SUNY at Stony Brook
Department of Mathematics
SUNY at Stony Brook


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Math 131 - Fall 2009


This page is for course announcements. Please follow the links above for the syllabus and other course information.
Final Exam: Monday, December 14, 8:15-10:45 p.m.
Covers the entire semester's material, emphasizing the material after section 4.2.
Recitation sections 1 through 9: go to Javits 100.
Recitation sections 11 through 13: go to Javits 102.
You will need to know your recitation section number. You can find it here under MAT 131.
Bring ID with you to the exam.
No one will be allowed to leave during the first 30 minutes, and no one who arrives after the first 30 minutes will be allowed to take the exam.
Practice problems, together with answers, hints and brief solution sketches, may be found here.
Second midterm, Thursday Novermber 5, 8:30-10 pm
Covers up to the end of Section 4.2, emphasizing the material after section 2.8.
Recitation sections 1 through 9: go to Javits 100.
Recitation sections 11 through 13: go to Javits 102.
You will need to know your recitation section number. You can find it here under MAT 131.
Bring ID with you to the exam.
No one will be allowed to leave during the first 30 minutes, and no one who arrives after the first 30 minutes will be allowed to take the exam.
Practice problems, together with answers, hints and brief solution sketches, may be found here. November 2 is the last day to drop a course (you would get a W) or to P/NC a course.

First midterm, Thursday Oct. 8, 8:30-10 pm
Midterm covers up to the end of section 2.8.
Recitation sections 1 through 9: go to Javits 100
Recitation sections 11 through 13: go to Javits 102
You will need to know your recitation section number. You can find it here under MAT 131.


Welcome to Stony Brook! We hope this will be a great semester. We look forward to seeing you in class and in our office hours.

If you were in high school last year, coming to college requires some adjustments. As adults, you will now have more freedom, but also more responsibilities. You should be thinking about preparing yourselves for jobs after you complete your studies.

You will probably find that there are far fewer "rules" at college than there were at high school, which is a great feeling. But there are three non-obvious rules that we must insist upon.


Three non-obvious rules

1. Seek to obtain a real understanding, not a rote understanding. Students with a rote understanding can only do problems which are nearly identical to problems they have already been drilled on. Computers can do this, almost instantly and with 100% accuracy. Thus, any employer who needs rote problems solved will get a computer to do it - not you.
How this will be enforced: Each midterm and the final exam will contain some problems of a type that you have not seen before. These problems will not be difficult if you have a real understanding. It will not be possible to get an A in the course, if you cannot do any of these problems.`

2. Attend the lectures. Recitations are very important, since they focus on making sure you can solve the homework problems. Lectures are very important too, since they make sure you have a real understanding.
How this will be enforced: We reserve the right to take attendance in lectures, from September 14 until November 13. Counting only days when attendance is taken, anyone who, without permission,` misses lecture, shows up more than 10 minutes late, or leaves early, more than twice, will have their final grade reduced by one unit (e.g. from a B- to a C+).

3. Do not have private conversations in class. Talking in class is rude, and affects the concentration of everyone. As you know, if there is a piece of paper lying on the sidewalk, people just naturally feel that it is okay to throw more garbage there. Similarly, if some students are talking while the intstructor is lecturing, other students will just naturally feel that what the instructor is saying must not be important. Note that, unlike in high school, it is perfectly fine to pass notes to other students, if they don't mind.
Please also keep your cellphone ringers off during class.
How this will be enforced: After a few warnings are given, students who persistently have private conversations in class will have their final grades lowered. (We do have pictures of all students.) We would hate to have to do this, so please don't put us in a position where we have to.


Calculus opens the door to many rewarding careers in the sciences. We hope that you, as responsible adults, will benefit greatly from this course.