Information for MATH201 students, Autumn 2008
Information on this page is for MATH201 students at both the Loftus campus and the Wollongong campus. The time or date when individual items were placed on the site is indicated within the square brackets following the item.
Rod's availability for answering questions during session are below
I will be generally available at the following times in my office 15.G25 to answer questions on MATH201.
Mondays 14.30-16.30 (before the lecture)
Wednesdays, 10.30-12.30
I will also be around at other times and you are welcome to ask me a question if you find me. Also, you can email me to make an appointment.
Important dates for MATH201
Mid-session test.
Monday 21st April (at both Wollongong and Loftus).
Assignment. Will be handed out Monday 5th May. Assignment is due Monday May 19th. (These are for both Wollongong and Loftus).
Student questions and comments about MATH201
You may download as a pdf FAQ for MATH201.
Studying for MATH201
Lecture attendance is very important.
Mathematics 201 is a course that involves many new ideas and concepts and much more than mere "information collection" is required. There will be a substantial difference in how we approach the subject compared with what you have seen before in calculus. The lectures give you a chance to understand a way of thinking about the material. The lectures give you more opportunities to explore the concepts that underlie MATH201. The lectures will have comments, ideas, examples, illustrations and material that are not in the notes. All of these will help you understand the subject much better than simply reading the notes.
MATH201 places great importance on the logical development of ideas, and how the different ideas from various parts of the course are related to each other. This requires a different mental outlook than simply asking something like "how do I get an answer for this type of integral?" The definitions of the concepts are important and you should know them by heart, as well as understanding their meaning. The course also emphasises the solving of specific problems. Depending upon time, there will be discussion of applications to physics and economics.
To prepare for the exam over the whole session: know and understand the definitions, know the statements of the results and understand them, make sure you can solve the problems set during the session and that you have studied carefully the examples given during the course. Make use of the additional material on this web site, especially the examples. Make sure you have a thorough knowledge of the notes, and of all work done during session.
The following general information about MATH201 may be downloaded in pdf format.
Information and policy documents
Information sheet for MATH201 students (Wollongong Campus) [week 1].
Information sheet for MATH201 students (Loftus Students) [week 1].
Policies and services of the University, Faculty and School [week 1].
Information about the mid - session test
As previously notified, for Wollongong students the test will be held on Monday April 21st from 4.30 - 5.30 in 20.2 during a normal lecture time. For Loftus students it will be held on the same day during normal lecture time (ask the lecturer for details). You may view a copy of the 2007 test.
The M201 2007 test gives a good idea of the level of the test, the format, and the types of questions. Examinable material in 2008 will include up to the first part of integration including identifying regions of integration and the relationship with the limits of integration in double (iterated) integrals, and associated calculations. It will not include calculating integrals using substitution. There will be a question on definitions of concepts. You may care to look at the concept revision sheet in preparation for the test.
Examples and material supplementary to the lecture notes
Supplementary examples 1 [week 1]. These are examples on functions, concerning one-to-one functions, composition, inverses and linear functions. This is revision material
Supplementary examples 2 [week 1]. This example is related to physics and concerns a linear transformation arising in Einstein's theory of special relativity.
Composition (substitution) of functions [week 1]. This illustrates the concept of composition as first applying one function to a point, then applying another function to the point so obtained.
Supplementary example 3 [week 1]. This example is a bit similar to the problem illustrated in Figure 2.2, page 17 of the notes. It is concerned with how a particular function changes a region S (which is a "triangular" region with a curved boundary) in 2 dimensions into a triangle in 2 dimensions, when the function is applied to each point of the S.
Discussion of ellipses [week 2]. Some people have told me they don't know anything about ellipses. You can look at the pdf here on ellipses that tells you all you need to know - basically they are like circles where the radius is not constant and varies a bit as you go around the curve.
Example on linear functions [week 3]. This example illustrates the 2 possible approachges to proving that a function is linear: (1) the definition, and (2) showing that the function is given by a matrix multiplication.
Example on the derivative matrix [week 4]. This example is of calculating the derivative matrix of a specific differentiable function of several variables. Remember: the derivative at a point x of a differentiable function f is a linear function D(f)(x), and its matrix is f'(x).
An example on the Chain Rule for a function of 3 variables [week 4].
Calculating the Jacobian, an example. [week 5].
Calculating partial derivatives using the Chain Rule [week 5].
A second example on the Jacobian and the Inverse Function Theorem [week 5].
Pictures illustrating the definition of the integral [week 5].
Supplementary examples 6 [week 6]. These examples concern calculating double integrals .
Examples on regions and the order of integration in double integrals. [week 6]
An example on calculating a double integral by substitution [week 7]
Another example on calculating a double integral by substitution .[week 7]
Yet another example on calculating a double integral by substitution .[week 7]
An example on a surface integral over part of a cone.[week 10]
The Math201 assignment (for Wollongong and Loftus). [week 10]
Two examples on calculating integrals using the divergence theorem. [week 11]
Another example on calculating a surface integral. [week 11]
Three examples on calculating surface integrals. [week 11]
An example concerning Stokes' Theorem [week 13]
A copy of the Math201 exam paper for 2007. [week 13]
Lagrange multipliers example. [Study vacation]
A copy of the Math201 exam paper for 2006.
Answers to the exercises in the lecture notes
Answers to Math201 exercises 2.14, 2008[week 3].
Answers to Math201 exercises 3.4, 2008[week 4].
Answers to Math201 exercises 4.10, 2008[week 4].
Answers to Math201 exercises 5.7, 2008[week 6].
Answers to Math201 exercises 6.7 and 7.11, 2008.[week 10]
Answers to Math201 exercises 8.4, 2008.[Study vacation]
Exercises supplementary to those in the lecture notes
Errata in the lecture notes
Rod Nillsen
Coordinator
MATH201
Autumn Session 2008