Text: Mathematics Beyond the Numbers, Custom Ed, by Gilbert and Hatcher
This course will stress problem solving skills and the development of reasoning skills in an interactive setting. The mathematics involved is not difficult, but most of it is not routine either. We will see how some of this mathematics allows us to better understand the world surrounding us. As much of the class time will be devoted to active participation in discovering solutions to problems, regular attendance and class participation can enter into the final grade, especially in pass/fail situations.
The course outline gives weekly reading and homework assignments. The pace of the course will be adjusted somewhat, depending on the pace of classroom discussions, so the student must always be up to date on what the assignments are. Material in the text should be read before the classroom discussions of that material, and homework for that section is due the class following the discussion. Homework will be discussed at the beginning of each lecture. Homework will not be collected. Instead, there will be weekly quizzes and/or projects.
There will be no makeup examinations given during the semester for students who miss the regularly scheduled hour exam. If a student misses one hour exam, his/her grade on the portion of the final examination covering the material on which the exam was based will be fairly weighted and used to replace the missing grade. Students are permitted to miss two exams only under dire and documented circumstances. Students who miss the final exam must receive permission from the office of the Dean of Students to make up the final, and receive the grade "Absent" in the interim. "Incomplete" or "Absent" grades must be made up by the third week of the next semester. Students MUST see their instructor during the first week of classes in order to schedule the makeup exam.
Please make use of office hours and/or the Math Learning Centers if you experience difficulty with course material after it is covered in class. Students who actively read the material, try the book examples, do the homework exercises, and seek help when they encounter difficulties tend to learn more, and this is reflected in the final grade.