Syllabus of Math 354-1, Section 61, Fall 2009

Instructor: W. Patrick Hooper (Pat or Prof. Hooper)

Office: B22 Lunt

Office Hours: Mondays 2-3:30pm and Friday 1-2pm, or by appointment. Email me to make an appointment.

Email:

Textbooks:

• R. Clark Robinson, An Introduction to Dynamics: Continuous and Discrete

Outline:

• Iteration of one-dimensional maps (§8.1)
• Periodic points (§9.1-9.6, 9.8)
• Itineraries (§10.1-10.6, 10.8)
• Invariant sets (§11.1-11.3)

I've posted a tentative but detailed calendar online.

Homework: There will be homework every week, except on weeks with a midterm. Typically, homework will be due on Wednesdays. Homework must be turned in by 12:03pm in class on the day it is due, otherwise it will be considered late. Late homework will recieve a maximum grade of 80%. A further 20% will be reduced from the maximum grade for each day the homework is late.
You are welcome and encouraged to discuss the homework assignments with other students. However, you must turn in your own solutions to the assigned problems.

Midterms: There will be two midterms held during discussion sessions. The first is scheduled for Tuesday October 20th. The second will be on Tuesday, November 17th.

Final Exam: The final exam will be held on Monday December 7th from 3-5pm in our lecture room. The instructor will not schedule a make-up exam. If unavoidable conflicts arise, students may apply for a make-up through the Office of Studies. Review Northwestern's final exam schedule to ensure you have no conflicts.

Grade: Your grade will be determined from the following (and curved at the end of the quarter):

• First Midterm: 100 points (18.2%)
• Second Midterm: 100 points (18.2%)
• Final Exam: 200 points (36.4%)
• Homework: 150 points (27.3%)

The lowest homework grade will be dropped. Thus, a single missed homework will not affect your grade.

Class website: Class information will be available on blackboard.

Students with Disabilities: Any student with a documented disability needing accommodations is requested to speak directly to the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) (847-467-5530) and the instructor, as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first two weeks of class). All discussions will remain confidential. For more information, visit: http://www.northwestern.edu/disability/.

General advice:

• Questions: Ask questions about any material you do not understand! The best place for most questions is in class. If you don't understand something, then it is very likely that many of your classmates also don't understand. Office hours are a great place to ask longer questions.
• Study habits: Read the textbook, and work on the homework long before it is due.
• Work together: Other students are an excellent resource! You can learn from each other by studying in small groups. Share phone numbers and email addresses so that you can get together to study.