Math 121 - Calculus I
Fall 2025
Emily Proctor




Please read the syllabus to learn all the details about the course.

If you would like another source for problems and explanations, here are Paul's Online Notes.




Homework

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Week beginning September 8

For Tuesday, September 9:

• Please type (up to) a page about who you are as a mathematician (classes or experiences you've had, anything you've liked, anything you've disliked...) as well as your motivations for taking Calculus 1 this fall. Please be honest about all of it; this is just a simple, informal assignment that will help me start to get to know you. If there is anything else you'd like me to know as we start the semester, please include that too. Print out two copies of your page and turn them in at the start of class on Tuesday.


• Complete the problems on the introductory survey that was passed out in class. You will not need to turn your answers in, but you will need to have them with you in class on Tuesday.


• Order or obtain a copy of our textbook, (Single Variable) Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 9th ed. by James Stewart, et al.

For Wednesday, September 10:

• Log into Edfinity (check your email for the registration information) and do Demo Assignment 0.


• Familiarize yourself with p.32 of Stewart. This is a table of the main families of functions that we will be working with this semester.


• Read Section 1.3 of Stewart.

For Friday, September 12:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 1.3.


• From Section 1.3 of Stewart write up problems: 8a, 12, 15, 31ab, 56.


• When writing up your problem sets, make sure to always show all the work that justifies your final answer, and explain your thinking.


• Read Sections 1.4 and 1.5 of Stewart.

Week beginning September 15

For Monday, September 15:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 1.4 and 1.5.


• From Section 1.4 of Stewart write up problems: 11, 15, 21.


• From Section 1.5 of Stewart write up problems: 3, 17.


• We will be continuing with Section 1.5 of Stewart on Monday. Read Section 2.1 of Stewart for Tuesday.

For Wednesday, September 17:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 1.5.


• From Section 1.5 of Stewart write up problems: 20, 33, 42abc, 56, 57ab.


• Read Sections 2.1 and 2.2 of Stewart.


• Here is the Desmos demonstration of finding the tangent line to e^x at x=0 for you to play with.


• If you are finding that you would like another source of problems and explanations, try out Paul's Online Notes, linked at the top of this page.

For Friday, September 19:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 2.1 and 2.2.


• From Section 2.1 of Stewart write up problem: 1ab.


• From Section 2.2 of Stewart write up problems: 6a-l, 10, 11, 18.


• Read Section 2.3 of Stewart.

Week beginning September 22

For Monday, September 22:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 2.2.


• From Section 2.2 of Stewart write up problems: 8 (note that the graph to use is the one that is below, rather than above, the problem!), 29, 30, 32, 33.


• Read Section 2.5 of Stewart.

For Wednesday, September 24:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 2.3.


• From Section 2.3 of Stewart write up problems: 2, 10, 13, 23, 25 (hint: for Problem 23, see Ex. 6 p.99).


• We will continue to discuss Section 2.5 of Stewart.


• Our first midterm will be in class next Tuesday, September 30. On Monday, September 29 we will use class for an optional review session. Our exam will cover from the beginning of the year, though Section 2.6 of Stewart. Here is a list of topics for you to review!

For Friday, September 26:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 2.5.


• From Section 2.5 of Stewart write up problems: 5, 23, 25, 29, 41.


• Read Section 2.6 of Stewart.


• In order to help you prepare for our midterm next week, here is a practice exam in the style of our midterm. And here are the solutions.


• You can also prepare one side of a 4x6 index card to bring to the test with you.

Week beginning September 29

For Monday, September 29:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 2.6.


• From Section 2.6 of Stewart write up problems: 10, 18, 27, 34, 37 (hint for Problem 37: try using a strategy similar to the strategy for Problems 18 and 27).


• If you'd like to keep a copy of your homework, I will pass out solutions to this assignment on Monday after you've turned it in so that you can check your work.


• Prepare for our exam on Tuesday. Monday's class will be a review session. I won't come with an agenda, so please bring any questions and we will talk about them!

For Wednesday, October 1:

• Read Section 2.7 of Stewart.

For Friday, October 3:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 2.7.


• From Section 2.7 of Stewart write up problems: 3ab, 15a, 19, 28, 40.


• There are several good problems in this section that help develop intuition for the derivative. Here are a few more problems (not required) to practice with, if you would like: 11, 15b, 16, 17, 51 or 53.


• Read Section 2.8 of Stewart.

Week beginning October 6

For Monday, October 6:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 2.8.


• From Section 2.8 of Stewart write up problems: 9, 12, 27, 39, 42.


• If Problems 9 and 12 don't feel natural at first, you could try Problem 1 as a warm-up (not required).


• For Edfinity Problem 7, and book Problem 42, have a look at p.158-9 of Stewart. We will talk more about these on Monday.


• Read Section 3.1 of Stewart.

For Wednesday, October 8:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 3.1.


• From Section 2.8 of Stewart write up problem: 49. From Section 3.1 of Stewart write up problems: 12, 39, 53, 60.


• Note: On Tuesday, we will learn some theorems about how compute derivatives more simply. Because of these, by the end of class on Tuesday you'll be able to do many of the problems on this assignment more quickly than on previous assignments. You are not required to use the definition of the derivative to do these homework problems!


• Read Section 3.2 of Stewart.

Week beginning October 13

For Monday, October 13:

• Do Edfinity Assignment 3.2.


• From Section 3.2 of Stewart write up problems: 1, 12, 32, 46, 54.


• Read over your exam and the comments. Focus a fair portion of your attention on the positive comments, remembering that I was thinking of you specifically when I made them. When reading the corrections and suggestions, take some time to consider and follow up on them, either by doing a little review or by asking for help.


• Read Section 3.3 of Stewart.