College catalog's course description

Prerequisites: High school plane geometry and higher algebra.

QUANT: This course acquaints the student the logic and abstractions of the mathematical and informational sciences.

Instructor: John Holte

Office: Olin 307
Telephone: x7465
Office hours: M 1:30-2:20, T 9:00-9:50, W 10:30-12:20, F 9:00-9:50
Feel free to talk with me at other times as well.
E-mail: holte@gac.edu
My homepage: http://www.gac.edu/~holte
Course homepage: http://www.gac.edu/~holte/courses/mcs115

Textbook

Excursions in Modern Mathematics, 3rd edition
by Peter Tannenbaum and Robert Arnold
Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998
Textbook website: http://www.prenhall.com/tannenbaum

On reserve

• For All Practical Purposes video series
• Principles and Practice of Mathematics
  Old edition of textbook corresponding to the video series

Class meetings

MCS-115-001:	10:30-11:20	Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in Olin 318
MCS-115-002:	11:30-12:20	Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in Olin 317

Regular attendance, both physical and mental, is required.
If you have a disability that requires an accommodation, please see me as soon as possible.

MCS 115 Syllabus--Spring 2000

Class Dates	Sections	Topics	Tests
Feb. 7-24	Part II: Chapters 5, 6, ...	Management Science	Fri., Feb. 25
Feb. 28-Mar. 16	Part I: Chapters 1, 3, ...	Social Choice	Fri., Mar. 17
Mar. 20-Apr. 11	Part III: Chapters 9, 10, 12	Growth and symmetry	Fri., Apr. 14
Apr. 14-May 16	Part IV: Chapters 13-16	Statistics	Sat., May 20 8:00-10:00 OHS 103

This syllabus is tentative. Changes may be made during the semester.

Problem assignments

Course documents

• TSP example
• Birthday problem

Links

• Mathematics Teacher article on apportionment

Objectives and expectations

In this course we will journey together on a number of excursions into the wondrous territory of modern mathematics. We'll visit sites that will show you the surprising utility of mathematics in understanding problems in management science, social choice, growth and symmetry, and statistics. Our course will meet the Quantitative Reasoning requirement through its development of the language of mathematics and logic, its exercises in logical and algorithmic methods of symbolic reasoning, and its real-world applications and examples of mathematical modeling. Also we shall gain an appreciation of the impact of mathematics on technology and society by studying such issues as voting systems (Arrow's theorem says that a fair, decisive voting system is impossible), fair division of resources, and the uses and misuses of statistics.

I will be your guide on these journeys, and I'll do all I can to help you learn, but ultimately you must take responsibility for your own learning. This will require that you get engaged with the concepts and problems of various areas. Learning mathematics is not a passive activity. You must do mathematics to learn it. You should plan your studies so that you can spend about two hours outside class for each hour in class.

Homework and collaborative learning

I encourage you to work with other students in learning the material, both in class and on homework, provided that you do so in such a way that everyone in your group learns the material. You should write your solutions neatly and show clearly how you get your answers, at least in nontrivial problems. Your write-ups should be done independently, in your own words; solutions should not be copied from someone else's paper. You must give credit to those who helped you, including fellow students and tutors, and if you get part of your solution from any text or internet source, you must cite it so that it can be traced.

Homework rules

• Acknowledge your sources (people and texts).
• In nontrivial problems, show how you get your answers.
• Turn in neat, well-written solutions, not messy first drafts. Trim "fringes." Staple.
• Do not copy collaborative solutions; write up solutions in your own words.
• Turn in homework on time. Each class day late reduces the possible points by 25%.
• You must do extra credit problems entirely on your own.

Academic honesty

Page 31 of the Gustavus Adolphus College Academic Bulletin states in part: "The faculty of Gustavus Adolphus College expects all students to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty... In all academic exercises, examinations, papers, and reports, students shall submit their own work. Footnotes or some other acceptable form of citation must accompany any use of another's words or ideas."

Make-up policy

Make-up exams will not be given except for medical or family emergency reasons. Students who will be absent from an exam for a school-sponsored event should arrange with me in advance to have an exam sent along with the coach. Late homework will be penalized as stated on the assignment page. If you miss a class for any reason, you are still responsible for learning what was covered in class and for getting any homework that is due turned in on time. If there is a compelling reason for granting an extension, you must negotiate the arrangements with me.

Grading

Assuming satisfactory attendance and participation in class, your work will be weighted as follows

20%	Problem assignments
80%	Tests (20% each)

or as follows

30%	Problem assignments
60%	Best 3 tests at 20% each
10%	Worst test

whichever yields the better grade.