MAT237 Multivariable Calculus with Proofs

Summer 2025 Syllabus

University of Toronto

Can an ant walking on the Earth tell if it’s a sphere? What patterns can we find in massive data sets?
How can we maximize our company’s revenue subject to so many cost constraints? Which direction
should we walk to rapidly ascend up a mountain? How does wind flow over an airplane wing? Why
can we only see one side of the moon? How does heat transfer across a surface? Where can we expect
to find an electron in a hydrogen orbital? How can we describe the relationship between electricity
and magnetism? Why do complex numbers arise in the theory of sound and music? Which path will
a rubber duck take as it floats along the river? How do algorithms in artificial intelligence learn from
evolving data? What is the shape of the universe?

Multivariable calculus is the language used to explore all of these questions and many more. We
will explore this mathematical theory and touch on some of these fascinating questions.

The MAT237 teaching team has three objectives for your growth and development. We want you to:

1. Learn more independently. You will be trained to actively read a textbook with quantitative
theory and generate critical questions. You will evaluate sophisticated arguments and measure
their validity. You will build connections between ideas within a rich and growing framework.

2. Apply advanced calculus tools and problem solving techniques. You will select and apply ap-
propriate tools from multivariable calculus using a modern perspective informed by linear algebra.
You will analyze familiar and novel situations, both theoretical and applied. You will experiment
with computer software to perform routine calculations and explore problems.

3. Communicate mathematics rigorously and intuitively. You will write complex multistep proofs
and translate between plain and technical language to convey ideas. You will interpret informa-
tive computer graphics of multidimensional situations. You will collaborate with classmates and
articulate your thought process.

We are excited to support your learning experience so please come talk to us at any time!

Based on template by Asif Zaman. Last updated 2025-05-02 at 22:25:05.

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Contents
1 Contact 3
1.1 Instructors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 Health and wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Platforms 4

3 Resources 5
3.1 Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.2 Suggested . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4 Support 7
4.1 Lectures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.2 Office hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.3 Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

5 Assessments 8
5.1 Pre-class quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.2 Problem sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.3 Final exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5.4 Late or missed assessment policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

6 Grades 8
6.1 Grading scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
6.2 Academic integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

7 Schedules 9
7.1 Weekly study schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
7.2 Tentative schedule of topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
7.3 Tentative course calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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1 Contact
1.1 Instructors
You can find a complete list of the teaching team on Quercus. Here is a list of instructors.

Armanpreet Pannu LEC0101 (first half) arman.pannu@mail.utoronto.ca

Yukai Zhang LEC0101 (second half) yukai.zhang@mail.utoronto.ca

You must email us from your @mail.utoronto.ca account and you must follow basic email etiquette.
Otherwise, your email will be automatically deleted. Email is reserved for administrative questions.

1.2 Questions
• Mathematics: Post on Piazza, or talk to teaching staff during office hours.

• Course administration: First, read this syllabus carefully. Second, search the announcements.
Third, read the frequently updated Policies and FAQ on Quercus. If you have searched these
sources and cannot find the answer to your question, then email your instructor.

• Course advice: Post on Piazza or email your instructor.

• Accessibility: The University of Toronto is committed to accessibility. If you require any additional
academic accommodations, please contact Accessibility Services (studentlife.utoronto.ca/as) as
soon as possible.

• University life: Please contact your college registrar for almost any aspect of your university life,
especially if you are experiencing any academic, personal, or financial struggles.

1.3 Health and wellness

The Health and Wellness Centre provides a range of services for your physical and mental health, well-
ness programs, and information to help support you in achieving your personal and academic goals. We
encourage you to explore their offerings and build healthy habits.

If you are searching for immediate and/or ongoing confidential support for any school, health, or general
life concern then please call U of T MySSP at 1-844-451-9700 (or 001-416-380-6578 for outside North
America). This service is free and available 24 hours a day in many languages.

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2 Platforms
Quercus is your MAT237 homepage. It will have all announcements, logistics, Zoom links,
pre-class essentials, course materials, and deadlines. Surveys and pre-class quiz grades will
be posted on Quercus. However, grades for problem sets and tests can only be viewed on
Gradescope; these will not be synced with Quercus.

Gradescope is your MAT237 grading and submission software for problem sets and tests.
Login to the Canadian server only (www.gradescope.ca). Do not use the .com server. Your
@mail.utoronto.ca account1 will be automatically signed up for a free account when you are
assigned your first problem set. Browse their help centre for technical support.

Piazza is your MAT237 discussion forum. It is free for you. You can post questions, find
teammates, and help each other. Instructors and TAs will moderate the forum.

Zoom is the platform used for MAT237 online learning. All lectures and tutorials will be
conducted via Zoom, and online office hours will also be held there. For security purposes,
you must sign up for a free Zoom account using your @mail.utoronto.ca email address. We
strongly recommend installing the Zoom desktop client or mobile app for the best experience.
Before accessing any MAT237 Zoom sessions, please ensure that you are logged in through
utoronto.zoom.us.

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This email should be the same as the one for Quercus (https://q.utoronto.ca/profile/settings).

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3 Resources
The course prerequisites are (MAT135,MAT136,MAT138)/MAT137/MAT157 and MAT223/MAT240; see
the FAS calendar for details.

3.1 Required
Textbook

There is no official textbook for the course. We will instead usually provide free custom course notes.
We will also share a detailed list of readings and resources on Quercus organized lecture-by-lecture.

Equipment & Technology

The Vice-Provost has outlined basic technology requirements for online learning. For any online ac-
tivities, you will need a webcam, microphone, headphones, computer, and a strong reliable internet
connection. To submit problem sets or online tests, you will need a digital writing tablet or access to
a printer. Please email your instructor immediately if you are concerned about meeting any of these
technology requirements. Read the Policies and FAQ on Quercus for further details.

3.2 Suggested
Notes

R. Jerrard, MAT237 online notes, revised by Z. Wolske (2020)

T. Holden, MAT237 lecture notes (2016)
These freely available notes were created by two previous coordinators. Read one if you are looking for
an alternate explanation. Be careful as they sometimes approaches things differently than us.

Textbooks
G. Strang, E. Herman, Calculus Volume 3, OpenStax (2020)
ISBN-13: 978-1-938168-07-9
This textbook is better suited for a less theoretical course like MAT235. Nonetheless, its many
examples and informal explanations can be helpful. You can freely download a PDF or view
it online. Be careful as the definitions are often non-rigorous or do not match our version.

C.H. Edwards, Advanced calculus of several variables, Dover Publications (1995)

ISBN-13: 978-0-486-68336-2
This was the 2020–21 textbook, but it is not required this year. It is a good alternate resource
for the first term, but not the second term. Be careful as definitions and theorems may vary.

G.B. Folland, Advanced calculus, Pearson (2002)

ISBN-13: 978-0-130-65265-2
This was the textbook before 2020, but it is not required this year. It is a good alternate
resource for both terms. Be careful as definitions and theorems may vary.

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 J. Siefken, Linear Algebra (2019)

This is the official MAT223 Linear Algebra textbook. Use it to refresh your linear algebra.

Videos

MAT137 YouTube channel created by Alfonso Gracia-Saz is an excellent resource for prereq-
uisite review of single variable calculus and how to write proofs.

Khan Academy has a nice set of videos with many computational and motivational examples.
The visuals are especially helpful. However, there is little discussion of theory or proofs.

Software

Computer software is an outstanding way to experiment and produce graphs which would otherwise
be really hard to create by hand. Here are some online calculators that are easy to use.

Math3D.org is a basic free online tool for plotting 3D objects using equations. If you want to
play around with anything in three dimensions, this is a good choice.

Desmos is a basic free online tool for plotting 2D objects using equations. If you want to play
around with contour plots, vector fields, or curves in a plane, this is a good choice.

WolframAlpha is a basic free online calculator for all kinds of calculations. If you want to play
around with simple computations, this is a good choice.
For more complex computations or custom graphs, you should use either MATLAB or Octave.
MATLAB is the industry standard for numerical scientific programming with comprehensive
packages for all sorts of procedures. It is freely available via your university login.

Octave is a free open-source alternative to MATLAB and its language is very similar. To get
started quickly using only your browser, try Octave online.

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4 Support
For details on course delivery, read the section on safety. For further details on these supports, see the
Policies and FAQ on Quercus

4.1 Lectures
Lectures are designed to help you achieve a key course objective: to learn independently.

Before lecture, you must complete the pre-class essentials. For each hour of lecture, this includes a
guided reading and a short graded quiz which are assigned on Quercus.

During lecture, you should come prepared with the intention to learn. This means arriving prepared
(having completed the Pre-Class Essential), engaging actively, and being ready to think critically about
new concepts.

This course runs at an accelerated pace, with 6 hours of lectures per week. You can expect the
content to move quickly — roughly double the speed of a typical 3-hour course. As such, staying current
with the material each week is essential. Falling behind will make it difficult to catch up.

Recording your instructor is strictly prohibited without your instructor’s consent; this includes pictures
and audio. In-person lectures will not be recorded. Online lectures, including your participation, may be
recorded on video by the instructor and may be available to students in the course for viewing remotely
and after each session. Course videos and materials belong to your instructor, the University, and/or
other sources depending on the specific facts of each situation and are protected by copyright. Do not
download, copy, or share any course or student materials or videos without the explicit permission of
the instructor. For questions about recordings and use of videos in which you appear, please see the
Policies and FAQ on Quercus or contact your instructor.

4.2 Office hours

You can attend any instructor or TA office hours without an appointment. They are all drop-in and open
to everyone. An office hour calendar will be posted on Quercus. We are here to support you with any
aspect of the course. Remember we will give hints, not answers. Visit us to chit-chat, study with peers,
or listen to other questions. We are always happy to talk.

4.3 Tutorials
TAs will host tutorials twice a week. You will practice mathematical communication and collaborate
with your peers in small groups. Some tutorials may be focused on the previous lecture worksheets and
some may be focused on an upcoming problem set or test. TAs will circulate through breakout rooms,
provide hints, and give feedback on your preliminary ideas. Further details can be found on Quercus
including how to sign up.

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5 Assessments
5.1 Pre-class quiz
You will have a total of at most 72 pre-class quizzes (one per lecture hour) on Quercus. Your best 54
out of 72 quizzes will count towards your final grade.

5.2 Problem sets

You will have 11 problem sets that you submit on Gradescope. These are your deep practice and the
most fundamental part of this course. You are required to complete all questions on a problem set
however some questions may not be graded.

5.3 Final exam

The final exam will be held in August 2025 and is planned to be held in-person. The final exam will be
cumulative. Details on the format and time will be shared mid-semester.

5.4 Late or missed assessment policies

Verification of Illness forms (also known as a “doctor’s note”) are not required. Students who are absent
from class for any reason (e.g., COVID, cold, flu, other illness or injury, family situation) and who
require consideration for missed academic work should report their absence through the online absence
declaration. The declaration is available on ACORN under the Profile and Settings menu.

• Late submissions will not be accepted for any assessment for any reason at all.
• If you miss a pre-class quiz then it will be one of the assessments that are dropped according to
the policies outlined above.
• If you miss the deadline for a problem set, please email your instructor within 24 hours to
explain the situation. Late submissions may be accepted if there is valid reasoning; however,
please note that solutions will typically be posted 24–48 hours after the deadline, after which no
further submissions can be accepted. If you miss a problem set for a valid reason and cannot
submit it, that problem set will be treated as your lowest score and dropped. The weight for every
subsequent missed problem set will be moved to the final exam.

6 Grades
6.1 Grading scheme
Your grading scheme will be:

10% Pre-class quizzes: Only your best 54 out of 72 will be counted2 , so each is worth ≈ 0.19%.

30% Problem Sets: Your lowest problem set will be dropped and the remaining 10 problem sets will
count for 3% each.

60% Final exam

2
If fewer quizzes are assigned then proportionally fewer quizzes will count, e.g. if 60 quizzes are assigned, your best 45
out of 60 will count towards your final grade.

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6.2 Academic integrity
Collaboration on problem sets

Discussing exercises with your other classmates is a useful and mathematically healthy practice. You
must however write up and submit your solution individually.

Collaboration on Term Tests

The term tests are meant to assess your individual knowledge of the course content and as such, com-
munication with anyone except the instructors is prohibited during the test.

Code of Behaviour

Familiarize yourself with the University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. It is the
rule book for academic behaviour at the UofT and you are expected to know the rules. A simplified
version is available here:

https://www.academicintegrity.utoronto.ca/perils-and-pitfalls/

The University of Toronto treats cases of academic misconduct very seriously. All suspected cases of
academic dishonesty will be investigated following the procedures outlined in the Code. The conse-
quences for academic misconduct can be severe, including a failure in the course and a notation on
your transcript. Every year, students get expelled permanently for academic offences.

7 Schedules
7.1 Weekly study schedule
To help you manage your time effectively, here is our expectations for your weekly time commitment.
Please remember that this is a double-speed course so you should expect to spend twice as much time
compared to a standard course.

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 Complete pre-class essentials.
3h
This is your foundational knowledge. This time includes watching or reading any
assigned material and submitting the pre-class quizzes.

Participate in lectures.
6h
This is your first practice with new material and a chance to test your basic under-
standing. Be active in every lecture. Answer polls and discuss with classmates.

Collaborate in tutorial.
2h
This is your second practice to deepen your understanding and communication
skills. Collaborate with peers. Practice writing and speaking mathematics.

Work on the problem set or prepare for the term test.

6–9 h This is your deep practice. It is when most of your learning actually happens! The
time spent may vary from week-to-week but you should always be dedicating at
least 3 hours per week.

Ask questions on Piazza or at office hours.

2h This is your opportunity for feedback and reflection. You might be stuck or might
not be confident in your approach. Those moments are critical to your growth. We
will share feedback on your initial attempts and hints at getting unstuck.

You should therefore spend a total of about 19 to 22 hours per week on MAT237. This matches the
expectation that full-time university students with 4 to 5 courses will spend about 40 to 55 hours per
week on their studies.

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7.2 Tentative schedule of topics
The following schedule provides a rough outline of the timeline and topics to be covered. It is subject
to change, and topics may be adjusted—added or removed—as the semester progresses.

May and June 2025

Week Topics
1 Interior, boundary, closure; Sequences
Open and closed sets
2 Compact sets; Limits
Continuity; Path-connected sets; Extreme value theorem
3 Directional and partial derivatives; Linear approximations; Gradient
Differentials and Jacobian; Differentiability; Chain rule
4 Local extrema and critical points; Optimization; Tangent space
Regular manifolds; Diffeomorphisms; Inverse function theorem
5 Nonlinear systems; Implicit function theorem; Implicit manifolds
Lagrange multipliers; Constrained optimization; Mean value theorem
6 2nd order partials and Hessian; Higher order partials; Taylor polynomials
Classification of critical points; Taylor’s theorem

July and August 2025

Week Topics
7 Partitions; Upper and lower sums; Integration over rectangles in Rn
Uniform continuity; Zero Jordan measure sets; Jordan measurable sets
8 Integration over non-rectangles in Rn ; Averages and mass
2D Fubini’s theorem; Double integrals; Integrals in polar coordinates
9 3D Fubini’s theorem; Triple integrals; Integrals in cylindrical coordinates
Integrals in spherical coordinates; Change of variables
10 Parametrized curves; Arc length; Line integrals
FTLI; Conservative vector fields; 2D circulation
11 2D divergence; Green’s theorems; Parametrized surfaces
Surface area; Surface orientation and boundary; Surface integrals
12 3D flux and divergence; Divergence theorem; 3D circulation and curl
Stokes’ theorem; Div, grad, curl

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7.3 Tentative course calendar
All assessment deadlines are tentative.
May 4 May 5 START May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10

May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17

PS1 due

May 18 May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24

PS2 due

May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31

PS3 due

Jun 1 Jun 2 Jun 3 Jun 4 Jun 5 Jun 6 Jun 7

PS4 due

Jun 8 Jun 9 Jun 10 Jun 11 Jun 12 Jun 13 Jun 14

PS5 due

Jun 15 Jun 16 END Jun 17 Jun 18 Jun 19 Jun 20 Jun 21

Jun 22 Jun 23 Jun 24 Jun 25 Jun 26 Jun 27 Jun 28

Jun 29 Jun 30 Jul 1 Jul 2 START Jul 3 Jul 4 Jul 5

PS6 due

Jul 6 Jul 7 Jul 8 Jul 9 Jul 10 Jul 11 Jul 12

PS7 due

Jul 13 Jul 14 Jul 15 Jul 16 Jul 17 Jul 18 Jul 19

PS8 due

Jul 20 Jul 21 Jul 22 Jul 23 Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26

PS9 due

Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2

PS10 due

Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7 Aug 8 Aug 9

PS11 due

Aug 10 Aug 11 Aug 12 Aug 13 END Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16

Exam Period

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