Math 230 - 101, Term 1 2011
Introduction to Finite Mathematics
Announcements
Announcements will be posted from time to time. Please check
regularly.
- Don't forget there is no class on
Sept 6th due to UBC Imagine Day.
- A link to the Khan Academy
for extra practice computations and videos. Here are some useful links
for topics to try.
- Homework hand-in: Please
leave them in a pile on the front desk before class starts on Thusday
for me to collect. Thank you.
- The will be no office hours October 6th, November 3rd due to the
midterm.
- Midterm details now up.
- UBC is closed Monday 10th October. Happy Thanksgiving!
- Well done on the great Midterm 1 average of 85% - Keep up the
great
work!
- More midterm details up.
- Project stuff:
- Imagine it is a Science Fair - make your poster as elaborate
as you like!
- Don't forget to cite all your sources.
- Prepare a 5 minute presentation for the "judges" to explain
the best bits of your poster to me.
- Sign up for a slot outside Math 208.
- Dates will be 22/11, 24/11, 29/11, 1/12.
- Congratulations on the excellent Midterm 2 average of 87% - Keep
up the great
work to the final!
Course details
Lecture details
Lecturer: S. van Willigenburg,
office: Math 208, tel: 822-2630, email: steph at math splotch ubc
splotch ca
Location: TuTh 14.00-15.30 IBLC 261
Web page: http://www.math.ubc.ca/~steph/230/230.html
Office hours: Mon 10-11am, Thur 4-5pm, 15 mins just after class, and by
appointment (not
Wednesday). You can also email me anytime.
Course description
This is for students who would like an introduction to mathematical
thinking, and are interested in exploring mathematics constructively.
It is suitable for students not in
the Faculty of Science who would like
to further develop their critical thinking skills or who would like to
become
elementary school teachers. Topics will include
number theory, geometry and contortions of space.
In particular, this is not a
remedial course in mathematics, nor a course in mathematical pedagogy.
Text
The Heart of Mathematics: An
invitation to effective thinking 3rd Ed, Burger and Starbird, Wiley. ISBN-13 978-0470424766.
This text is useful for another perspective on the material. A rigorous
treatment of the material will be covered in class, so taking good
notes is important.
Homework and Project
There will be weekly homework
assignments due on Thursdays. The homework is the most important
part
of the course. Most of your learning will take place while doing it. We
will not accept late homework except in very unusual circumstances.
We will, however, drop the lowest homework grade.
There will also be a term project where you will present a topic in
academic poster form.
Exams
Midterm 1, Thursday October 6th.
Midterm 2, Thursday November 3rd.
Final exam, Saturday December 10th.
Calculators, books, notes etc are not permitted in any exam.
Please
bring your student ID to all exams.
Please note that there are no make-up or alternate exams, so make
sure
you do not make travel plans, work plans etc that will conflict.
Valid documentation must be provided if any consideration is to be
taken for a missed midterm.
Grading
Your grade will be based on
- Homework (10%)
- Term project (20%)
- Midterms (30%)
- Final exam (40%).
Note: Students must pass the final exam to pass
this course. If a student does not attend the final, the deferred final
will be worth 50%, and the remaining components rescaled appropriately.
Working together and academic integrity
Homework: We have no objection to collaboration on the homework,
provided
that it is done in a way that maximizes the benefit of the homework to
all people involved. It is our experience that you
get
- maximum benefit from a homework problem if you work hard on it
alone
before combining your ideas with someone else's,
- no benefit from one person just telling another how to do a
problem.
Regardless of whether you arrive at solutions in collaboration with
others or alone, the paper
that you turn in with your name on it should represent your own
solutions,
written in your own words.
In particular, you may not simply copy someone else's homework
and
turn it in as your own. Similarly, copying solutions that you
might find on
the web or from some other source is illegal.
These will all be treated as a violation of UBC's
Academic
Integrity Code. We take academic
integrity
very seriously and will follow university procedures in all cases of
suspected
cheating - disciplinary
measures can result in expulsion.
Exams: There is anecdotal evidence that quite a bit of cheating
occurs on
campus.
In an effort to prevent one common form of cheating, we will xerox a
random
sample of exam books before returning them.
Class etiquette
Use of cell phones (in any manner), laptops, pagers, Blackberries
and other electronic devices during class is highly inappropriate and
disrespectful to fellow students and the instructor. Chatting with
neighbours, even when whispered, is equally unacceptable. If you have a
question then please ask the instructor. Arriving late and leaving
early is also discouraged. If it happens then please enter/leave the
room silently and do not disrupt the other students or instructor.
Thank you.
Online resources
Assignments
Assignment
0, due never.
Assignment
1, due Thursday September 15th.
Assignment
2, due Thursday September 22nd.
Assignment
3, due Thursday September 29th.
No
homework due October 6th, due to midterm exam.
Assignment
4, due Thursday October 13th.
Assignment
5, due Thursday October 20th.
Assignment
6, due Thursday October 27th.
No
homework due November 3rd, due to midterm exam.
Assignment
7, due Thursday November 10th.
Assignment
8, due Thursday November 17th.
Solutions
In mathematics it can take a long time to understand each sentence.
Don't be alarmed if reading these solutions takes longer than usual,
this is perfectly normal.
Assignment
0
Assignment
1
Assignment
2
Assignment
3
Assignment
4
Assignment
5
Assignment
6
Assignment
7
Assignment
8
Term project
Information
sheet
Exams
Midterm 1,
Thursday October 6th.
Midterm 2,
Thursday November 3rd.
Final exam,
Saturday December 10th.
Other handouts
Here are some more study materials I found to help, or might be
interesting.
Other useful links