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Sean Gonzales |
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Math 1 Foundations of Lower Division Mathematics
(Fall 2025)
Quick Links
bCourses
Gradescope
Zoom (drop-in sessions)
Weekly Schedule
Syllabus
Welcome to Math 1: Foundations of Lower Division Mathematics!
The transition from high school to university-level mathematics is challenging. Of course the material becomes more complex, but there is more it it than that. The whole style of learning mathematics is different at university, and takes time to adjust to. So what are the major differences?
- More Conceptual. The material will emphasize conceptual understanding rather than rote computation. While each course will build a toolkit of essential computational techniques, why and how they work is what really matters. You'll need to understand why specific methods are effective under certain conditions and how to adapt them when assumptions change. Some concepts may require weeks of concentrated thought to fully internalize.
- Much Faster Pace. Nearly every lecture introduces a new concept or technique, assuming a solid grasp of previously covered foundational material. If you fall seriously behind it can be really difficult catching up.
- More In-Depth Computations. Examples and problems often involve multiple parts that combine various techniques. Developing a strong intuition is crucial for progressing from point A to point B through a sequence of logical steps.
- Serious Applications. Real-world problems frequently present complexities that necessitate sophisticated mathematical techniques for accurate modeling. Lower-division math courses are structured to swiftly bring students up to speed, balancing thoroughness with practicality.
The transition from high school to this next level clearly involves significant adjustments. Drawing from my experience teaching lower-division mathematics, Prof. Alex Paulin and I have designed Math 1 to help you navigate this challenging shift. Even very foundational topics, which you may already know well, will be approached from a university-level perspective with a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding and systematic problem-solving. The course follows the same style as other lower-division courses and comprehensively covers all essential topics necessary for success in future classes. Click on the tabs below to see the plan.
I hope you enjoy the class!
Sean Gonzales
If you need to contact me about an urgent matter, please use the following guidelines.
- Absences: you do not need to email me. Attendance is not recorded.
- Homework extensions: Only for students with "Assignment Extensions" DSP accommodations. Please contact me if you have a DSP-related emergency and want to request an extension.
- Personal emergency: A personal emergency typically means a family or medical emergency that will impact your performance in the course. Contact me if this is the case.
- Grading questions: While we do our best to grade accurately and fairly, mistakes do happen. If you have a question about your grade, you should contact me.
This is a hybrid online/in-person course. The main components of the course are as follows:
- Online video lectures: Each topic in the course has a corresponding playlist of bite-sized video lectures.
- Topic activities: Each topic has an associated topic activity worksheet. This worksheet will direct you to stop watching the videos at certain points to complete a brief exercise.
- Assignments: For each topic there is a corresponding homework assignment.
- Assignments released: Every Wednesday and Friday
- Assignments due: The following Tuesday (end of day) on Gradescope
- Solutions: Solutions for both the topic activities and assignments will be released according to the following schedule:
- Topic activity solutions released: Every Friday
- Assignment solutions released: The Friday after they are due
- Drop-in sessions: While this course can be completed online, we are providing drop-in sessions every day of each week. The drop-in sessions will allow you to work with other students and obtain help from our team of TAs.
- Location: Evans 1015 (10th floor) and Zoom
- Times:
- Monday 10am-12pm
- Tuesday 1-2pm
- Wednesday 1-3pm
- Thursday 1-2pm
- Friday 10am-12pm
Office hours will be available with several of our TAs. The details are given below:
Drisana's Office Hours- Where: Drisana's Zoom link
- When: Th 11am-1pm
- Where: Morgane's Zoom link
- When: F 1-3pm
Below is the weekly schedule for the course. If you click on any of the topic tabs you'll find links to the video playlists, topic activities, homework assignments, and solutions.
| When | What | Assignment |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (8/27-8/29) | Assignment 1: released 8/28, due 9/2 | |
| Week 2 (9/2 - 9/5) | Assignment 2: released 9/3, due 9/9 | |
| Assignment 3: released 9/5, due 9/9 | ||
| Week 3 (9/8-9/12) | Assignment 4: released 9/10, due 9/16 | |
| Assignment 5: released 9/12, due 9/16 | ||
| Week 4 (9/15-9/19) | Assignment 6: released 9/17, due 9/23 | |
| Assignment 7: released 9/19, due 9/23 | ||
| Week 5 (9/22-9/26) | Assignment 8: released 9/24, due 9/30 | |
| Assignment 9: released 9/26, due 9/30 | ||
| Week 6 (9/29-10/3) | Assignment 10: released 10/1, due 10/7 | |
| Assignment 11: released 10/3, due 10/7 | ||
| Week 7 (10/6-10/10) | Assignment 12: released 10/8, due 10/14 | |
| Assignment 13: released 10/10, due 10/14 |
Math 1 follows a pass/not-pass grading system, alleviating additional stress as you embark on your academic journey at Berkeley. We understand that you already have plenty to handle, and Math 1 aims to minimize any unnecessary pressure. Your final grade (P/NP) will be entirely determined by homework assignments. Rest assured that the focus is on your engagement and progress rather than assigning letter grades.
An overall percentage score of 70 or above will result in a pass.