Math 100: Differential Calculus with Applications
Sections 1A1 & 1A3

General Information

• Office: MATX 1112, 604-827-3031
• Email: "lior" (at) Math.UBC.CA (please include the course number in the subject line, if applicable)
• Office hours (Winter 2025):
  TimeLocationZoom Meeting IDZoom Password

  TTh 12:30-13:00 ESB 4127 and on Zoom 684 2674 1683 101671

  F 10:30-11:30 My office and on Zoom

This is the page for information specific to sections 1A1 and 1A3 of MATH 100; See the Canvas page for course-wide information (assessments, course policies, and the like) including the link to the online homework (WeBWorK).

• Classes: on Wednesdays.
  1. Section 1A1: 08:00-10:00 at ESB 1013.
  2. Section 1A3: 12:00-14:00 at WW IRC 2.
• The default textbook for pre-class reading and after-class practice is the MATH 100 textbook and practice book. That book is designed to track our course and you should try it first. That said, there are many good textbooks in the field -- see the References section below for a small selection of free and commercial textbooks. Your instructor is partial to [1],[8]; on the other hand if you choose one of references [3,5,6,10] you may consult the comparison table detailing which section numbers in those books correspond to the course topics.
• The Lecture-by-lecture schedule below contains pre-class reading information, worksheets and more.

Additional resources

1. General questions about the course (course material, math questions, questions about the syllabus or course policies — prototypically where other students might benefit from the answer) are best asked on the Piazza discussion forum (your instructor will be active there).
2. Requests about your personal case (grading issues, exemptions, group issues — prototypically anything which would require knowing your student number) should be made to the course assistant through the Calculus Contact Form.
   • Exception: If you need accomodations during lecture also contact the instructor by email; attach your accomodation letter from the CfA to this message.
3. You can always ask questions during office hours, either of your instructor (see above for times and places) or of any other instructor in the course. If you need to make an appointment contact me by email.
4. The Calculus Common Room, MATX 1102, is reserved for calculus students 8am-5pm weekdays; most of the time there will be an instructor holding office hours there.
5. The Math Learning Centre is open Monday through Friday.
6. Here are some Common Errors in Undergraduate Mathematics. Avoiding these common pitfalls will improve your grade measurably.

Exams

Final

• The final exam will be held on Tuesday, December 17th between 8:30-11:00. MATH 100A students are divided into exam locations by last name, not section, so check Workday for your individual exam location!
• Just like during the semester, it is best to concentrate on solving problems rather than on memorizing notes. When you find a problem you can't solve that's an indictation you should revise on this particular topic. Sources of problems include:
  • The webwork problem sets (which you can freely retake without risking your existing scores), as well as the group projects and the midterms.
  • Problems from the course Practice Book, which has many problems beyond the recommended problems for each week.
  • Some of the textbooks linked below (especially those of the Schaum series) contain many further problems.
  • On Canvas you can find a document with extra-challenging problems.
  • Past final exams, discussed in detail next.
• The department has lots of past final exams posted online that you can use for practice. Here are some tips regarding past exams.
  • Until 2021 what is now MATH 100A,B,C used to be called MATH 100,102,104, so exams from all three courses are relevant, as well as exams from MATH 180 and 184, which cover the same material. Physical-science-flavoured questions are more likely to be found in past MATH 100 and 180 exams, DE and life-science-flavoured questions are more likely to be found in past MATH 102 exams; social-science flavoured are more likely to be found in past MATH 104 and 184 exams; multivariable optimization questions are more likely to be found in past from MATH 105 exams.
  • The topics covered in our course are not identical year-to-year (with a big change betweem 2021 and 2022), so past exams may include problems on topics we haven't covered, and may not include problems on topics we have covered.
  • After some revising, it is essential to do at least one or two such exams under exam conditions: reserve 2.5 hours and work on the exam in a quiet room without using prohibited resources (notes/textbooks/calculators/friends/internet). Reserve the exams for this in advance and don't look at them beforehand.
  • We don't post solution to past exams in general, but some solutions (and hints!) are available on the Math Exam Resources Wiki. Also, the Undergraduate Math Society sells solutions to some past exams – both through their website and at their office in the Math Annex building.
• I will hold a review session ahead of the exam; the time and place will be annouced here and on Canvas.
  • For fairness reasons I cannot prepare my own material for such sessions — Instead the session will be entirely based on questions proposed by participants. You can submit problems in advance by email or ask them on the spot.

Midterm exams

• There will be midterm exams in-class on October 9 and November 20.
• Canvas has full Information about material and policies. To ensure fairness across the whole of MATH 100, your instructor cannot answer questions about the material or the policies beyond referring you to Canvas.
• A practice midterm 1 is available. The best way to use it is, after you've done most of your studying, to reserve a full hour of study time and do this exam in as close to exam conditions as possible (no interruptions, no calculators or opening the textbook). Use the hour to practice managing your time, checking your answers, and other exam-taking skills. At the end of the hour compare your answers with the official solutions posted to the Canvas text page.

Course Schedule

Ahead of each class you must read the relevant section from a textbook of your choice. Section numbers refer to the recommended MATH100 textbook; corresponding section numbers in a few other textbooks (refs [2,5,6,10] below) may be found in this coordination table. Suggested problems for each lecture are from the associated Practice Book.

Warning: the following information is tentative and subject to change at any time

References

1. Ayers, Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Differential and Integral Calculus (all editions and versions are fine).
2. Belevan, Hamidi, Malhotra, and Yaeger, Optimal, Integral, Likely.
3. Boelkins, Austin and Schlicker, Active Calculus.
4. Feldman, Rechnitzer, and Yaeger, CLP-1 Differential Calculus textbook (see also the associated problem book)
5. Fowler and Snapp, Mooculus.
6. Hartman et al, APEX Calculus.
7. Keshet, Differential Calculus for the Life Sciences.
8. Mendelson, Schaum's Outline of Calculus.
9. Spiegel and Moyer, Schaum's Outline of College Algebra (all editions and versions are fine).
10. Stewart, Calculus: Early Transcendentals.