Math 1290 Calculus for the Natural Sciences Credits: 5 Prerequisites: Math ACT 25 or higher or a grade of at least C- in Math 1250 or dept consent; Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for: 1296, 1596 Grading: A-F only Liberal Education Category: This course satisfies the UMD Liberal Education requirement for Category Two: Math, Logic, and Critical Thinking. Calculus is a universal mathematical tool that is used in many diverse areas including business, economics, biology, geology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Whenever measured quantities change with respect to time, or other variables, calculus is probably involved. This course develops the fundamentals of calculus suitable for applications in the life and earth sciences. By the end of the term, the successful student should understand the importance that calculus plays in modeling real-world phenomena by constructing and analyzing numerous models selected from ecology, wildlife/fisheries management, epidemiology, physiology, groundwater diffusion, and seismic phenomena. Course Description: The course will cover standard topics in differential calculus, integral calculus, and introductory differential equations. Topics include limits, continuity, derivatives and applications of derivatives; integration, the fundamental theorem of calculus, integration techniques; differential equations. Applications to biology are used throughout the course. The material is mostly covered in Chapters 1-7 of the Neuhauser text. Some supplemental material, not included in the text, may occasionally be presented in lecture. Comparison to Calculus I, Math 1296: Roughly 80% of the material in the two courses is the same. Math 1290 skips a few 1296 topics and covers others in less depth. Math 1290 includes an introduction to differential equations. In addition, the applications in Math 1290 focus on biology and ecology, while in 1296 applications are chosen from a variety of areas of science and engineering. (Students who take Math 1290 will be able to register for Calculus II (Math 1297) if they wish to continue on in Mathematics.) In summary: Math 1290 covers the parts of Calculus most necessary to allow the inclusion of an introduction to differential equations. Text: Modeling the Dynamics of Life 2nd Edition by Frederick Adler published by Brooks/Cole, 2005 Course Content: Chapters 1-4 and Sections 5.1-5.3, omitting sections 1.9 and 3.9 LABS: Approximately one every other week for a total of 7 labs 1-3: Using Excel spreadsheets 4-7: Using Mathematics for plotting, solving, differentiation, integration, verifying solutions to differential equations, plotting vector fields and solutions to differential equations.     Copyright 2003, University of Minnesota, Duluth. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. This web page is maintained by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and was last updated April 11, 2003. Send comments to math@d.umn.edu.