MATH 311 - 003 67897 VECTOR ANALYSIS   Fall 2022

ggest a problem that comes from your interests.              

 

 

Please note the following information. You need to be registered for the course with a @unm.edu email. Any other email will disable features of Microsoft Teams. I have sent you by email a link to join the MATH311 team. Please follow it in order to request access. You can find the link to join the team in Canvas as well. After you join the class MS Team I will also give you access to Overleaf. The latter will be used to collaborate on writing the findings of your respective research projects. I will drop from the class all students who do not request access to Microsoft Teams by Friday, September 9. The remote class on Thursday will be through MS Teams. Homework, including submission, and and all course information will be done in MS OneNote.

 

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Support: LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center and the support services listed on its website, the Women's Resource Center and the LGBTQ Resource Center all offer confidential services and reporting.

 

Covid Policies

 

Instructor: Dimiter Vassilev     Office : SMLC 326  Email: vassilev@unm.edu  Phone Number: 505 277 2136 

 

Office Hours: I will have office hours through Microsoft Teams on M 3:30pm-4:30pm & Th 4:30pm-5:20pm. You can also send me an email to arrange a meeting or stop by my office if you have a quick question.

 

MATH311 Catalog Course Description. Vector algebra, lines, planes; vector valued functions, curves, tangent lines, arc length, line integrals; directional derivative and gradient; divergence, curl, Gauss’ and Stokes’ theorems, geometric interpretations. Prerequisite: Undergraduate level MATH 2531 Minimum Grade of C or Undergraduate level MATH 2530 Minimum Grade of C or Undergraduate level MATH 264 Minimum Grade of C.

 

Text: Introduction to Vector Analysis by H. F. Davies and A. D. Snider, 7th Edition, Hawkes Publishing, ISBN: 0-697-16099-8. Additional books of interest: 1. Susan Jane Colley, Vector Calculus, Fourth Edition; 2. M.R. Spiegel, Schaum’s Outlines-Vector Analysis, McGraw-Hill; 3. Paul C. Matthews, Vector Calculus, Springer Undergraduate Mathematics Series, 1998, Springer-Verlag London, eBook ISBN 978-1-4471-0597-8, Softcover ISBN, 978-3-540-76180-8

 

This is a class implementing the ECURE project. ECURE (Expanding Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences) is an NSF-funded project designed to leverage UNM’s research mission to enrich undergraduate education in STEM general education and portal courses. The class will split into collaboration teams based on chosen Research Projects. I will suggest a few, but feel free to suggest a problem that comes from your interests.

 

Learning goals

·       Acquire a more in-depth knowledge of vector calculus and vector analysis.

·       Become familiar with some applications of vector calculus.

·       Be able to express mathematically using vector calculus various objects and concepts from other subjects.

·       Collaborate on a Research Topic.

·       Learn/Practice collaboration work.

 

Learning objectives

·       Learn concepts and acquire computational capability involving the topics listed in the course description.

·       Become familiar with the structure, preparation and collaboration leading to a scientific paper.

·       Use vector calculus and seek a solution to a particular problem in mathematics, physics, CS/Machine Learning or in an area of your choice. Learn to use standard mathematics and physics resources for references and known results.

·       Learn how to use latex and contribute to the writing of a “scientific” paper as a member of a collaborative group.

 

Semester Deadline Dates: https://registrar.unm.edu/semester-deadline-dates/fall-2022.html

 

Collaboration.  I encourage you to work with your peers and me on the homework, provided you write up and submit your own solutions in your own words. I will have in-person office hour if you prefer to stop by my office. I will also have an office hour through Microsoft Teams.

 

Research Project. The class will split into collaboration teams based on the chosen Research Projects. You will work on the chosen problem with your respective teams throughout the semester. Each team will have their own “space” in the class notebook of Microsoft Teams and in Overleaf. Only the respective team members and I will be able to see and edit this space. Each team should set-up an hour long meeting every week throughout the semester. The meeting could be in Microsoft Teams or in-person or a combination of both, alternating each week for example. The general guide for the research projects can be found in the class OneNote notebook or at this link.

 

Homework.  Homework is due every Tuesday at the beginning of the class. I encourage you to work on the homework with your classmates, but you are required to write up your own solutions in your own words. Links to solutions to most of the homework problems can be found in Microsoft Teams. To help the grader, please write your solutions neatly using correct grammar and mathematical notation (no points will be given for work that the reader cannot follow).   The ten best homework grades will be used in computing the homework score. Please do not turn-in late homework! The syllabus also lists recommended homework problems.  These are NOT to be handed in. Work as many as it takes for you to understand the material.  Keep all of your homework together in a folder for an easy reference.  You should see me as early and as often as necessary if you are having difficulties with the homework problems.

 

Exams. The exam dates are given in the schedule posted in the class OneNote. The Final Exam date is set by UNM, see https://schedule.unm.edu/final-exams/final_exam/fall2022.pdf. No makeup exams will be given unless you contact me ahead of time with a documented “university authorized absence”, including, but not limited to illness, family emergency, active participation in scholarly or athletic events. Exams may include some multiple-choice questions testing very specific skills or concepts. The exams will be predominantly based on the homework and in-class problems. Students having conflicts with the examination schedule must notify me before TBD. Any student having more than three examinations scheduled in any one day may notify the instructor of the last examination listed. If notified before TBA, I shall make arrangements to give a special examination. Conflicts arising as a result of scheduling out of normal hours-pattern or day sequences must be resolved by the instructor of the off-pattern courses.        

 

Assessment (including grading). You should think of most of the work during the semester including homework, midterm exams, and the research project(s) as means for feed-back and learning. This will be reflected in the grading policy where I will drop about 25%-30% of the lowest homework and quiz scores. The Final Exam will be an opportunity for a major grade change by  showing a cumulative  achievement of the course objectives. The “score” for the research project will be a purely bonus score. Writing is one of the most important skills.  You should use the homework and the research project as the main tools for writing-to-learn. The final grade will be determined using the following weights: homework (30%), one midterm (35%) and a final exam (35%).  The Final Exam score will replace the midterm score if the latter is lower than the Final Exam score. All grades will be posted on UNMLearn. The research group project will be a bonus of at most 20%.

Although a small curve might be used, 90%, 80% or 70% of the possible maximum points guarantees at least an A, B or C, respectively.

 

  Accommodations: UNM is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for students with documented disabilities. As your instructor, it is my objective to facilitate an inclusive classroom setting, in which students have full access and opportunity to participate. To engage in a confidential conversation about the process for requesting reasonable accommodations for this class and/or program, please contact Accessibility Resource Center at arcsrvs@unm.edu or by phone at 505-277-3506.
Support: Contact me by email or in office hours and contact Accessibility Resource Center (https://arc.unm.edu/) at arcsrvs@unm.edu (505) 277-3506.