Room and hours: Owen 240 D, 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM, (and 2:00 PM to 2:50 PM) MWF
Instructor: Muhammad Zafrullah Office: 709 Garrison
Phone: 282-2892 (Department), and 208-478-2759, (home) e-mail: zufrmuha@isu.edu
Office hours: MWF 12:10- 1:00, T-Th 5:00-6:00 PM or by appointment.
Textbook: Understanding Intermediate Algebra, 4th Edition, by Hirsh and Goodman, Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., 1998.
Pre-requisite: Successful completion of Math 025 or its equivalent.
Syllabus: We will cover sections [1.5, 2.3,2.4, 3.1-3.5] (Part I), [4.1- 4.3, 5.2-5.7] (Part II), [6.1-6.7, 7.1,7.3-7.8] (Part III), [8.2-8.7, 10.1, 10.2] (Part IV).
Course objectives: On a successful completion of this course the student is expected to:
1. Know the meanings of first-degree equations and inequalities and be able to solve them and use them.
2.Have an idea of functions and their graphs in the Cartesian Co-ordinate set up and be able to graph simple equations in two variables.
3. Be able to find the equation of a straight line using necessary information.
4. Be able to do simple operations on polynomials and solve simple polynomial equations using factorization.
5. Be able to manipulate rational fractions and be able to set up equations using them.
6. Be able to handle expressions involving exponents and radicals and be familiar with the notion of a complex number.
7. Have an idea of exponential functions and logarithms.
5. Be able to recognize the situations in the real world where his/her knowledge of basic algebra applies and be able to apply it independently.
Homework: Homework will be assigned at the end of each section but will not be collected.
Calculators: You should at least have a basic scientific calculator. If you plan to go on to more advanced courses in Mathematics, you may as well have a good graphing calculator now. But laptops or other devices with QWERTY keyboards are not allowed.
Math Help: Math Lab (Museum Building (Top Floor)) is a free drop-in tutorial service staffed by Teaching Assistants and Instructors from the Department of Mathematics. The facility will be available from September 11 onward. The hours are: To be announced . The Math Lab provides one of the best ways of getting personalized help. (About Math help: Remember that Mathematics is not a spectator sport. You would not get it if you do not participate. So get your hands dirty. Try to do the problems yourself and seek help only if you have some real difficulty with a problem or a concept.)
Tests, quizzes and grading: There will be
· Three in-class common tests:
Test 1 (September 11) over sections in Part I of the syllabus.
Test 2 (October 4) over sections in Part II of the syllabus
Test 3 (November 8) over sections in Part III of the syllabus.
· A comprehensive uniform final, for all sections, on Monday December 11. (60% of this exam will be over part IV and remaining questions will be from earlier parts.) In addition
· There will be some 8 to 10 quizzes. The quizzes will not be announced. There will be a minimum of 8 quizzes to be taken. If you do take more, the highest scoring 8 will be taken into account.
· To make sure that you read and understand some topics on your own I will give you some reading assignments on some topics. The reading assignments will be due at the next meeting.
Grades: The allocation of grades will be as follows: 100 points each for the three in-class tests, 50 points for the reading assignments, and 150 for the final. The quizzes will be worth 100 points. In all you will be working for 600 points. (There will be no make-ups. If you do have legitimate and documented excuse for missing a test/quiz, your grade will be recalculated without that test (except that you take at least one in class test and the final).)
Grading scale will be approximately as in the following table: If your grade is G % you get
|
A for 95£G£100 |
A- for 90£G<95 |
B+ for 85£G<90 |
|
B for 80£G<85 |
B- for 75£G<80 |
C+ for 70£G<75 |
|
C for 65£G<70 |
C- for 60£G<65 |
D+ for 55£G<60 |
|
D for 50£G<55 |
F for G<50 |
(Note: I do reserve the right to give bonus points to those whose performance in the class turns out to be outstanding. Being nice to me will not help. You will have to show performance, by participating in class-discussions, by asking questions and by getting good grades.)
Changes in policies: Course policies are subject to change. Any changes will be announced in class. You are responsible for keeping track of any such announcements.
Notes: (1) Past experience indicates that you will need at least 8 hours of study per week, in addition to the 3 contact hours, if you want to get good grades in this class. Try
not to miss classes. It is not always possible to see the useful points on your own.
(2) Reading the textbook, as the course progresses, enhances the understanding of the subject. Doing homework regularly also helps and allocating some study time to prepare for tests also improves the grades.
Disabilities: If you have or you believe you have a disability that may require accommodation on the part of ISU, call 282-3599 to make an appointment with Robert Campbell, Director of the Center for Students with Disabilities.
Academic Honesty: You may work with other students on most assignments, but you are expected to write your own solutions and reading assignments. There will be no tolerance for cheating or plagiarism. University policies will be enforced in such cases.