Summary of Calculator Requirements in First-year Mathematics
Updated June 2006.
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Math 25L, Math 26L, Math 31L, and Math 32L
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The Policy
We recommend that students use a TI-83 or TI-83+ calculator in Math 25L, Math 26L, Math 31L, and Math 32L.
Here are the reasons for this recommendation:
- The teachers and lab instructors will be working with the
TI-83. If you use a different calculator and if if you need any technical calculator support,
then the lab assistants may not be able to help you with a different machine.
- Many students have tried to work through our labs with other
calculators, and some have run into some difficulty with their inability
to get their "other" calculators to do what is needed in the labs. For example,
the TI-85, although it is similar in many ways to the TI-83, has been the source
of many problems in some of our more challenging labs. It's a fine machine, but
the user must be a true expert in some of its subtleties to make it do the job
we need for it to do.
Exceptions and Other Considerations
If you already own another calculator and if you know how to use it well, then
you can use that calculator as long as you don't expect technical support.
But note below that some machines are banned from major tests.
If you want to use a different calculator, you must let your
teacher or your lab instructor know, and you should make sure it's not one of
calculators which are banned from major tests (see below).
Those who will be using a calculator other than
the TI-83 should come to lab with their calculator manuals.
Banned machines
On the final exam machines that can perform symbolic operations in calculus are not allowed. Examples of such machines are the TI-89, the TI-92, and laptop computers.
The Calculator Drill
We have a "Calculator Drill" which we use to determine if students can use a non-TI-83
calculator well enough for the purposes of our labs. Here is a
link to the
Calculator Drill for those of you who would like to know what the
the expected calculator skills are.
The Policy
No calculators or computers are allowed on the Departmental final exams for Math 32 and Math 41.
Variations
Some teachers will expect you to have a basic
calculator that can compute powers, roots, logarithms, and trig
functions. These teachers may permit the use of these calculators on their individual tests.
The Policy
In Math 103 the policy with regard to calculators may vary slightly with the particular faculty who are teaching the course in any given semester. In most cases no calculators or computers are allowed on the exams.
Variations
Some teachers may allow calculators on their individual tests. In such a case a basic calculator that can compute powers roots, logarithms, and trig
functions is sufficient.
Questions
If you have other questions about calculators in Duke's math,
you can send an email
message to the Supervisor of First-Year Instruction, Lewis Blake, at
sfi@math.duke.edu
Other Addresses