MATH 230: Calculus and Vector Analysis is a 4-credit multivariable calculus course offered at Penn State to students of many majors. I have had the pleasure to teach and contribute to this course throughout my time as a graduate student, and I have developed this landing page to describe the course in detail.

Content Description

The description you will find on the University Bulletin explains MATH 230 as follows:

Three-dimensional analytic geometry; vectors in space; partial differentiation; double and triple integrals; integral vector calculus.

In the Syllabus, students will find:

Upon successful completion, the student will be familiar with vectors, vector operations, equations of curves and surfaces in space, calculus calculations involving curves, the calculation and applications of differentiation of functions of several variables, the calculation of double and triple integrals, vector fields, the calculation of line and surface integrals, and theorems regarding vector calculus integrals (Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals, Green’s Theorem, Stokes’ theorem, and Divergence Theorem).

Course Format

The following link is to a Sample Syllabus, the one used when I taught the course in Spring 2020.

As a four-credit course, there are four 50-minute lectures each week. The course is usually taught in-person every session. But when I taught the course, it was fully remote.

In terms of assessment when I taught the course, seven 45-minute exams were given outside of class time throughout the semester: six during the semester and a seventh non-comprehensive final exam given during final exam week. Examinations were made available and taken on Canvas at various time windows.

Course Materials

Textbook

The required textbook for MATH 230 is Multivariate calculus: Early Transcendentals 8th edition, by James Stewart, published by Brookes/Cole Cengage Learning. However, when I taught the course, the required textbook was Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 4th Edition by Jon Rogawski.

Lectures

The following link is to my class notes: MATH 230 Lecture Notes.

Content

The following links are to Sample Problems from MATH 230, as well as their accompanying Sample Problem Answers.

My Contribution

I have only taught MATH 230 as the principal instructor Spring 2020 (one section). My lecture notes were made by me, illustrations and all. Included is a glossary of special terms and symbols for students unfamiliar with other basic mathematical notations.

My goal as an instructor for MATH 230 was to make sure all of my students felt using class time to ask questions, learn new material in an understandable way, and participate in solving new problems. My teaching style and lectures were designed to express the mathematics in multiple ways with repetition to offer multiple avenues for a student to understand the underlying concepts.

I am very grateful for all of the opportunities teaching this course has brought me, and I appreciate all of the kind feedback given to me by previous students.

Bulletin Information

MATH 230: Calculus and Vector Analysis is a 4-credit, undergraduate-level, offered at Penn State University contributing to the Quantification requirement for a Bachelor of Arts, and is usually completed by students with majors in engineering programs, mathematics, sciences, and secondary education.

Enforced prerequisites upon enrollment are MATH 141 or MATH 141B or MATH 141E or MATH 141G or MATH 141H. Students who have passed either Math 231 or MATH 232 may not schedule Math 230 or MATH 230H for credit. MATH 230 is also offered as two 2-credit courses (MATH 231 and 232). Some students in certain science and engineering majors may be able to fulfill their major requirements with MATH 231 alone. On completing MATH 230, students may enroll in MATH 401, 405, 411, 412, and 421. An honors version of this course is offered at least once per year (coded as MATH 230H).