WEB PAGE:  http://www.math.ksu.edu/~cochrane/m100/caf02.html  

All students taking College Algebra need to be familiar with using the internet.  The syllabus printed here is just a hard copy of the College Algebra Home Page located at the above web address.  All of the words underlined below are links on the home page.   If you need assistance with using the internet,  go to  iTAC, Information and Technology Help Desk, 313 Hale Library, 532-7722, 8:30am-5pm.  For locations of computers on campus click    Computers.

UPDATES:  Click here at least once a week  for  updates of the College Algebra Syllabus and Special Messages.

Homework             Exam Rooms           My Current Grade           Help      Academic Assistance Center    Old Exams

TEXT: College Algebra, by Larson and Hostetler  5th Edition,  IAE soft cover special edition for Kansas State University, Houghton Mifflin 2001.  (Available at K-State Union Book Store and Varney's Book Store).

CALCULATOR:  Any type of TI-83  or TI-83 Plus  (required!)   Click here for help on using the TI-83 for College Algebra.    

ATTENDING CLASSES:  Each student is required to be enrolled in a lecture (LEC)  meeting Tuesday and Thursday, and  a recitation (REC) meeting Monday or Friday.  It is important that you attend all lectures and take notes. Review your notes after each lecture to make sure that you have understood the concepts and then work on the  homework problems listed in the syllabus below. Any questions you have may be addressed in the following recitation or in the Help Session.   Exam problems will be based on examples given in lecture as well as the homework problems.  All the lecturers know what problems will be on the exams.

GRADING:  You may earn 712 points in this course: 100 points on each of the three evening hour exams, 200 points on the comprehensive final exam, 112 points on the weekly homework, and 100 points for recitation work.  There will be 15 homework assignments, each worth 8 points, the lowest score of which will be dropped. Your recitation instructor will administer your exams and determine your final grade. Not doing homework or not attending recitation will lower your final letter grade.   CURVES for the exams and cumulative totals will be posted here after each test.

HOMEWORK: Homework is due by 6 p.m. each Tuesday. The homework should be turned in to the homework box of your recitation instructor (not your lecturer).  Homework boxes are located in the first floor hall way of Cardwell. Many instructors have more than one box so check that the box  has the correct day and time.  Note that the first homework is due Tuesday, Sept. 3.  You must show work for every problem; a correct answer alone will not receive any credit. Four problems will be selected at random to be graded. Write your name and your recitation instructor's name and the recitation day & time at the top of the front page. The  homework will be graded and returned to you during your next recitation class. If there is a mistake or oversight in the grading, see your recitation instructor.  If you have a legitimate excuse for being late with your homework contact your recitation instructor. Generally, an average grade can be assigned for such homework, but it will not be graded.

RECITATION GRADE:  The 100 recitation points will be assigned at the discretion  of  your recitation instructor. Make  sure you understand  your instructor's  grading scheme and expectations. Generally, this score is based on attendance, quizzes, correcting exam mistakes and presenting problems at the board.

EXAMINATIONS:  Exam time and dates are listed on the syllabus below. Room assignments for the examinations will be announced in class and posted on the web page. Exam room assignments will be by recitation class and not by lecture class. Be sure to know your exam room assignment the week before the first exam and again before the final exam.  Picture ID must be brought to the exam and shown when turning in your paper.  Students should follow the proctor's instructions  during the exam and sit  at least one seat apart.  Write clearly  and show all your work - A correct answer alone may not receive any credit. The exams will be returned in your recitation class. If there is a mistake or oversight in the grading, see your recitation instructor first.  Your recitation instructor has the authority to change blatant errors in the grading. If the error is subtle, you must appeal to the original grader. Exam solutions and scales will be posted on the College Algebra Bulletin Board (near CW 129) as well as on the update web page.

Missed Examinations: If you miss or expect to miss an hour examination for a legitimate reason (for example, a serious illness), then notify your recitation instructor as early as possible prior to the examination. If your recitation instructor excuses your absence from an hour exam, then your score on that exam will be the weighted average of your other exam scores. If your recitation instructor does not excuse your absence from an hour exam, then your score on that exam will be zero. There will be no make-up exams. If you miss more than one hour exam or the final exam, for verifiable personal emergencies, then it is possible to receive the grade of ``incomplete'' for the course. It is your responsibility to work out the details with your recitation instructor before final grades are made out. Under no circumstances will the grade ``incomplete'' be awarded simply because a student is failing the course.

GENERAL INFORMATION:  If you have any condition, such as a physical or learning disability, which will make it difficult for you to carry out the work as I have outlined it, or which will require academic accommodations, please notify  me,  the coordinator  Todd Cochrane  CW209, as well as your recitation instructor, within the first two weeks of classes. Bring to me the documentation provided by disabled student services and provide me with an email  address (or other means of contacting you). It is your responsibility to check with me on  the location and time of the special exams and report to the  assigned room at the instructed time.

HELP SESSIONS:  Help sessions will be held  Monday through Thursday in Cardwell 145. A help session schedule with specific times will be posted across from the Math office in Cardwell and at http://www.math.ksu.edu/math/helpsession.htm. Several instructors will be present to assist you. Your recitation instructor will also announce office hours during which you may seek help.

TUTOR INFORMATION: Students may apply for a College Algebra tutor in the Academic Assistance Center (101 Holton Hall, phone 532-6492) and can get tutoring in the Tutoring Center (201 Leasure Hall, phone 532-5703).   Academic Assistance Center offers Group Tutoring Sessions in College Algebra, as well as academic skills  instruction and direct application of study techniques to College Algebra.  Students may enroll in an EDCEP 111, Enhanced University Experience Lab, linked to College Algebra.   A list of individual tutors (who charge $5 to $20 an hour) for College Algebra is  also available in the information box outside Cardwell 138.
 

STUDY ADVICE:  Students are  expected to attend all classes. Missing class can seriously affect your course grade.  It is important that you learn to manage your  time well and have assignments done well before the deadline.  College Algebra moves faster than high school algebra. Don't fall behind. Prepare for the lectures by reading  the book before class. Take notes and ask questions during class.  Review your lecture notes to make sure that you have understood all of the concepts presented. It is essential  that you attempt the homework problems before going to recitation.  Solving lots of problems is the best way to solidify your understanding of mathematics and to prepare for exams. If you find you can't do something ask for help. All the exam problems will be based on lecture examples and the homework,  so it is important that you  attend the lectures  and take good notes. Do all of  the homework and do not  throw away the returned homework! Your old homework and lecture notes will be your study guide for exams .  

ONLINE LECTURE NOTES:  Professor Burckel's  Math 100 lecture notes are on reserve at the Hale Library and online at http://online.ksu.edu/H-MATH_100 . Anyone registered for any section of the course  (not just Prof. Burckel's class) has access to these (though you will need to choose a password and `create an account' the first time you use K-State Online:  http://online.ksu.edu), those not registered can be added by request.

VIDEOS:  There are 18 video tapes of lectures  held at the Reserve Desk of Hale Library.  Tapes can be watched  in the Library or checked out overnight. These lectures are based on the text book, but are not by K-State Faculty so may not contain all the material required for the exams (though they are a useful way to make up missed lectures on certain sections).

OLD EXAMS:  Old College Algebra Exams and solutions are on reserve at Hale Library. Exams from the past year are available by clicking here. Keep in mind, that the topics and questions will generally be different from semester to semester.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on the exam, paper or project, failure in the course and/or expulsion from the University. For more information refer to the academic conduct policy in `` Student Life Handbook''  and the honor system web site.

*  Bring your graphing calculator to lecture on these days.

Calculator Problems: 

Round numerical answers to 2 decimal places.

C1. a) Use the TI-83 as indicated below to sketch the graph of y=(x+4)²(x-15) with -10 <= x <= 20  

Step 1: Type [Y=] and input the expression Y₁=(X+4)² (X-15).

Step 2: Type [WINDOW], then input Xmin = -10, Xmax=20. (The other settings can be left alone, but make sure that Xres =1.)

Step 3: Type [ZOOM], and move the cursor down until you find [0:ZoomFit], then type [ENTER]; a shortcut is just to type 0 after hitting [ZOOM]. ZoomFit automatically adjusts the y-scale so that the graph fits on the screen.

Step 4: Make a sketch of the graph as it appears on the screen. Make sure to label your axes even though the calculator does not do so. Type [WINDOW] to find Ymax and Ymin. Use [TRACE] to help locate key points on the graph.

b) Use the equation for y to explain why the graph meets the x-axis at -4 and 15.

c)  Find the value of y when x= -5.2 in two ways. First type [TRACE], [(-)] 5.2, [ENTER] and obtain the value of y at the bottom of the screen.  Next type [2nd], [CALC], [1:value]. In the lower left corner you will see X= . Type [(-)]5.2, [ENTER].. Do the same thing to find the value of y when x=12.

C2. a) Sketch the graph of y=-.2x ³+300x+100000, with -100 <= x <= 100 using the method shown in C1. Always Label your Axes.

b) Find the value of y when x=25.

C3. a) Sketch the graph of f(x) = 4x³ -12.4x²-x+3.1 on a standard scale. (Label Axes!)

b) Locate the real zeros of f(x) as follows. Start with the one that appears to be at about x = 3.

Step 1: Type [TRACE] and move cursor to a value of x near to 3. (Any value close to 3 will do.)

Step 2: Type [2nd][CALC], [2:zero]. The calculator will ask you for a Left Bound. Move cursor to the left of the zero (say x=2.97..) and type [ENTER].

Step 3: The calculator will next ask you for a Right Bound. Move cursor to the right of the zero (say x=3.19..) and type [ENTER].

Step 4: Finally, the calculator will ask you for a Guess. Move cursor as close as you can to the zero, (in this case either x=2.97 or x=3.19 will do), and type [ENTER]. You should see x=3.1 on the screen. This is the exact value of the zero.

c) Find the exact values of the other two zeros in the same manner.

C4. Sketch the graphs of y=3+x-x ² and y=3e^x-3 - 2 on a standard scale, and find all points of intersection using [2nd-CALC], [5:Intersect]. One point of intersection is (-1.79,-1.97).