Calculus I
MATH 201 · Fall 2026 · CCNY
Revised syllabus — effective Monday, October 5
Instructor: Keino Brown, Ph.D. (from Mon Oct 5)
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:00–1:00 PM — book a slot
Meeting: Section BC M/W 10:00–11:40 AM Room: NAC 6/114
A note on the change of instructor
I am taking over this section beginning Monday, October 5. This revised syllabus governs the rest of the semester. Nothing you have already earned is lost: Exam 1, which you took on Wednesday, September 30, still counts as one of your three exam scores, and — as in every section I teach — the lowest of your three exam scores is dropped. If Exam 1 did not go the way you wanted, it can be the one that falls away. We resume at differentiation (Chapter 3); Chapters 1 and 2 are assumed. If something from limits or continuity is shaky, come to office hours early: do not wait until the end of the semester — derivatives are built directly on that material, and the course does not slow down from here. There will be no more quizzes in this course. Your WeBWorK assignments count for 5 points, and the quizzes you took before Exam 1 count for 5 points.
Course Catalog Description
Limits, continuity, derivatives, differentiation and its applications, differentials, definite and indefinite integrals. For more information and course resources, see here.
Prerequisite
A grade of C or higher in Math 19500 or placement by the Department. Credit will be given for only one of Math 20100 or Math 20500. 4 hr./wk.; 4 cr.
Text
Calculus Volume 1 by Herman, Strang, et al. (ISBN-13: 978-1-938168-02-4), OpenStax — free online. We cover Chapters 1–5. For the last topic of the course, Calculus Volume 2 (ISBN-13: 978-1-938168-06-2), §2.7; Volume 2 is also the text for Math 212.
Learning Outcomes
After taking this course, the student should be able to (full CLO document):
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Evaluate limits, including the use of L’Hôpital’s Rule.
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Differentiate algebraic and transcendental functions.
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Solve maximum/minimum and related rate problems.
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State and apply the Intermediate and Mean Value Theorems.
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Find and apply linear approximations and differentials.
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Apply methods of calculus to sketch curves.
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Anti-differentiate algebraic and transcendental functions.
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Approximate integrals by Riemann sums.
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Evaluate elementary integrals using substitution.
Assessment
There are no make-ups, no curves, and no extra credit.
| When | What | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| All semester | WeBWorK assignments | 5 points |
| Aug 31 – Sep 30 | Quizzes taken before Exam 1 | 5 points |
| Sept 30, Oct 28, Nov 23 | Exam 1 (already taken), Exam 2, Exam 3 | 50 points (top 2 of 3) |
| Final Exam (Dec 21, 1:00PM – 3:15PM, Room TBA) | Final Exam | 40 points |
weighted score = (average of top 2 exam scores) × 0.50 + (final exam score) × 0.40
- (WeBWorK) × 0.05 + (quizzes) × 0.05
The lowest of the three exam scores is dropped.
Letter Grades
Based on your weighted score:
| A+ 97–100 | B+ 87–89 | C+ 77–79 | F < 60 |
| A 95–96 | B 84–86 | C 70–76 | |
| A- 90–94 | B- 80–83 | D 60–69 |
Homework
WeBWorK, the department’s online homework system, is graded and is worth 5 points of your course grade. The department’s supplemental textbook exercises — listed in the 201 syllabus document, which also carries the learning outcomes — are advised but optional: they are not collected and not graded. Do them anyway. Ninety of the hundred points in this course come from exams, and the exams are built from exactly this material. An asterisk (*) marks a more challenging problem.
Attendance/Lateness
Regular and consistent attendance is required. No more than three (3) absences will be excused. Whenever you are going to be absent, email me before class starts that day to request an excused absence. Leaving before class ends counts as an absence; arriving after attendance is taken counts as late, and three (3) latenesses count as one (1) unexcused absence. More than three (3) unexcused absences reduces your letter grade by one. You are responsible for any work missed while absent.
Electronics Policy
Calculators and electronic devices of any kind are not permitted during exams. Exam problems will be written so that no problem requires a calculator.
Academic Integrity
DO NOT CHEAT. Cheating results in an immediate, non-negotiable F. See the university’s policy on academic integrity here.
Students with Disabilities
If you receive accommodations for testing, please contact the AccessAbility Center in NAC 1/218, 212-650-5913, or [email protected] to schedule your exams.
Exam Schedule
| When | What | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Sept 30 | Exam 1 | Functions and limits (§1.1–1.5, §2.1–2.5) — previous instructor’s; score stands if it is not your lowest. |
| Wed Oct 28 | Exam 2 | The derivative and differentiation rules (§3.1–3.9) |
| Mon Nov 23 | Exam 3 | Applications of differentiation (§4.1–4.10) |
| Mon Dec 21, 1:00–3:15 PM | Final | Comprehensive |
The lowest of the three exam scores is dropped; an absence on one of the three counts as the dropped score. There are no make-ups, no curves, and no extra credit. Because the final is 40% of your grade, taking the final is necessary (but not sufficient) to pass.
Already covered
(Aug 31 – Sep 30, previous instructor): §1.1 Review of Functions; §1.2 Basic Classes of Functions; §1.3 Trigonometric Functions; §1.4 Inverse Functions; §1.5 Exponential & Logarithmic Functions; §2.1 A Preview of Calculus; §2.2 The Limit of a Function; §2.3 The Limit Laws; §2.4 Continuity; §2.5 The Precise Definition of a Limit. Exam 1 was given Wed Sept 30 and covered this material.
Course Schedule from October 5
(subject to change):
| # | Date | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Topics |
| 1 | Mon Oct 5 | §3.1 Defining the Derivative; §3.2 The Derivative as a Function (begin) |
| 2 | Wed Oct 7 | §3.2 (conclude); §3.3 Differentiation Rules (begin) |
| — | Mon Oct 12 | College closed |
| 3 | Tue Oct 13 | (Monday schedule) §3.3 (conclude); §3.4 Derivatives as Rates of Change |
| 4 | Wed Oct 14 | §3.5 Derivatives of Trigonometric Functions; §3.6 The Chain Rule (begin) |
| 5 | Mon Oct 19 | §3.6 (conclude); §3.7 Derivatives of Inverse Functions (begin) |
| 6 | Wed Oct 21 | §3.7 (conclude); §3.8 Implicit Differentiation |
| 7 | Mon Oct 26 | §3.9 Derivatives of Exponential & Logarithmic Functions; §4.1 Related Rates (begin) |
| 8 | Wed Oct 28 | Exam 2 (§3.1–3.9) |
| 9 | Mon Nov 2 | §4.1 (conclude); §4.2 Linear Approximations & Differentials |
| 10 | Wed Nov 4 | §4.3 Maxima & Minima; §4.4 The Mean Value Theorem |
| 11 | Mon Nov 9 | §4.5 Derivatives and the Shape of a Graph; §4.6 Limits at Infinity & Asymptotes (begin) |
| 12 | Wed Nov 11 | §4.6 (conclude); §4.7 Applied Optimization Problems; §4.8 L’Hôpital’s Rule (begin) |
| 13 | Mon Nov 16 | §4.8 (conclude); §4.10 Antiderivatives (begin) |
| 14 | Wed Nov 18 | §4.10 (conclude); §5.1 Approximating Areas (begin) |
| 15 | Mon Nov 23 | Exam 3 (§4.1–4.10) |
| — | Wed Nov 25 | No classes scheduled |
| 16 | Mon Nov 30 | §5.1 (conclude); §5.2 The Definite Integral (begin) |
| 17 | Wed Dec 2 | §5.2 (conclude); §5.3 The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus |
| 18 | Mon Dec 7 | §5.4 Integration Formulas & the Net Change Theorem; §5.5 Substitution (begin) |
| 19 | Wed Dec 9 | §5.5 (conclude); §5.6 Integrals Involving Exponential & Logarithmic Functions |
| 20 | Mon Dec 14 | §5.7 Integrals Resulting in Inverse Trigonometric Functions; Vol 2 §2.7 Integrals, Exponential Functions, and Logarithms |
| — | Mon Dec 21, 1:00–3:15 PM | Final Exam (comprehensive) |
No classes on (college closures, Fall 2026)
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Mon 9/7 (Labor Day) — College closed
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9/11–9/13 — No classes scheduled
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Mon 9/21 — No classes scheduled
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Mon 10/12 — College closed (Tue 10/13 follows a Monday schedule — we meet)
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Wed 11/25 — No classes scheduled
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11/26–11/27 (Thanksgiving) — College closed; Sat 11/28 — No classes scheduled
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Mon 12/14 — Last day of classes; Tue 12/15 – Mon 12/21 — Final Examinations