Lecture Time: 10:00am – 11:50am (TR) Location: Mary Reed
021
Instructor: Mei
Yin mei.yin@du.edu
Office and Office Hours: Aspen Hall Middle 713B,
1:30pm – 3:00pm
(TR), or by appointment
Course Description: The purpose of this seminar is to make available for students samples of important and realistic applications of mathematics. The goal is to provide illustrations of how mathematics is employed to solve relevant contemporary problems. No matter how simple a mathematical model is, it involves making choices and calls for creativity. The class will not assume much background in mathematics except high school mathematics.
Student
Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this
course, a student should:
1. discover what it means to be an active member of an
intellectual community by meeting rigorous academic
expectations through critical reading, discussion,
research, and/or writing.
2. practice newly acquired skills in an active learning
environment where writing, quantitative reasoning,
critical thinking, presentation and argument, and/or
information literacy will shape the goals and activities
of the seminar.
Grading:
Your final grade for the course will be determined based
on a numerical weighted average calculated as follows:
Attendance/Participation 20% Homework/Discussion
Questions 40% Term Paper/Presentation 40%.
This average percentage will then be converted into a
final letter grade based partially on how other students
perform this quarter, and partially on typical
percentage grades from previous quarters of the course.
Attendance: Students are expected to
attend and actively participate in every scheduled class.
Homework:
Homework and/or discussion questions will be assigned
every week. You may work on the
assignments either on your own or in a group
consisting of no more than three people. The
due date is every Tuesday at the beginning of the
class. Assignments
must be turned in promptly to receive credit. For
submitted problems, students are expected to show work
and justify their answers. Please write your name on
the first page. If you are submitting multiple pages,
please staple them together. For students who are
working in a group, only one assignment should be
turned in, with the names of the group members written
on the first page. The eight highest homework
scores will contribute to 40% of your final grade.
Term
Paper: Students are expected to form three-member teams
and write a term paper on a mathematical modeling
project that tackles a real life
situation. Each
team will give a 30 min presentation of their
project during the last week of the
quarter and there will be a short Q&A session
following each team presentation.
Students
with Disabilities: If you qualify for academic
accommodations because of a disability or medical issue,
please submit a faculty letter to me from Disability
Services Program (DSP) in a timely manner so that your
needs may be addressed. DSP determines accommodations
based on documented disabilities/medical issues. DSP is
located on the 4th floor of Ruffatto Hall, 1999 E Evans
Ave, 303-871-2278. Information is also available online
at http://www.du.edu/disability/dsp;
see the Handbook
for Students with Disabilities.
Religious
Accommodations: University policy grants students
excused absences from class or other organized
activities for observance of religious holy days, unless
the accommodation would create an undue hardship.
Faculty are asked to be responsive to requests when
students contact them in advance to request such
an excused absence. Students are responsible for
completing assignments given during their absence, but
should be given an opportunity to make up work missed
because of religious observance. Once a student has
registered for a class, the student is expected to
examine the course syllabus for potential conflicts with
holy days and to notify the instructor by the end of the
first week of classes of any conflicts that may require
an absence (including any required additional
preparation/travel time). The student is also expected
to remind the faculty member in advance of the missed
class, and to make arrangements in advance (with the
faculty member) to make up any missed work or in-class
material within a reasonable amount of time.