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,
- learn about and compute limits in higher dimensions,
- learn about and compute derivatives in higher dimensions (partial, directional, total, gradient, divergence, curl, etc),
- learn about and compute integrals in higher dimensions (area, volume, path, surface, flux, etc), and
- communicate mathematically, including understanding, making, and critiquing mathematical arguments.
Class Meetings
Sections meet on Mondays and Wednesdays or on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 110 minutes each class period. A list of sections, their meeting times and locations, and their instructors can be found through the Registrar’s Course Search (enter “MATH-UA 123” in the first search field) or on the Department of Mathematics’ Course Schedules page.
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,
- a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC test,
- placement into Calculus III by the Department of Mathematics’ placement test, or
- permission of the Department of Mathematics.
See the CAS Calculus Information page for more information on scores from other examination boards.
Grades
Your course score will be determined as the following weighted average:
| Item | Weight |
| Participation & mini-project | 10% |
| WebAssign | 5% |
| Written homework | 15% |
| Quizzes | 15% |
| Midterm examinations | 30% |
| Final examination | 25% |
| 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’ (Withdrew Officially) on your transcript. No withdrawals are granted after the ninth week.
A grade of ‘I’ (Incomplete) 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 access to WebAssign. There are several options for getting these.
The textbook is: Essential Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 2nd edition by James Stewart.
It is highly recommended to use the e-book which is included with WebAssign, which is a mandated part of the course, although you may additionally buy a print copy from the NYU Bookstore or elsewhere if you prefer.
Explanation of NYU Bookstore listing
Option 1: CME ACP Essential Calculus EAR is the looseleaf version of textbook (physical book) with printed code to access the e-book (24-month access) and the WebAssign platform (24-month access).
Option 2: WebAssign for Stewart’s Essential Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 2nd Edition is just the e-book (24-month access) and WebAssign access (24-month access). There is no physical book. (It is also possible to purchase this or a single-semester license online directly from WebAssign to save you the trouble of going through the NYU Bookstore.)
Option 3: Essen Calculus: Early Trans (w/WebAssign) [CUSTOM] is the bound version of the textbook (physical book) with the access code for the e-book (24-month access) and WebAssign (24-month access).
If you are taking more than one course that uses textbooks published by Cengage or WebAssign, you may also wish to look into Cengage Unlimited.
Please be aware of the University’s policy on illegal downloading of copyrighted material: don’t.
Calculators
A graphing calculator is encouraged for class discussion and on homework, but not allowed for examinations 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 WolframAlpha.