This page will give a complete listing of the reading and homework assignments that you are required to do. There is also a listing of the Exam schedule for the semester. The homework will be done with WeBWorK (alternate entrance is http://webwork.sdsu.edu/html/current_courses.html). This is an electronic homework system that is graded automatically on the due date. This system has been extremely successful over the last few years with only a couple of glitches. The grades of students taking the course were highly correlated with the scores on the WeBWork homework assignments, so it is very important that you take this homework seriously (worth 20% of the lecture grade). If you find an error in one of the problems, then please email Joseph Mahaffy. On each problem of each assignment, you are allowed 10 tries to get the correct answer. Information on logging into WeBWorK is given by this hyperlink.

Week 15: The Final happens on Monday, May 17, 13:00-15:00 in the lecture room HT140. There are likely to be 8-10 problems on the final. There is a Practice final that was given in the Spring of 2008. Solutions are available. Questions will be very similar to the ones from previous exams and the problems you have been working in WeBWork. (There will almost certainly be one like one from the Discrete Dynamical Systems Models WeBWork questions below.) This week finishes the lecture material on the Discrete Logistic Growth Models and Applications of Discrete Dynamical Systems. You should be working the WeBWork problems for the set from the Discrete Dynamical Systems Models (Set BiocDynSys), which are due Sat. May 15 at 4 AM. Discrete Dynamical Systems Models homework are available (with solutions and complete solutions (dynamical systems models)).

Week 13: Your third Exam of the semester occurs on Wednesday, May 5 . A review sheet (with solutions) is available to help you prepare for the lecture part of the exam. The lab part of the exam is Friday, May 7 and a practice lab (with solutions) is available to help you prepare for this part of the exam. The time that you will individually take the Lab Portion of the Exam is available. This week continues more rules of differentiation. Read all lecture notes for the Product Rule, Quotient Rule, and Chain Rule sections. WeBWork problems are available for the Product Rule and are called set ABioproduct (due by Thur. Apr. 29 at 4 AM) The text has related homework problems for the Product Rule section. Solutions for the Product Rule (with complete solutions) are available. WeBWork problems are available for the Quotient Rule and are called set ABiocquotient (due by Sat. May 1 at 4 AM). The text also has homework problems for the Quotient Rule section. Solutions for the Quotient Rule (with complete solutions) are available. WeBWork problems are available for the Chain Rule and are called set ABioc2chain (due by Tues. May 4 at 4 AM). Similar problems are available in the text for the Chain Rule section. Solutions for the Chain rule homework are complete (with complete solutions (chain) ).

Tutoring

The Department of Math has free tutoring, and information can be found at the Math Office. Math/Stats Tutoring is located in PS 100. Directions may be found on map , Mathematics Tutoring Schedule. They also have a list of Private Tutors .

1. Exam 1: Wed, Feb. 24 - Lab Exam 1: Fri, Feb. 26
2. Exam 2: Wed, Apr. 7 - Lab Exam 2: Fri, Apr. 9
3. Exam 3: Wed, May 5 - Lab Exam 3: Fri, May 7
4. Final: Monday, May 17, 13:00-15:00

Course Drop Deadlines: The University has a very strict on the drop deadline. You must drop this course in the first 3 weeks of classes.

Week 1: Add Codes will not be distributed until next week after I assess the space available and number of students crashing the course. You should start the WebWork assignments immediately and let me know if I made any mistakes entering your name or RedID number for the login and password. See the WeBWorK login instructions for details. We will give very limited help on problems on the Algebra Self-Test, and we will not give any assistance during the semester for questions asked within 24 hours of the problems being due.

You need to familiarize yourself with this website so that you will know where to get the appropriate information for doing well in this course. There is a page that should help you navigate this website if you are not comfortable with the web. Students are entitled to a free account on rohan for receiving email and accessing many of the University computer facilities. (I highly recommend that you obtain this account as rohan has certain abilities that you may want for this course and future courses, which are unavailable by private providers.) More information on this is provided at the SDSU computer facilities website. Preparation: The experience of the Biology and Mathematics Departments with this course in the past has shown that many of you who are taking this course are not properly prepared. Many of you have had a large time gap between your last math course and this one or you simply had poor preparation (often severe disinterest) in basic algebra. On average 25-40% of the students who enroll in this class will either drop this course (usually from inadequate preparation or unwillingness to work) or fail it. To help you understand the expectations of students entering this course, there is a Algebra Review using WebWorks. It is your responsibility to work through this Algebra worksheet and try to honestly access your abilities. (When you discuss problems later in the course, we are likely to ask you how you did on this examination.) If you score over 70%, then you are probably prepared for this course. If you score 50-70% on this algebra review, then you may be able to succeed with very hard work. If you score below 50%, then you are not prepared for this course and should enroll in GMS 99 or a Community College course to refresh your Algebra skills. This Algebra Review will count toward your homework grade, so it is not an optional assignment. This problem set in WebWork is given by Set ABiocAlg and consists of 48 problems that will be due by Fri. Jan. 29 at 4 AM. (There is also a problem for changing your password and adding email to this account.) Information on logging into WeBWorK is given by this hyperlink. Please note that you may want to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. The software is free for download. Simply click on the icon below and follow the instructions.

Reading assignment: Read all sections in the introduction to be familiar with the course policies and what is expected of you. (You may want to read the CSU and SDSU College of Sciences policy statement also.) Then read the first two sections of the lecture notes, Introduction and Linear. the problems in WeBWorK called set ABioclinear. These problems are due by Thur. Feb. 4 at 4 AM. The problems in the text, which closely parallel the WebWork problems, are available over the web at homework problems for Linear Modeling. Solutions for these problems are available on the web at Linear Modeling homework solutions with complete solutions to selected problems. Before your Computer Lab on Friday, you should read the Help page for Lab 1 and work Problem 1 in WeBWorK that quizzes you on significant points about the Computer Lab that you will be working. You may want to review the Sample Lab that explains many of the steps to creating a good lab for this course. This semester the Computer Lab portion will be different from earlier years to reduce paper and allow WeBWorK to help with grading the Labs.

Week 2: To encourage prompt work on the WeBWork assignments, we will not answer any email about WeBWork problems within 24 hours of the time that the problems are due. If you had difficulties with the Self-Test on Algebra, then you should know that the Drop date is Feb. 9. Continue reading the notes in the Linear section, then work the problems in WeBWork called set ABioclinear. These problems are due by Thur. Feb. 4 at 4 AM. The WeBWork problems parallel the ones in the text or on this website. Similar problems to the WebWork are available at Linear Modeling hw problems in the Linear section. From the web, there are solutions to these problems in the text, linear homework solutions and complete solutions to selected problems are available. Formulate questions about both the lab and homework to ask in class. Lectures will cover the material in the Least Squares and Function Review and Quadratics sections. WeBWork set for Least Squares called set ABioclstsq are due by Wed. Feb. 10 at 4 AM. Parallel homework problems from the text (or website) for Least Squares and Function Review and Quadratics follow the ones in WeBWork. Solutions for the Least Squares (with selected complete solutions) and Function Review and Quadratic sections (with selected complete solutions) are available. There are also problems for the Function Review and Quadratics in WeBWorK called set ABiocfcnrev and set ABiocquad are due by Sat. Feb. 13 at 4 AM. Similar problems to the WeBWork for the chapter on Function Review and Quadratics are available at homework problems there. Solutions for the Function Review and Quadratic sections (with selected complete solutions) are available.

The first computer lab consists of 3 primary questions and a question associated with the Help page. You can get more information to answer the Help page question from the Lab 1 Help page and/or the accompanying supplemental text from the bookstore. The other 3 questions have multiple parts. You answer some of the questions in WeBWorK much like your homework problems based on the answers that you derive in the Computer Lab. These questions are due by Fri. Feb. 5 at 4 AM (before the next lab). The questions in WeBWorK have parts that are written in a Lab Report clearly labeled. The and your partner will turn in a single Lab Report with 2 cover pages in GMCS 422 by Thur. Feb. 4 at 5 PM.

Week 3: Read the notes in the Function Review and Quadratics section and begin reading the material in the Other Functions and Asymptotes section. The problems in WeBWork called set ABioclstsq are due by Wed. Feb. 10 at 4 AM. There are also problems for the Function Review and Quadratics in WeBWork called set ABiocquad are due by Sat. Feb. 13 at 4 AM, and problems for the Other Functions and Asymptotes in WeBWork called set ABiocotherfcn are due by Wed. Feb. 17 at 4 AM. The WeBWork problems parallel the ones in the text or on this website. Similar problems to the WeBWork for the chapter on Function Review and Quadratics are available at homework problems there. Solutions for the Function Review and Quadratic sections (with selected complete solutions) are available. Also, homework problems for the section on Other Functions and Asymptotes are available with Solutions for the Other Functions and Asymptotes (with selected complete solutions).

Week 4: Your first Exam of the semester occurs on Wednesday, Feb. 24. A review sheet (with solutions) is available to help you prepare for the lecture part of the exam and a practice lab (with solutions). The time that you will individually take the Lab Portion of the Exam is available. More details about the exam will be posted below. Read the notes in the Other Functions and Asymptotes section and the Allometric Modeling section. The problems in WeBWork called set ABiocotherfcn are due by Wed. Feb. 17 at 4 AM. The problems in WeBWorK called set ABiocallometric are due by Tues. Feb. 23 at 4 AM. The WebWork problems parallel the ones in the text or on this website. Similar problems to the WebWork for the chapter on Other Functions and Asymptotes are available at homework problems with Solutions for the Other Functions and Asymptotes (with selected complete solutions). Similar problems for the Allometric section are available at homework problems with Solutions for Allometric Modeling ( with selected complete solutions).

Week 5: Brendan Fahy has prepared a Help Page for the use of Maple, which you are welcome to use and comment upon. Lecture material covers the Discrete Dynamical Systems and the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models sections. There is a link to download the lecture Excel Spreadsheet on nonautonomous discrete dynamical models (arthopod growth). The problems in WeBWork called set ABiocdiscrete are due by Wed. Mar. 10 at 4 AM and set ABioclindiscrete are due by Wed. Mar. 17 at 4 AM. The WebWork problems parallel the ones in the text or on this website. The text has similar homework problems with Solutions for the Discrete Dynamical Systems (with selected complete solutions). The text also has similar homework in the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models section. Solutions for the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models (with selected complete solutions) are available.

Week 6: My grader informs me that the exam scores are a little low, and we hope to return your Exams in Lab on Friday. For this exam (and this exam only!), you will be allowed to rework the exam and turn in corrections for 50% of the missed points. The corrections are to be written on separate sheets of paper and stapled to the back of the exam when you resubmit it. You are to work these problems by yourself (though you can use other computer support for the retake). Help from classmates is considered cheating and could result in disciplinary action according to the University code. The corrections are due in Lab Friday, Mar. 12. Lecture material covers the Discrete Dynamical Systems and the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models sections. There is a link to download the lecture Excel Spreadsheet on nonautonomous discrete dynamical models (arthopod growth). The problems in WeBWork called set ABiocdiscrete are due by Wed. Mar. 10 at 4 AM and set ABioclindiscrete are due by Wed. Mar. 17 at 4 AM. The WebWork problems parallel the ones in the text or on this website. The text has similar homework problems with Solutions for the Discrete Dynamical Systems (with selected complete solutions). The text also has similar homework in the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models section. Solutions for the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models (with selected complete solutions) are available.

A number of students are not attending Lab, then turning in Lab assignments with their friends rather than their assigned partners. Also, we continue to have a number of students arriving late to Lab. From this week on, we will take attendance and check that your lab is turned in with the correct partner. Failure to attend Lab is an automatic deduction of 10 points from the Lab, as will be the case for anyone arriving more than 15 minutes late. If you arrive late, then you will work the Lab by yourself. Similarly, 10 points will be deducted for turning in a Lab with a friend rather than your assigned partner. The only exceptions to these point deductions are for students who produced approved documentation (such as a doctor's note or scheduled athletic competition). Note that we do have a regularly scheduled Lab on March 26. If you choose to leave early for Spring break, then you will take a 10 point deduction if you turn in this Lab or you can opt to make this the Lab that you are allowed to drop this semester.

Week 7: Lecture material covers the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models section and begins the Introduction to the Derivative section. The problems in WeBWork called set ABioclindiscrete are due by Wed. Mar. 17 at 4 AM. The WebWork problems parallel the ones in the text or on this website. The text has similar homework problems with Solutions for the Discrete Dynamical Systems (with selected complete solutions). The text also has similar homework in the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models section. Solutions for the Linear Discrete Dynamical Models (with selected complete solutions) are available. The problems in WeBWork called set ABiocintroderiv are due by Tues. Mar. 23 at 4 AM. The text has related homework problems for the Introduction to the Derivative section. Solutions for the Introduction to the Derivative (with complete solutions) are available.

Exam 1 Information: Your first Exam of the semester occurs on Wednesday, Feb. 24. A review sheet (with solutions) is available to help you prepare for the lecture part of the exam and a practice lab (with solutions). The time that you will individually take the Lab Portion of the Exam is available. The first Exam covers material through the Allometric HW. Note that you will only be able to use a Scientific Calculator, so you might want to buy one and practice now (if you haven't already done so). Examples of acceptable calculators are Ativa AT-30, Casio Scientific Calculator, HP 33S, Sharp EL501, and TI-30X. In addition, you can have one 3x5 notecard (both sides).

The Lab part of the exam is taken in GMCS 422/428 on Friday, Feb. 26. This part of the exam is open book and open notes. You can use any material that you bring with you and use the computer for anything you want. In fact, the exam is designed for you to use pre-prepared sample problems from the practice lab, which uses Excel and Maple. (Brendan Fahy has prepared a Help Page for the use of Maple, which you are welcome to use and comment upon.) The Exam will consist of one problem that will be done on WeBWorK and added to your in-class exam score and two problems that are very similar to the ones on the practice lab. You are NOT allowed to use email, cell phones, or talk to your neighbors. Bring all your prepared files on a flashdrive or CD.

Week 8: Your second Exam of the semester occurs after Spring Break on Wednesday, Apr. 7. A review sheet (with solutions) is available to help you prepare for the lecture part of the exam. The lab part of the exam is Friday, Apr. 9 and a practice lab (with solutions) is available to help you prepare for this part of the exam. Below you can find links to the solutions for Exam 1. Lecture material finishes the Introduction to the Derivative section and begins the Velocity and Tangent Lines and Limits, Continuity, and the Derivative sections. Later this week, the review sheets for Exam 2 will become available. The problems in WeBWork called set ABiocintroderiv are due by Tues. Mar. 23 at 4 AM. The WebWork problems parallel the ones in the text or on this website. The text has related homework problems for the Introduction to the Derivative section. Solutions for the Introduction to the Derivative (with complete solutions) are available. The problems in WeBWork called set ABiocveltang are due by Thur. Mar. 25 at 4 AM. The text has related homework problems for the Velocity and Tangent Lines sections. Solutions for the Velocity and Tangent Lines sections (with complete solutions) are available. WeBWork problems are available for the Limits, Continuity, and the Derivative material and are called set ABioclimits are due by Sat. Mar. 27 at 4 AM. The text has related homework problems for the Limits, Continuity, and the Derivative section. Solutions for the Limits, Continuity, and the Derivative (with complete solutions) are available.

Week 9: Your second Exam of the semester occurs after Spring Break on Wednesday, Apr. 7. A review sheet (with solutions) is available to help you prepare for the lecture part of the exam. The lab part of the exam is Friday, Apr. 9 and a practice lab (with solutions) is available to help you prepare for this part of the exam. The time that you will individually take the Lab Portion of the Exam is available. (Note that most students will be taking the exam at a different time from the first exam, as a students felt it was fairer to use the different timing.) More details about the exam are listed below. This week finishes the Limits, Continuity, and the Derivative section and begins the Rules of Differentiation section. WeBWork problems are available for the Limits, Continuity, and the Derivative material and are called set ABioclimits are due by Sat. Mar. 27 at 4 AM. Solutions for the Limits, Continuity, and the Derivative (with complete solutions) are available. WeBWork problems are available for the Rules of Differentiation material and are called set ABiocrules are due by Tues. Apr. 6 at 4 AM. The text has related homework problems for the Rules of Differentiation section. Solutions for the Rules of Differentiation (with complete solutions) are available.

Week 11: This week continues material on the derivative. Read all lecture notes for the Applications of the Derivative and Derivative of e^x and ln(x) sections. WeBWorK problems are available for the Applications of the Derivative and the Derivative of e^x and ln(x) material are called set ABioapplder (due by Fri. Apr. 23 at 4 AM.) and set ABioexpln (due by Tues. Apr. 27 at 4 AM). The text has related homework problems for the Applications of the Derivative and Derivative of e^x and ln(x) sections. Solutions for the Applications of the Derivative (with complete solutions) and Derivative of e^x and ln(x) (with complete solutions) are available.

Week 12: This week continues material on the derivative. Read all lecture notes for the Derivative of e^x and ln(x), Product Rule, and Quotient Rule sections. WeBWork problems are available for the Derivative of e^x and ln(x) material and are called set ABioexpln (due by Tues. Apr. 27 at 4 AM). The text has related homework problems for the Derivative of e^x and ln(x) sections. Solutions for theDerivative of e^x and ln(x) (with complete solutions) are available. Also, WeBWork problems are available for the Product Rule and are called set ABioproduct (due by Thur. Apr. 29 at 4 AM) The text has related homework problems for the Product Rule section. Solutions for the Product Rule (with complete solutions) are available. WeBWork problems are available for the Quotient Rule and are called set ABiocquotient (due by Sat. May 1 at 4 AM). The text also has homework problems for the Quotient Rule section. Solutions for the Quotient Rule (with complete solutions) are available.