Per the syllabus, the midterm is worth 30% of the final grade and is weighted below the final exam (40%) precisely because only 7 teaching weeks precede it, compared to the weeks after. Scores are announced before the course withdrawal deadline (2 October 2026).
What the Midterm Covers
| Week | Topic | Thomas' Calculus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Functions, Graphs & Trigonometry | §A.2, 1.1–1.3 |
| 2 | Rates of Change & Limits | §2.1–2.3 |
| 3 | One-Sided Limits, Continuity & Infinity | §2.4–2.6 |
| 4 | The Derivative & Differentiation Rules | §3.1–3.6 |
| 5 | Implicit Differentiation & Related Rates | §3.7–3.9 |
| 6 | Applications of the Derivative | §4.1–4.5 |
| 7 | The Definite Integral | §5.1–5.3 |
Two topics inside this range were explicitly flagged as not examinable when introduced: mathematical induction (§A.2, Week 1) and the precise epsilon–delta definition of a limit (§2.3, Week 2). Everything else in Weeks 1–7 is fair game.
The Throughline
Weeks 1–7 are not seven independent topics; they are one chain, each link depending on the one before:
- Functions and trigonometry (Week 1) supply the objects everything else acts on.
- Limits (Weeks 2–3) make precise what "approaching a value" means, including at infinity.
- The derivative (Week 4) is defined as one specific limit — the tangent-slope limit from Week 2, formalised.
- Implicit differentiation and related rates (Week 5) apply the derivative to curves and situations not already solved for one variable.
- Applications of the derivative (Week 6) use the sign of the first and second derivatives to describe a function's shape completely.
- The definite integral (Week 7) is a second, seemingly unrelated limit — the connection to the derivative is Week 9's Fundamental Theorem, just after the exam.
A midterm question rarely tests a single week in isolation; expect combinations, such as a limit computation feeding into a derivative, or a related-rates setup requiring implicit differentiation.
Study Checklist
Work through each week's self-check quiz in order. If you score below 70% on any one, re-read that week's lecture notes before moving to the next quiz — the chain above means gaps compound.
This page is a study aid, not an official announcement. Confirm the exact date, time, room, format, and permitted materials for the midterm on the course Google Classroom.