl, line and surface integrals, Gauss, Green's and Stokes' theorems.

Syllabus and Course Outcomes are on ecampus as well.

Help Sessions The department is running virtual help sessions for this course. Here are the details: Monday-Thursday 4-6pm.
Link: https://tamu.zoom.us/j/96862292038
Help Sessions will run May 27-June 29 and July 1-Aug 3. This information will be posted on the Math Learning Center website (mlc.tamu.edu) which is linked from the math department website (www.math.tamu.edu/courses/helpsessions.html).

Prerequisites: MATH 221, 251, 253; MATH 308 or concurrent enrollment therein.

Textbook: (Required) MATH 311 Custom Edition for Texas A&M University-College Station, by S. Leon and S. Colley.

Computer hardware requirements:
  • A laptop or desktop computer or a tablet that meets all the hardware and software requirements listed below.
  • An internet connection
  • Speakers and a microphone built-in or USB plug-in or wireless Bluetooth
  • A webcam or HD webcam - built-in or USB plug-in

    • Computer software requirements:
  • Adobe Acrobat or a similar PDF reader
  • Web Browser
  • Desktop version of Zoom
  • Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel

    • Internet browser requirements:
  • Be sure you have the latest updates for the browsers.
  • Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are recommended

    • Internet connection speed requirements:
  • Broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE)

    • Document Scanning: Throughout this course you will need to scan your written work in pdf format. You will have to submit ONE PDF file with multiple pages. Here is an example of scanning documents with an iPhone and here is an example of scanning documents with an Android phone. If you donot have a smartphone, tablet, scanner/printer, or webcam you either need to find access to scanning capabilities OR you can't take the course. If you do not have access to a scanner, you can talk to financial aid and they might be able to get some financial aid so you can purchase the technologies you need. You can also talk to me and/or email Jenn Whitfield (jwhitfld@tamu.edu) who will try to help give you ideas.

    Calculator: A calculator for performing arithmatic operatons is allowed for you to use during quizzes (assignments) and exams. NOTE: It is considered a violation of the Aggie Honor Code to have any programs, notes, etc. in or on your calculator that have not been approved by your instructor.

    Grading System & Tests: Your grade will be based on three exams (including the final exam) and quizzes. The final exam will be made optional and can be taken solely to improve the semester grade that you would have going into the final exam. The final exam is not going to be cumulative. The relative weights of the exams, etc., are given below for those who will take the final. However, relative weights for each of the first two exams will be 45% for the purpose of calculating the semester grade going into the final. There will be no make-up quizzes or exams. Under a limited set of circumstances, you may make arrangements to take the final exam early (with proper documentation, subject to instructor discretion). Since eCampus keeps track of all of your grades, you should always be able to calculate your current grade in the course. If you need assistance, please contact me. All your assignments will count towards your final score. 

    
Exam I     Exam 2   	Final Exam    Quizzes 
 30%        30%            30%	       10%
    The dates for the exams: 
         Exam 1: July 1 (Wednesday)
     Exam 2: July 24 (Friday) (tentative for now)
     Final: August 05 (Wednesday), 10:30 am - 12:30 pm (This is based on University calendar)

    Letter Grade: Your letter grade for the semester will be A, B, C, or D for averages of minimum 90%, 80%, 70%, or 60%, respectively.

    Quizzes: Quizzes will be given on Fridays (Monday if previous Friday had no class) during part of the classtime. It will be based on material taught during the previous week. Thus there will be no quiz on first Friday of classes. Scores on the quizzes will be posted within one week of giving a quiz on ecampus. Graded quiz will also be made available on ecampus in the same time frame. You will get zero in a uiz that you do not take. At the end of the semester, quiz averages will be done after dropping two lowest quiz scores.

    Exam and Quiz Proctoring: Exams and quizzes will be taken during the scheduled class times and will be proctored using Zoom. During each exam you will be required to set up a streaming video camera (e.g., cell phone or USB webcam) in such a way that the proctor will be able to view your workspace during the exam. Zoom proctoring sessions may be recorded. In order to receive credit for this course, you must consent to be proctored in this manner.

    Homework: assignments taken from Book exercises will be posted after every lecture by the evening of that day on ecampus in the folder under "Homeworks" which appear inside the folder `Course Material'. Remind me by email if you do not see the homework posted by 9:00 pm of that day. You are responsible for doing the homeworks. You do not need to turn in the homeworks. Doing the homeworks will help you in the quizzes and exams. You should ask questions during office hours if you are having difficulty with homeworks. Note that answers to most assigned homeworks you will find in the ecampus page for this course.

    Book Exercises: Book exercises are posted on ecampus in the folder under "Homeworks" inside the folder "Course Materials".

    Answers to selected book exercises from eighth edition are posted on ecampus as a pdf file which you can download by clicking the hyperlink "Answers to Selected Exercises from the Linear Algebra (8th edition) part of the textbook" inside the folder "Course Materials".

    Make-up Policy: I will NOT give make-ups for missed quizzes and exams.

    Cheating: I take this very seriously, and will prosecute any case that I think I can prove. Scholastic dishonesty procedures will be rigorously enforced.

    Identification: You must have your video turned on and your Texsa A&M ID with you at all exams and quizzes.

    Disabilities:

    Aggie Honor Code:   "An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do."

    Copyright Laws etc.

    Last updated:

    Copyright © 2020 by Prabir Daripa. All rights reserved.