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Instructor: |
Prof. Thomas I. Seidman Office: MP 438 E-mail: seidman@math.umbc.edu |
Phone: (410) 455-2438 Fax: (410) 455-1066 http://www.math.umbc.edu/~seidman MESSAGES! |
Classes: TuTh 10:00am - 11:15am MP-106
Office Hours: TBA
Textbook: COMAP For All Practical Purposes (7th edition) W.H. Freeman and Co.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, you should have
Course Description:
The intention is to explore some of the variety of mathematics and
mathematical modes of thinking which may be either interesting in themselves
or useful for `real world problems' (or both!). In particular, one theme
for this semester will be to try to develop an understanding of the term
algorithm and another will be to develop a view of mathematics
as looking for patterns.
Our goal is to develop an appreciation for mathematics as an activity as
well as for its usefulness, taking advantage of the fact that in this
course we have no teleological constraints: there is no material which
we `must cover' here because it is preparation for something else.
The class will have an opportunity to participate in the selection of
topics to be considered during the semester.
Some possible topics
1. What does Mathematics have to do with understanding Health Care Insurance?
2. What are numbers? What is `infinity'?
3. Looking for patterns and symmetry
4. Algorithms: sorting, Kruskal's algorithm, Euler's problem
5. Scheduling
6... Etc...
Homework: There will be weekly homework assignments. These will always be due in class on Mondays, at the start of class. Assignments will be presented through the Messages link and also in class.
Challenge Problems: I will also give some "Challenge Problems" through the Message link. No specific ones of these are required, but I hope you will find some of them interesting and will attempt them. Answers should be e-mailed directly to me; credit for attempting (better yet, succeeding) with these will be separate.
Class Exams:
There will be two class exams given during the semester.
The dates of these tests will be announced in class at least a week
ahead of each test.
I will provide a preparatory problem set for each.
There will be no make up tests.
Final Exam:
The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, December 22, at 10:30am--12:30pm
and will cover material for the entire course. As for the class exams,
I will provide a preparatory problem set for the Final.
Summary Essay: To be turned in at the time of the Final, is a
`take-home' part, consisting of the following two questions:
(i) What have you learned in this course?
(This should include a selection of some important/useful/interesting thing
in the course, with some explanation of your choice. It should be a
personal self-assessment, not a catalog.)
(ii) What grade do you deserve for this course?
[acceptable justification only in terms of the answer to (i).]
You may also turn in with this any supplementary material for which you
might hope to receive extra credit.
Grading policy: Your final grade for the course will be based on the following:
| homework--100 | 2 class tests--100 each | Final--200 | Total--500 pts
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The usual 90-80-70-60% grading system will be used for assigning course
grades (subject to interpretation: the `take-home' part of the Final
will strongly influence this interpretation, especially if grading is
near a breakpoint between grade levels).
Study with a buddy!
It is not only acceptable but encouraged for students to study together
and to work jointly on the assignments.
No amount of individual study provides quite the same advantage as the
opportunity to explain things in your own words to someone else ---
definitions, procedures, how to apply these to concrete examples
(problems), etc. This should become a regularly scheduled part of your
activity in this and other courses. I believe that If you
can't explain it, then you don't understand it and I also believe a
partial converse to that: Making an effort to explain will
help you to understand.
In addition, you should be prepared for the possibility of missing a class
by having telephone numbers and/or e-mail addresses of several
classmates from whom you could then get information about announcements,
assignments, details of what was covered, etc., beyond what will be
available on the web.
"By enrolling in this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of an active participant in UMBC's scholarly community in which everyone's academic work and behavior are held to the highest standards of honesty. Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and helping others to commit these acts are all forms of academic dishonesty, and they are wrong. Academic misconduct could result in disciplinary action that may include, but is not limited to, suspension or dismissal. To read the full Student Academic Conduct Policy, consult the UMBC Student Handbook, the Faculty Handbook, or the UMBC Policies section of the UMBC Directory."