Rutgers Math 138 – Calculus II for Biological Sciences

Nature of the Course

This course includes topics from differential equations and linear algebra that are useful in the Biological Sciences, topics which are not usually found in a second semester Calculus course. The course also gives an introduction to mathematical modelling of population growth, covering three mathematical models of population growth based upon: birth/death rates; limits to growth; and age distribution.

To include this material, the course excludes many topics that are needed in a third semester calculus course such as 251.

Math 138 is not a CALC2 equivalent course.

The only courses satisfying the CALC2 prerequisite are Math 152, 154, and 192. These are different versions of the second semester of the sequence Calculus for Mathematics and the Physical Sciences, a traditional second semester calculus course that prepares students for higher level mathematics courses. Students who may wish to take Math 251 should follow Math 135 with Math 152, not Math 138 (and not Math 136). This applies to students in certain programs in the Biological Sciences (in particular, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry), which require Math 251. More information on the transition from Math 135 to Math 152 can be found on the web page Mathematics placement advice.

Math 138 will not serve as a prerequisite for Math 251 or any other course requiring a CALC2 prerequisite, except Math 250.

In summary: If you intend to take higher level courses requiring CALC2, do not take Math 136 or Math 138; take Math 152 instead.

For a further discussion of Math 138, see What is this course?

Text and Syllabus

Since Spring 2006, the textbook for this course is a Calculus and Its Applications, a custom text for Rutgers University, published by Pearson Custom Publishing. The text is based primarily on Calculus, Third Edition, by Strauss, Bradley and Smith, but also contains material from Calculus & Its Applications, by Goldstein, both published by Prentice Hall.

The course also requires two supplements to the textbook:

• A Rutgers supplement, with two parts, on A. Population Growth Models and B. Linear Algebra.
• A UMAP Supplement, Population Projection, by Edward L. Keller. You will need a username and a password to access this material; they will be supplied to you in the lectures.

Current Semester: Spring 2008

• Review Problems For The Final Exam
• Review Problem For The Televised Review
• Watch the televised review
• Formula Sheet For The Final Exam

• Sec. 01, 02: Sara Soffer
• Secs. 10-12: Shahid Rashid

This course is not offered in Fall Semesters.

Previous semesters

• Spring 2007, Katiuscia Teixeira, Secs. 01-02 and 10-12 (no web pages)
• There are no web pages for Spring 2005-2007
• Spring 2004
• Spring 2003
• Spring 2002
• Spring 2001
• Spring 1997

Catalog Description

01:640:138. CALCULUS II FOR THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (4)
For biological sciences majors.
Prerequisite: CALC1. Credit restrictions: CR2.
Techniques of integration, elementary differential equations and their applications to biological sciences, and an introduction to linear algebra.

Comments on this page should be sent to: ugvc-AT-math.rutgers.edu
Last updated: 1/2008, UGVC