MATH 012
Patterns in Mathematics - spring 2012

Department of Mathematics
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Richard E. Bayne
Table of Contents:

[ Text and Required Materials | Course Objectives | Course Content | Pace Sheet | Pre-requisites | Cooperative Learning Groups | Requirements | Administrative Policies | Office Hours ]

Text and Required Materials

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Course Content

This is a one-semester course meant as an introduction to the art, nature and applications of mathematics, with an emphasis placed on mathematical patterns occurring in real life situations. The course is not intended as preparation for students planning to take any calculus course.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course the student should be able to:

Prerequisites

To be successful in this course, you should have facility in college algebra. You should have received a satisfactory grade in MATH 006 (College Algebra I) or a satisfactory score on the Mathematics Placement Examination. Please see me if you have any questions about your preparation for this course.

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Cooperative Learning Groups

A part of this course may be run using a cooperative learning approach. Classes can be highly interactive and vigorous class participation is expected. Early in the semester, each student will be assigned to a group of four to five students.

Working well in a group is an important skill. Some of you may enjoy the group work more than others, but all of you will benefit from further developing this skill. After graduation, most of you will be working in jobs which will require you to function as a member of a project team. One objective of group work in this course is to help you to develop skills in working effectively as part of a team. Another is to encourage discussion about the concepts.

One of the primary objectives of this course is to help you learn to think about problems mathematically and to solve the problems on your own. Working with your colleagues in this class and talking about problems with your group members are strategies to help you better understand a problem situation from several points of view. Experience has shown that those students that actually do work with their groups not only do better in the course, they also learn more. Those who for one reason or another refuse to fully participate in their cooperative group invariably do worse.

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Requirements & Administrative Policies

Regular attendance, participation, lab activities, homework:

Regular attendance is expected. Some material will be presented in class from a different perspective than that given in the text. "Getting someone's notes" is a poor substitute for being present and involved in class discussion. However, if you must miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed.

Each student will be expected to do the following:
  1. Attend every class.
  2. Devote a minimum of 12 hours of study per week to the course.
  3. Come to each class on time and ready to participate.
  4. Be willing to help your classmates.
  5. Be able to explain concepts to the instructor or to other students.
  6. Meet with group members at least twice each week to review and discuss course material.
  7. Do all class activities and homework assignments.

Please note that only under the most unusual circumstances will class activities or homework assignments be accepted after the due date.

EXAMS:
There will be four hour exams each worth 100 points. The material to be covered on each test will be announced in advance of the scheduled test date. Tests are tentatively scheduled for the following dates, but please note that these dates may change depending on class progress and unforseen circumstances. 
			Exam #1	FEB 3			Exam #2	MAR 2
			Exam #3	MAR 30			Exam #4	APR 25
				Final Exam	MAY ??

Ordinarily, there are no make-up tests; exceptions to this policy will be considered on a case-by-case basis. My advice is to determine BEFORE the exam date whether your excuse will be acceptable. Generally, incomplete grades will not be given. If there is an emergency which causes a student to be unable to finish course requirements, the emergency must be documented by the student's advisor or by the advisory center. If you have concerns about your progress or ability to keep up with course assignments, please discuss these with me as soon as possible. DO NOT WAIT until late in the semester.

Final Exam: 200 points The cumulative final exam is scheduled for early May, 2012 as scheduled

WeBWorK

In addition to homework problems that will be assigned from the text, there will be continuing assignments of problems on line using WeBWorK. WeBWorK is an online system that allows you to work homework problems on the web. You will have the opportunity to work the problems more than once and generally will be able to work them until you get the correct answer. You should read through the introduction to WeBWorK before the end of the first week of classes.

GRADES Grades will be determined as follows: 

	hour exams     400 points
	final exam     200 points
	homework       100 points   (combined paper work and webwork)

	A        85% - 100% of total points available    
	B        75% - 84% of total points available     
	C        62% - 74% of total points available    
	D        50% - 61% of total points available     
	F        0% - 49% of total points available
     Please note that in marginal situations the final exam may be given greater consideration in determination of grades.

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Academic Integrity Policy

Students who cheat violate their own integrity and the integrity of the university by claiming credit for work they have not done and knowledge they do not possess. All students are expected to recognize and to abide by the policy on academic integrity found in the Student Handbook. Because you will be asked to do a lot of work in collaboration with your group members, I will ask you to sign all homework assignments attesting to the fact that you have actively participated in the work.


Office Hours

Although the Mathematics Department office is located in 204 ASB, my office is located in 236 Annex III, on the corner of 4th and College Streets, and can be reached from either of the two south-facing doors which are accessible from the driveway between Annex III and the C. B. Powell building as well as from the entrance on the corner of 4th and College. As a rule, I am available for students on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. My office hours for spring 2012 are If you are unable to meet at these times, since I am often in my office at other times, it is possible to make an appointment at a different time that will be convenient for both of us.

If you need to reach me between classes:

I regularly check email several times a day both from home and at school, but I check voice messages only when I am on campus. The easiest way to contact me is to send an e-mail message to Richard Bayne.

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This page was updated December 2011.

Approximate Schedule

Jan 10 Goals for Course
Mar 05 Probability
Jan 11 Mathematics and Politics
Mar 07 Probability
Jan 13 Mathematics and Politics
Mar 09 Charter Day
Jan 16 Martin Luther King Day
Mar 12 Spring Break
Jan 18 Mathematics and Politics
Mar 14 Spring Break
Jan 20 Mathematics and Politics
Mar 16 Spring Break
Jan 23 Mathematics and Politics
Mar 19
 Probability
Jan 25 Pattern Recognition
Mar 21
 Probability
Jan 27 Pattern Recognition
Mar 23 Probability
Jan 30 Problem Solving
Mar 26 Statistics
Feb 01 Problem Solving
Mar 28
 Statistics
Feb 03 EXAM #1
Mar 30
 EXAM #3
Feb 06 Set Theory
Apr 02 Statistics
Feb 08 Set Theory
Apr 04 Statistics
Feb 10 Logic
Apr 06 Statistics
Feb 13 Logic
Apr 09
 Modeling with Functions
Feb 15 Logic
Apr 11 Modeling with Functions
Feb 17 Counting - Fundamental Principle
Apr 13 Linear Models
Feb 20 President's Day
Apr 16 Linear Models
Feb 22 Counting - Permutations
Apr 18
 Non-Linear Models
Feb 24 Counting - Combinations
Apr 20 Non-Linear Models
Feb 27 Counting - Applications
Apr 23 Non-Linear Models
Feb 29
 Counting - Applications
Apr 25 EXAM #4
Mar 02 EXAM #2

Last Day of Class
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