Please email me instead of using Canvas messages.
A significant part of this course covers trigonometric functions and fundamental trigonometric identities. In particular, we will understand how trigonometric functions are developed from both a right angle and a unit circle perspective.
After understanding what trigonometric functions are, we will derive various identities and use them to manipulate and simplify complicated trigonometric identities.
The final part of this course will cover polar coordinates, parametric equations, and conic sections.
The prerequisite for this course is Math 118. For our purpose, this means you need to understand and be able to use all concepts from Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
This prerequisite is extremely critical for your success in this class as the content in this class builds on Chapter 1 and 2. If you have not mastered Chapter 1 and 2, you will struggle in this class.
We will have a ungraded pretest on the first day of class. This will help you understand what concepts you should to review to succeed in this class.
We will be using Precalculus, Mathematics For Calculus, 7thedition written by James Stewart et al.
Lectures are held in class four days a week. Most lecture notes will be typed up, available on at this page.
Some examples will have a Show Solution button. I recommend when you are reading through the notes to try solving the problem on paper, then comparing your solution after.
In lecture, after introducing a concept, seeing how to use it in a few examples, you will be given a similar problem to work on. We will use the following strategy:
Finally, I will present my solution. Instead of passively absorbing math concepts we are learning by doing 😤
Homework will be posted every Thursday and due the following Thursday at the beginning of class. The accepted format is on paper in person. Grading is based on two criteria: completeless and a few problems will be chosen to be graded for correctness.
Quizzes will be in person every Thursday, except for the first week. They will be held during the last 10-15 minutes of class and will cover the previous week's material.
There will be two midterms and one final exam during finals week. All exams will be cumulative at the date the midterm is given.
Exam dates:
| A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93-100 | 90-93 | 87-90 | 83-87 | 80-83 | 77-80 | 73-77 | 70-73 | 60-70 | 0-60 |
Cheating of any form requires, at minimum, a F on the assignment. Let us define what is allowed for each assignment.
| Resource | Homeworks | Quizzes + Midterms + Final |
|---|---|---|
| Me (the professor) | Yes | Yes |
| Course materials (lectures + notes) | Yes | No |
| Textbook | Yes | No |
| Collaboration with peers | Yes | No |
| Online resources (internet + math engines like Photomath) | No | No |
Students registed with the DRC should contact me ASAP so we can set up the necessary arrangements!
A four unit class requires four hours of lecture and at least four hours of work outside of lecture. How to spend this time wisely?
The Math and Stats Help Hub has drop-in virtual and in-person tutoring from Monday through Thursday 4-7 PM. Details can be found here (you need to be logged in to Canvas).
Using office hours is an important step in being successful in college. You should attend office hours to clear up any questions you have about anything; doesn't need to be course related. If you need help, don't hesitate to reach out!