Math 131B: Introduction to Real Variables
Spring 2006

(class no. 29523, sec. 3)

Contents of this page

Late breaking news
Lecture time and location
Prerequisite
Office hours
Textbook
Syllabus
Exams
How to...
Grading policy
Handouts
Homework
Policy on calculators
Academic integrity
Anonymous feedback

Late breaking news

(6/15) Solutions to the final exam are finally here. Have a great summer everyone!

(5/15) Our server newton had some problems recently, so I haven't been able to post much. But here is some new stuff:

(5/3) The full Homework 9 has been posted. The second half is due on May 10.

(5/1) Happy May 1! Solutions to Homework 8 have been posted.

(4/28) The first half of Homework 9, due May 5, has been posted.

(4/24) As we discussed in class, the final exam will be take-home. I will email you the problems (or post them on the class web page, or both) in the morning of May 21 (which is a Sunday) and you will have until 3:30 on May 25 (Thursday) to do the problems. I'll have several office hours in between, most likely on May 23 and 25.

By the way, recall that the due date for Homework 8 is now April 26.

(4/14) Homework 8 has been posted.

Midterm 2 made me realize that for most of you time is an issue when doing problems involving ideas that are entirely new to you. Therefore, it will be better to have a take-home final. I'm back from a conference on May 22, so here's a suggestion: I would email you the exam on May 22 in the evening and you would have until May 25. Let me know how that sounds.

(4/12) Midterm 2 solutions have been posted.

(4/11) Solutions to Homework 7 have been posted. Also, as last time, feel free to bring a 3 X 5" card with your notes to the exam tomorrow.

(4/7) Here are some review problems for the coming midterm:

Sec. 7.2, ex. 2, 19, 21, 22;
Sec. 7.3, ex. 8, 13, 14, 22;
Sec. 8.1, ex. 20, 21, 22, 24;
Sec. 8.2, ex. 8, 9, 14, 16.

Btw, you are free to use all the results proved in Chapters 7 and 8.

When you are done reviewing, try this sample midterm 2. (Warning: I intentionally made it challenging.)

(4/5) Homework 6 solutions have been posted.

(4/4) Midterm 2 (on April 12), will cover Chapters 7 and 8 (only the sections we discussed, of course), and homework assignments 4-7.

Our final exam is officially scheduled for May 19. However, I will be out of town attending a conference that day so we need to move it. I think we are obliged to use the make-up day, May 25. I would like to have the final from 9:45 to noon that day. Let me know if this doesn't work for you.

(4/1) Homework 7 has been posted (and is not a joke). It is due on April 7.

Hope you had an enjoyable spring break!

(3/24) Homework 5 solutions have been posted. ENJOY YOUR SPRING BREAK!

(3/18) Homework 6 has been posted and is due on Friday, March 24. (Note, however, that you will have no homework during the spring break.) I also added another extra credit problem to the list.

(3/17) Homework 4 solutions have (finally) been posted.

(3/11) Homework 5 has been posted and is due on Monday, March 20.

(3/3) Homework 4 has been posted and is due on March 10.

(3/1) Solutions to Midterm 1 have been posted.

(2/28) Solutions to Homework 3 have been posted.

(2/26) When you are finished reviewing, you can try this sample midterm. By the way, you are allowed to bring a 3 X 5" card with your notes to the exam.

(2/24) Here are some review problems for the midterm:

Sec. 6.1, ex. 7, 12, 14;
Sec. 6.2, ex. 7, 8, 12, 17;
Sec. 6.3, ex. 1, 5, 6;
Sec. 6.4, ex. 2, 4, 9, 15.

You don't need to write detailed solutions or turn them in, but you should definitely try to solve them all. It's a good idea to review homework problems as well. I'll post solutions to Homework 3 soon.

(2/23) Recall that Midterm 1 is on Wednesday, March 1. There will be four problems, covering Chapter 6 (differentiation). I will post a sample test soon.

Yesterday in class we showed that if a function f is twice differentiable, then

[f(a+h)-2f(a)+f(a-h)]/h^2 --> f''(a), as h --> 0.

However, after two applications of L'Hospital's rule, we needed f'' to be continuous. This is not necessary. If we apply L'Hospital's rule just once, we get the limit of

[f'(a+h) - f'(a-h)]/2h which equals [f'(a+h)-f'(a)]/2h + [f'(a-h) - f'(a)]/(-2h),

which goes to f''(a), as h --> 0, by definition.

(2/20) I posted a write-up called "How discontinuous can f' be?". The main statement is that the set of points where the derivative is continous has to be dense.

Solutions to Homework 2 have also been posted.

(2/19) I'll be half an hour late to my office hours tomorrow. Sorry about that.

(2/18) I posted two more extra credit problems.

(2/16) Homework 3 has been posted and is due on Friday, February 24.

(2/14) Solutions to Homework 1 have been posted.

(2/13) For the problem session on Wednesday, February 15, let's gather in my office at 2:30 and look for a vacant room. Of course, your attendance is not mandatory.

If you are still struggling with problem 16.(c) from section 6.2, feel free to study the proof of one of L'Hospital's rules (sec. 6.3) and imitate it. (However, you're not allowed to use L'Hospital's rules.)

(2/9) We'll have a problem session (i.e., a meeting to discuss only problems) on Wednesday, February 15, from 2:30 to 3:20. So keep that slot open.

(2/5) Homework 2 has been posted and is due on February 13. Also, I posted one more extra credit problem.

Also, note the newly posted homework revision policy.

Finally, I posted a little handout called Good proof, bad proof.

(1/31) I just posted a PDF file which will contain all the extra credit problems I give in class. So far there's only one.

(1/31) Homework 1 has been posted and is due on Monday, February 6.

(1/30) We have a room: it's MH 320 (same room we met in today).

(1/28) Our first class meeting will be on Monday, January 30, 11:30-12:20. Let's meet at my office, MH 318A, and find a room. We should have a permanent classroom soon.


Lecture time and location

MWF 11:30-12:20, MH 320

Prerequisite

Math 131A (with a grade of "C-" or better) or instructor consent.


Office hours

MWF 9:50-11:30, and by appointment


Textbook

Required text:
R. G. Bartle and D. R. Sherbert: Introduction to Real Analysis, John Wiliey & Sons, 3rd edition, 2000
Recommended reading: C. C. Pugh: Real Mathematical Analysis, Springer-Verlag, UTM, 2002

This is a more advanced book but it's beautifully written and covers a lot of interesting topics.


Syllabus

Green sheet
Differentiation (Ch. 6). The Riemann integral (Ch. 7). Sequences of functions (Ch. 8). Infinite series (Ch. 9). The Lebesgue integral (Ch. 10). Basic topology (Ch. 11).


Exams

There two midterms and a final exam. The exam schedule:
Midterm 1: March 1. Midterm 1 solutions
Midterm 2: April 12. Midterm 2 solutions
Final exam: take home, May 21 AM - May 25 @ 3:30 PM
There will be no make-up exams.


How to...

How to study for this and other math classes

How to take the exam


Grading policy

Homework 20%, Midterms 40%, Final 40%


Handouts

How discontinuous can f' be?

Good proof, bad proof


Homework

There will be weekly homework assignments.

Late homework policy:

1 class late: 50% penalty; 2 classes late: 75% penalty; 3 classes late: no credit.

Policy on revisions. I will accept one revision per homework. After you get your graded assignment back from me, you can turn in your revision during or after the next class (i.e., you will have two or three days to revise) to be regraded.

# Due date Assignment Solutions
1 2/6 Sec. 3.2, #14. Sec. 3.4, #11. Sec. 3.7, #8. Sec. 4.3, #9. Sec. 5.1, # 11, 12. Sec. 5.2, #7.
2 2/13 Sec. 6.1, #4, 13, 16. Sec. 6.2, #4, 16, 20.
3 2/24 Sec. 6.3, #5, 10, 11. Sec. 6.4, #3, 10, 18.
4 3/10 Sec. 7.1, #9, 11, 12. Sec. 7.2, #8, 10, 17.
5 3/20 Sec. 7.3, #10, 12, 16, 20, 21.
6 3/24 Sec. 8.1, #4, 14, 19, 23.
7 4/7 Sec. 8.2, #3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 20.
8 4/26 Sec. 9.4, #1abc, 6abc, 7, 9, 11, 17.
9 5/10 Homework 9 problems

Extra credit problems so far


Policy on calculators

Calculators will not be permitted on exams.


Academic integrity

By default, I regard my students as honest individuals and expect them to abide by the University policy on academic integrity.


Anonymous feedback

If you have any comments or suggestions, please fill out this anonymous feedback form.
Slobodan N. Simić

Last modified: Thu Dec 7 10:09:25 PST 2006