Math 147 Sections 507-509 - Calculus I for Biological Sciences - Fall 2015
Instructor: Dr. Glenn Lahodny Jr.
Teaching Assistant: Mahmood Ettehad
Office: Blocker 211C
Email:mettehad@math.tamu.edu
Office Hours: TR 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM or by appointment
Email: glahodny@math.tamu.edu
Website: http://www.math.tamu.edu/~glahodny/
Meeting Time: MWF 11:30 AM -12:20 PM
Location: RICH 114
Recitation/Computer Lab Times and Locations:
Section
Meeting Time
507
TR 2:20 PM - 3:10 PM
508
TR 3:55 PM - 4:45 PM
509
TR 5:30 PM – 6:20 PM
Location
PETR 106
MPHY 107
LAAH 467
Textbook: Calculus for Biology and Medicine (3rd edition) by Claudia Neuhauser. It is
suggested that students read the material covered in class every day.
Material to be Covered:
Chapter 1 – Preliminaries
Chapter 2 – Discrete Time Models, Sequences, and Difference Equations
Chapter 3 – Limits and Continuity
Chapter 4 – Differentiation
Chapter 5 – Applications of Differentiation
Chapter 6 – Integration
Course Description: Introduction to differential calculus in a context that emphasizes
applications in the biological sciences. Prerequisite: MATH 150 or equivalent or acceptable score
on TAMU Math Placement Exam. Credit will not be given for more than one of MATH 131,
MATH 142, MATH 147, MATH 151 and MATH 171.
Grading Policy: Students’ grades will be determined by their performance on weekly quizzes,
lab assignments, exams, and the comprehensive final exam.
Grade Distribution:
A – 90-100%
B – 80-89.9%
C – 70-79.9%
D – 60-69.9%
F – below 60%
Lab Assignments: 5%
Quizzes: 10%
Exams: 60% (each exam is worth 20%)
Final Exam: 25%
Suggested Homework: Homework problems will be assigned from the textbook each week.
These problems will not be collected for a grade. However, the weekly quizzes and lab
assignments will include problems similar to the suggested homework.
Lab Assignments: Weekly assignments will be administered during the recitation/lab sessions.
Students are encouraged to work together on lab assignments. Assignments will not be
administered during the weeks of common exams.
Quizzes: Weekly quizzes will be administered during the recitation/lab sessions. Material on
these quizzes will be similar to the suggested homework problems and examples presented in
class. Quizzes will not be administered during the weeks of common exams. Students may be
asked to present their TAMU ID in order to take the quizzes.
Exams: There will be three common exams administered on the dates listed below.
Exam 1: October 1-2
Exam 2: October 29-30
Exam 3: December 1-2
Any student with a documented class conflict with the exam time may schedule to take a
make-up exam. You must inform your instructor in advance so arrangements can be made with
departmental staff in Blocker for such make-ups. Students with verified disabilities can make an
arrangement for the exam to be administered by the Office of Support Services for Students with
Disabilities.
Exam Structure:
1. Students need to bring a ScanTron Form #815-E, No. 2 pencil, and a valid picture ID (e.g.
TAMU student ID) to each common exam.
2. The exam will have two parts, the first part multiple-choice (no partial credit) and the second
part work-out (partial credit possible).
3. The multiple choice part of the exam will be administered during the recitation/lab sessions.
The short answer part of the exam will be administered during lecture.
4. Calculators or electronic devices of any other type are not permitted for the exam.
5. The entire exam is closed book. Students are not allowed to use notes or formula sheets.
Final Exam: The final exam will be on December 16 from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM. Material on
the final exam will be similar to the examples presented in class, problems from the suggested
homework, and previous common exams.
Make-Up Policy: Make-up work will only be allowed for a university-approved absence. For
information regarding excused absences, please refer to http://studentrules.tamu.edu/rule7.htm.
In the event of an excused absence, appropriate documentation must be provided to the instructor
in a timely manner. The timeline for make-up work must be discussed with the instructor,
following Student Rules. If you foresee the need to be absent for an in-class exam, you must
notify the instructor in advance.
Tentative Weekly Schedule:
 Week 1: Preliminaries. Sections 1.1-1.2.
 Week 2: Graphing, Limits. Sections 1.3 and 3.1.
 Week 3: Continuity, limits at infinity, Sandwich Theorem, trigonometric limits. Sections
3.2-3.4.
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Week 4: Continuous functions, formal definition of the derivative. Sections 3.5 and 4.1.
Week 5: Exam I (Covering 1.1-1.3, 3.1-3.5, 4.1), simple derivatives, product and
quotient rules. Section 4.2 and 4.3.
Week 6: Chain rule, higher-order derivatives, derivatives of trigonometric functions.
Sections 4.4-4.5.
Week 7: Derivatives of exponential functions, inverse and logarithmic functions.
Sections 4.6-4.7.
Week 8: Linear approximation, extreme values, Mean Value Theorem. Sections 4.8-5.1.
Week 9: Exam II (covering 4.2-5.1), monotonicity, concavity, extreme values, inflection,
and graphing functions. Sections 5.2-5.3.
Week 10: Optimization and L’Hopital’s Rule. Sections 5.4-5.5.
Week 11: Exponential growth and decay, sequences, recursions, population models.
Sections 2.1-2.3.
Week 12: Cobwebbing, stability, analysis of population models. Sections 5.6 and 2.3.
Week 13: The definite integral. Section 6.1.
Week 14: Exam III (covering 5.2-5.6, 2.1-2.3, 6.1), Fundamental Theorem of Calculus,
integration by substitution. Sections 6.2 and 7.1.
Week 15: Integration by substitution, review for final exam. Section 7.1.
Important Dates:
November 20 – Last day to drop a course with no penalty (Q-drop)
November 25-27 – Thanksgiving holiday
December 9 – Last day of class
December 16 – Final Exam
Extra Help: The Mathematics Department offers help sessions for students. These sessions are
designed to help students with their homework problems and other questions. The schedule for
help sessions can be found at http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/helpsessions.html.
Academic Integrity: Students in this course are encouraged to discuss homework assignments
and solutions. However, students are not permitted to copy homework solutions from another
student. Students are not permitted to discuss any aspect of an exam until all students have
completed the exam. The penalties for violating this policy will range from an F on an
assignment or exam to failing the course. Always abide by the Aggie Code of Honor: “An Aggie
does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.” For further information regarding
academic integrity, please visit http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a
federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons
with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be
guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their
disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact
Disability Services, in Cain Hall, Room B118, or call 845-1637. For additional information,
please visit http://disability.tamu.edu. Students should present appropriate verification from
Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours.