Course Description

Vv156 Honors Calculus II

Fall Term 2021
Prerequisites: None.

Intended Audience: ME and ECE undergraduate students.

Description: Calculus is the study of curves, motion, and change. It was first invented to
understand the motion of planets observed by human beings. It is the language spoken by
God1 according to Feynman. We owe much of our modern everyday technology to calculus,
from trains to phones, from films to games, from MRI to vaccine.
In this course, we study single-variable calculus, as a first step towards the understanding
of the law of nature or universe. As an indispensable tool, calculus not only enables us to
unravel the intricate design of the universe, but also empower us with the ability to predict
and create the future, which is the job of every engineer.
In the first part, we will study differential calculus, which concerns limits and derivatives as
the two major and recurrent topics, as well as their manifestations in everyday lives. We will
learn the various basic techniques of calculating derivatives, and appropriate applications.
In the second part, we will study integral calculus. We will see integrals from a practical
standpoint, learn how to calculate various integral by trying different techniques, and most
importantly understand the fundamental theorem of calculus.
In the third part, we will combine the power of both differential and integral calculus to
tackle more interesting and physics-related problems, such as the properties of parametric
curves (in its own right, or of certain motion). Meanwhile, we will also revisit the objects
such as sequence and series that are of infinite nature. We will see how they play a role at
the burgeoning of calculus and some of their applications in physics. If time permits, We
will also study simple differential equations and see how to use them to model the dynamic
changes of the real world.

Keywords: Functions, Limit, Continuity, Derivative, Integral, Differentiation, Mean Value

theorem, L’Hospital’s Rule, Integration, Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, Integration by
Parts, Partial Fraction, Arc Length, Surface of Revolution, Curves, Parametric Equations,
Sequence, Series, Alternating Series, Power Series, Taylor Series.

1
in the Spinoza sense

1
Syllabus:

Part I. 1. Sets and Functions

2. Limit of a Function
3. Continuity
4. Derivatives
5. Product and Quotient Rule
6. Chain Rule
7. Implicit Differentiation
8. Mean Value Theorem
9. L’Hospital’s Rule
First Midterm Exam

Part II. 10. Area and distances, Definite Integral

11. Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
12. Indefinite Integral
13. Application of Integration
14. Integration by Parts
15. Integration by Substitution
16. Partial Fraction
17. Arc Length and Area of Surface of Revolution
Second Midterm Exam

Part III. 18. Curves and Parametric Equations

19. Calculus in Polar Coordinates
20. Conic Sections
21. Sequence and Series
22. Testing Series
23. Alternating Series
24. Power Series and Taylor Series
25. Elementary Differential Equations (if time permits)
Final Exam

2
Literature: James Stewart, Calculus, 7ed
Other literature will be recommended at the appropriate places in the course material.

Course Outcomes: The course outcomes for this course define a set of minimal skills or
items of knowledge that students should feel confident in applying after completing Vv156.
Naturally, the course will cover much more than just the outcomes listed below. Some of the
more abstract knowledge may only be fully digested in the following semesters. In contrast,
students should feel comfortable with the following, basic skills.
A quantitative measurement of these outcomes will be provided by Course Outcome Quizzes,
which will also contribute to the course grade. Students will be also asked to report their
subjective impression on attaining the outcomes in the Course Evaluation survey at the end
of the term.

After completing Vv156, students should be able to

(i) Prove existence and uniqueness of and calculate limits of sequences.

(ii) Calculate limits of functions and apply results and concepts based on
continuity (e.g., intermediate value theorem, boundedness, inverse func-
tions) to characterize the behavior of real functions.

(iii) Apply results and concepts based on the derivative (e.g., mean value
theorem, convexity, extrema of functions) to characterize the behavior
of real functions.

(iv) Analyze the convergence of numerical series and power series

(v) Apply an integration techniques to evaluate the integral of a real func-

tion.

After completing Vv156, students should

(vi) Be able to read a mathematical text with an understanding of ba-

sic mathematical concepts (theorems, proofs, existence and uniqueness
statements etc.).

(vii) Have an understanding of concepts including diverse notions of conver-

gence, continuity, differentiation and integration, as well as the inter-
action of these notions mutually as well as with sequences, series, real
functions and power series.

3
Course Grade Policy: The course grade is determined from the following components:

• First midterm exam: 30%

• Second midterm exam: 30%

• Final exam: 30%

• Miscellaneous: 10%

– Joining Piazza: 1%
– Course Outcome Quizzes: 9%

The correspondingly weighted average of the percentages achieved in each of these components
will be transformed into a letter grade ranging from A+ to F as follows: A certain percentage
level will be determined such that between approximately 6% and 12% of students receive
an A+. Then the percentage thresholds for the following grades will be set at regular intervals.
Aside from this calibration of the grade scale at the top, there will be no curving of the grade.
For technical reasons, percentage points will be rounded to the nearest 0.01%.

Honor Code Policy:

Use of External Sources. When faced with a particularly difficult homework problem,
you may want to refer to other textbooks or online sources such as Wikipedia. Here are a
few guidelines:

• Outside sources may treat a similar sounding subject matter at a much more advanced
or a much simpler level than this course. This means that explanations you find are
much more complicated or far too simple to help you. For example, when looking up
the “induction axiom” you may find many high-school level explanations that are not
sufficient for our problems; on the other hand, Wikipedia contains a lot of information
relating to formal logic that is far beyond what we are discussing here.

• If you do use any outside sources to help you solve a homework problem, you are not
allowed to just copy the solution; this is considered a violation of the Honor Code.

• The correct way of using outside sources is to understand the contents of your source
and then to write in your own words and without referring back to the source the
solution of the problem. Your solution should differ in style significantly from the
published solution. If you are not sure whether you are incorporating too
much material from your source in your solutions, then you must cite the
source that you used.

4
Coursework and Assignment Groups There will be weekly coursework (assignments)
throughout the term, except in the first week. Students will be randomly assigned into
assignment groups of three students and are expected to collaborate within each group
and hand in a single, common solution paper to each coursework.
Each group must achieve 60% of the total coursework points by the end of the term in order
to obtain a passing grade for the course. However, the assignment points have no effect on
the course grade.
Each member of an assignment group will receive the same number of points for each sub-
mission. However, there will be an opportunity for team members to anonymously evaluate
each others’ contributions to the assignments. In cases where one or more group members
consistently do not contribute a commensurate share of the work, a TA or the instructor will
investigate the situation and individual group members may lose some or all of their marks.
Assignments must be handed in on time, by the date given on each set of course work. At
the sole discretion of the TAs, late homework may be accepted on the same day after the
due time. After that, all late homework must be submitted to the instructor personally with
an explanation for the lateness. Late assignments will be accepted at the discretion of the
instructor.
Up to 10% of the awarded marks for an assignment may be deducted for messiness or sloppy
handwriting.
Students within an assignment group are obliged to collaborate with each other. Each as-
signment is handed in in the name of all group members, and all group members are jointly
responsible for the submitted work. Sanctions for Honor Code violations will in general apply
to all group members equally.