Class Information
MATH 550: Vector Analysis
Section: 001
Semester: Fall 2016
Credit Hours: 3

Meeting Information
Classroom Location: Flinn Hall 107
Days and Times: TR 11:40AM to 12:55PM

Instructor Information
Xinfeng Liu
Email: xfliu@math.sc.edu
Phone: 576-5849
Office Location: LC 317Q
Office Hours: 1:00PM-2:00PM or by appointment


Textbook: Jerrold E. Marsden and Anthony Tromba, Vector Calculus, 6th Edition.

Prerequisite: A grade C or better in MATH 241.

Learning Outcome: This course is really an extension and fulfillment of Math 241, and has much the same problem solving character, but with a little more abstraction. Proofs will be given in class and you are expected to do some computationally driven proofs on your own. Our primary goal is to understand "Change of Variables" theorem and the "Big three" Theorems of Green, Stokes and Guass, and how to use them. This course is basically a nice transition from Calculus to the higher level math courses.

Reading: Reading the textbook in advance of the lecture is strongly encouraged. Benefits of this preparation include obtaining a familiarity with the terminology and concepts that will be encountered (so you can distinguish major points from side issues), being able to formulate questions about the parts of the presentation that you do not understand, and having a chance to review the skills and techniques that will be needed to apply the new concepts.

Important Date: The deadline to drop or withdraw the course without a WF being recorded is Monday, Oct. 10, 2016.

Course Outline

Tentative Weekly Syllabus of Sections Covered
Week Dates Tuesday Thursday
1 Aug. 15 -- Aug. 19 No Class 1.3 (Review)
2 Aug. 22 -- Aug. 26 1.4, 2.3 (Review) 2.4 (Review)
3 Aug. 29 -- Sept. 2 2.5, 2.6 (Review) 4.2, 4.3 (Review)
4 Sept. 5 -- Sept. 9 4.3, 4.4 (Review) 5.1, 5.2 (Review)
5 Sept. 12 -- Sept. 16 5.3, 5.4 (Review) 5.5 (Review)
6 Sept. 19 -- Sept. 23 6.1-6.2 (Review) Exam 1
7 Sept. 26 -- Sept. 30 6.2, 6.3 (Review) 6.3 (Review)
7 Oct. 3 -- Oct. 7 6.3 (Review), 7.1 Class Cancelled
8 Oct. 10 -- Oct. 14 7.2 Fall Break
9 Oct. 17 -- Oct. 21 7.2 7.3, 7.4
10 Oct. 24 -- Oct. 28 7.4 Exam 2
11 Oct. 31 -- Nov. 4 7.4, 7.5 7.6
12 Nov. 7 -- Nov. 11 No Class 7.6, 8.1
13 Nov. 14 -- Nov. 18 8.1 8.1, 8.2
14 Nov. 21 -- Nov. 25 8.2, 8.3 Happy Thanksgiving
15 Nov. 28 -- Dec. 2 8.3, 8.4 8.4
Final Exam: Dec. 6, 2016 (Tuesday), 12:30PM-3:00PM


Homework and Quiz:
Homework Assignment
Homework will not be collected, but you are supposed to do them all. REMEMBER: the more problems you do, the better you understand the material. Students are encouraged to work independently on homework sets. There will be approximately one quiz per week on Thursday, and no quiz during the exam weeks. There are two to four problems for each quiz. The quiz problems will be either the same as, or very similar to those from the homework. Thus, if a student has made a good attempt at the homework, he/she should do well on the quiz. One lowest quiz grade will be dropped from the final grade calculation.

Exams: There will be two midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam.
Exam 1: Thursday, Sept. 22, 11:40AM - 12:55PM
Exam 2: Thursday, Oct. 27, 11:40AM - 12:55PM
Final Exam: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 12:30PM - 3:00PM

The exams are "closed book" – no books, no notes, no calculators, no labtop computer or equivalent technology, etc. There are no early exams. A make-up exam is only possible for written legitimate documented reasons of illness, family emergency, or participation in a University sponsored event. You must take your exams with the lecture for which you are registered.

Grades:
 Exam 1  20%
 Exam 2  20%
 Final Exam  35%
 Quizzes  25%
 Total  100%

A straight scale will be used so that A's, B's C's and D's correspond to the percent ranges 100-90, 90-80, 80-70 and 70-60 respectively. Plus grading will be used. For example:

90-100:A 86-89: B+ 80-85: B 76-79: C+
70-75: C 66-69: D+ 60-65: D 0-59: F


Attendance: Attendance at every class meeting is important - and expected. Students missing more than 10% of the class meetings (4 days) can have their grade lowered.

Class Files (Check Blackboard)

Academic Dishonesty: Cheating and plagiarism in any form is not tolerated. If a student is caught cheating, I will follow the guidelines as set forth in the USC Honor Code and other University guidelines.