Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- investigate higher-dimensional geometry using the concept of a vector;
- understand the concept of a function when extended to multiple inputs and outputs;
- compute derivatives in higher dimensions (partial, directional, gradient, divergence, curl, etc);
- compute integrals in higher dimensions (area, volume, path, surface, flux, etc);
- communicate mathematically, including understanding, making, and critiquing mathematical arguments.
Class Meetings
Sections meet MW or TR for 110 minutes each class period. A list of sections, their meeting times and locations, and their instructors can be found on through the Registrar’s Course Search (enter “MATH-UA 123” in the first search field).
Prerequisites
Students who wish to enroll in Calculus III must meet one of the following prerequisites:
- Calculus II (MATH-UA 122) with a C or higher.
- Placement into Calculus III by our departmental placement test.
- A score of 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC test .
See the math department’s placement web page for more information.
Grades
Your course score will be determined as the following weighted average:
| Item | Weight |
| Midterm Exams | 30% |
| Homework | 15% |
| WebAssign | 5% |
| Quizzes & Participation | 20% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
We will convert this score to a letter grade beginning with these values as cutoffs:
| Cutoff | Letter Grade |
| 93 | A |
| 90 | A- |
| 87 | B+ |
| 83 | B |
| 80 | B- |
| 75 | C+ |
| 65 | C |
| 50 | D |
These cutoffs might be adjusted, but only in the downward direction (to make letter grades higher).
A note on grades of W and I
You may drop the course in the first two weeks without it appearing on your transcript. After that, and through the ninth week, you may withdraw and receive a grade of ‘W’ on your transcript. No withdrawals are granted after the ninth week.
A grade of ‘Incomplete’ (I) is granted only in the rare circumstances that an emergency prevents a student in good standing from finishing the course in its last few weeks. As per the CAS Bulletin:
“Students who are ill or have a serious personal problem should see, call, or write to an adviser in the College Advising Center, College of Arts and Science, New York University, Silver Center, 100 Washington Square East, Room 905, New York, NY 10003-6688; 212-998-8130.”
Textbook and Materials
You need a textbook and you need WebAssign access, and you have several options for getting these.
The textbook is: Essential Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 2nd edition by James Stewart.
You may of course buy a print copy from the NYU Bookstore and elsewhere, but it is highly recommend to just use the eBook which is included with WebAssign as this is a mandated part of the course.
Please be aware of the University’s policy on illegal downloading of copyrighted material: don’t.
The Calculator Question
A graphing calculator is encouraged for class discussion and on homework, but not allowed for exams or quizzes. No specific calculator is endorsed, so do not buy a new one. If you have one already, continue to use that one; if you do not, try free alternatives such as Wolfram Alpha or Desmos.