You should use office hours (for all your classes) as an ongoing resource to address questions or difficulties that were not addressed in class.  Knowing your professor is also a great motivator and a good way to get advice on courses and other education and career related decisions.

Objectives:  Mathematics is an important part of a broad education, is used in all science and many social science fields, and is crucial in thinking logically and critically.  Mathematical literacy includes not only mastering various technical principles but also being able to use the precise language of mathematics to justify assertions.  Both of these can help you in your future career and in daily decisions.  Learning these skills can be difficult and frustrating at times.  But solving a problem, constructing a rigorous argument, and expressing solutions clearly are all rewarding processes that contribute to becoming a well educated and well rounded person.

The first goal of this course is for you to develop an understanding and appreciation of several ways in which mathematics is used in familiar aspects of everyday life.  We will focus on examples from voting systems, statistics, models of growth in nature and populations, symmetry, and network and routing optimization algorithms.  A second equally important goal is to strengthen your ability to think and read and write clearly by applying familiar and new techniques to solve mathematical problems and explain your answers.

By the end of this course you should:

• Be aware of and appreciate applications of mathematics to social choice, statistics, growth and symmetry, and management science.
• Be able to use basic ideas in voting theory, statistics, growth and symmetry, and management science to solve problems.
  
• Be able to formulate questions, solve problems, and communicate your questions and solutions clearly and effectively.
• Be able to think critically about uses and abuses of mathematics and statistics that surround us in daily life.
  

Materials: The text is Excursions in Modern Mathematics, 5th edition, by Peter Tannenbaum.  We will cover at least two chapters from each of the 4 parts.

Prerequisites: The prerequisite for this course is Math 025, Elementary Algebra, or equivalent preparation as evidenced by a sufficient score on the Math Placement Exam.  Being willing to work hard, explore, and learn to think and communicate mathematically will be extremely valuable.

Format and Evaluation
Class time will include a mixture of brief lectures and cooperative group work.  I expect you to prepare for each class.  You are responsible for material covered in all class sessions regardless of whether you have reason to be absent.

Studying together and discussing problems are encouraged, after you have worked hard on the material or problem yourself, since this can be a very effective and rewarding way to learn mathematics.  You will find such sessions most useful if you write up solutions yourself.  Answers in the book or a study guide are also most valuable when used after completing a problem.

Exams will be closed-book in-class exams.  Each will include some questions modeled directly on problems in the text and at least one problem that involves applying familiar concepts in a new situation.  If an emergency requires you to miss an exam, you should contact me or have someone else contact me before the exam if at all possible and must provide documentation.  The final date is firm, so please mark it down now.

Grades of A, B, C, D will be guaranteed by earning overall percentages of 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%.  Cutoffs for +/- will be determined at the end of the semester, but will be within 3 percentage points of these values.

Philosophy: All of you have the potential to succeed in this course and hard work counts for a great deal.  I continue to learn by expanding my knowledge of mathematics and its connections with other subjects, by doing original research, by understanding more about learning and teaching, and by working to teach in ever more effective ways.  I expect you will deepen your knowledge of mathematics and its applications, will learn to formulate questions that lead you to construct your own understanding of mathematics, and will know more about the process of problem solving after you complete this course.  The most important skill you gain during a college education is the ability to learn independently.

Accommodations: Our program is committed to all students achieving their potential.  If you have a disability or think you have a disability (physical, learning, hearing, vision, or psychiatric) that may need a reasonable accommodation, please contact the ADA Disabilities & Resource Center, Room 123 Graveley Hall, 282-3599 as soon as possible.