· Some time ago, I began to write an update to the text that you are using. I haven't gotten very far, but I did write versions of Chapters 1 and 2. They overlap quite a bit both with lecture and with the text that you're using. But they do have some new information and it may be worth your while to read them.
· You can download Chapter 1 here and Chapter 2 here.
· If you detect any errors (which is quite likely) or in general if you have any comments, I'd be very pleased if you emailed them to me. Thanks.
· Introduction, Chapter 1
Should you like to see what happens during the entire 317-318 course, you can access last year's web site here. Note that most of the links will not work, but you can still get an overview of what the course is like.
I'd like you to be circumspect in emailing questions to me. If you have a question that needs an urgent answer, then phone me, stop by, or email me. However, if the question can be answered by a TA, then please direct it to your TA or any TA. If the question can wait, ask someone during office hours, or raise the question in section or in class. Thanks.
This class will be highly Excel-based in that HW assignments, HW answer sheets, and Exam answer sheets will all be posted in the form of Excel workbooks. It is very, very strongly to your advantage to become proficient in Excel. Knowing Excel will allow you, for example, to do your HW assignments faster by at least a factor of 3. It is possible to do well in the course without learning Excel, but it will be considerably more difficult than if you do learn Excel.
· Class syllabus: Please read carefully before coming to the first class lecture.
· Handout packet: I will constantly be referring to these handouts in lectures.
· Textbook errata sheet: Be sure to go through the text and actually implement the errata or you will be confused down the road.
· Please download HW1 assignment from this Excel worksheet. Note that mostly the problems are from the text but, as specified on the worksheet, there are changes to some of the problems.
· Note that HW1 is designed to cover only material that I will have covered in class through the lecture on Wednesday, 1/7/15. Because I will not know exactly what this material will be until class ends on Wednesday, there may be some adjustments to the assignment, which I will post very soon after class on Wednesday.
· This adjustment process will be true of all HW assignments. In general, I try to err on the side of initially assigning more rather than fewer problem on a given HW assignment. This means that any Wednesday after-class adjustments usually entail dropping problems. Dropped problems on any given HW assignment will show up as problems on the subsequent HW assignment.
· As indicated on the syllabus, the first exam will be given during class time on Wednesday, 1/14/15, and exams will be given every two weeks thereafter through 3/11/15. To practice for exams, you can download previous exams from from 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010.
· Note that the folder of exams for a given year contains the exams themselves (as Word documents) plus one "Exam Answers" Excel workbook. Please note: in the "Exam Answers" workbook, the answers to the individual exams are individual worksheets within the workbook that can be accessed by clicking the tabs at the bottom left.
· Please note also that different exams may have covered different materials in different years. It is up to you to figure out which material on any given practice exam is relevant to the exams this year.
· Preface, Introduction, Chapter 1