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College of Arts & Sciences

Math 251 Suggested Weekly Schedule

Book: James Stewart (Early Transcendentals) Ninth Edition

  • Week 1
    • Course introduction
    • Three-dimensional coordinate systems (12.1)
    • Vectors (12.2)
    • The dot product (12.3) 
  • Week 2
    • The cross product (12.4)
    • Equations of lines and planes (12.5)
    • Cylinders and quadric surfaces (12.6) (briefly)
  • Week 3
    • Vector functions and space curves (13.1)
    • Derivatives and integrals of vector-functions (13.2)
    • Arc length, curvature (13.3)
  • Week 4
    • Motion in space: displacement, velocity, and acceleration (13.4)
    • Functions of several variables (14.1)
    • Exam I (covers through Section 13.4)
  • Week 5
    • Partial derivatives (14.3)
    • Tangent planes and Linear approximation (14.4)
    • The chain rule (14.5)
  • Week 6
    • Directional derivatives and the gradient vector (14.6)
    • Maximum and minimum values (14.7)
  • Week 7
    • Lagrange multipliers (14.8)
    • Double integral over rectangles (15.1)
  • Week 8
    • Double integral over general regions (15.2)
    • Exam 2 (Covers Chapter 14)
  • Week 9
    • Double integrals in polar coordinates (15.3)
    • Applications of double integrals (optional) (15.4)
    • Surface Area (15.5) (can be combined with section 16.6 if pressed for time)
  • Week 10
    • Triple integrals (15.6)
    • Triple integrals in cylindrical coordinates (15.7)
    • Triple integrals in spherical coordinates (15.8)
  • Week 11
    • Change of Variables in Multiple Integrals, Jacobians (15.9)
    • Vector fields (16.1)
  • Week 12
    • Line integrals (16.2)
    • Fundamental theorem of line integrals (16.3)
    • Exam 3 (covering Chapter 15)
  • Week 13
    • Green’s theorem (16.4)
    • Curl and divergence (16.5)
  • Week 14
    • Parametric surfaces and their area (16.6)
    • Surface integrals (16.7)

Note: This schedule may change slightly each semester according to the posted University schedule.