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WELCOME TO |
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MATH 102 -
Nature of Mathematics |
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Syllabus |
Grading Scale |
Homework |
Course Policies |
Exam Schedule |
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 Important Information
Textbooks:
- The Heart of Mathematics,
2nd edition by Ed Burger and Michael Starbird
Email:
Kendra.Killpatrick@pepperdine.edu
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- Students will be able to see mathematics as a fun and challenging
endeavor that requires them to apply their creative abilities to solve problems.
- Students will demonstrate enhanced reasoning ability through the study and
application of logic structures and problem solving techniques.
- Students will improve their problem solving skills through the study
of various mathematical strategies.
- Students will recognize the foundational nature of mathematics and the
importance of studying this subject for students in any major.
- Students will learn the 10 basic life lessons through their application to mathematics problems.
- 1. Just do it.
- 2. Make mistakes and fail, but never give up.
- 3. Keep an open mind.
- 4. Explore the consequences of new ideas.
- 5. Seek the essential.
- 6. Understand the issue.
- 7. Understand simple things deeply.
- 8. Break a difficult problem into easier ones.
- 9. Examine issues from several points of view.
- 10. Look for patterns and similarities.
Topics
Covered in this Course
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In this course, you will be introduced to
many of the greatest ideas and achievements of mathematics - comparable to
the works of Shakespeare, Plato and Michelangelo. You will learn to see
mathematics as a creative and artistic endeavor in which you are capable of
wrestling with many of the same issues and paradoxes that mathematicians
have sought to understand for centuries. We will discuss the topics of
infinity, the fourth dimension, fractals and chaos, shape and topology,
properties of numbers, the idea of random chance, methods of voting and many
more important mathematical ideas. The only prerequisites for this course
are an open and curious mind and the willingness to put aside any
preconceived prejudices or dislikes for mathematics. Very little
mathematical background will be expected and this course should be (for the
most part) self-contained.
The course will answer the following
questions:
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Is it possible to devise a fair voting
system?
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How can we cut a cake so that each of three
people believes they received a fair piece?
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How can resources be divided among a group of
people so that each person receives a fair allotment of the resources?
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Do there exist two people on the planet with
exactly the same number of hairs on their bodies?
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Where do we see mathematics in nature?
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What is the most beautiful rectangle?
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What is the largest prime number?
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How do barcodes work?
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How do we count to infinity?
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How many sizes of infinity are there?
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How can we prove the Pythagorean Theorem?
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How many guards do we need to guard an art
gallery?
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What does PacMan have to do with graph
theory?
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What is the fourth dimension?
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How many people are needed in a room so that
the probability of two people sharing the same birthday is roughly one half?
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Are coincidences really a coincidence?
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Is it possible to conduct a verbal survey
with completely anonymous answers?
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What does it mean to be average?
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What is a fractal?
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Is anything really random?
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- Grading Criteria:
200 points - Homework
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You will be assigned 12
weekly homework assignments throughout the course of the semester. Each homework
assignment will be worth 20 points. You will be allowed to drop two homework
assignments, as long as you have earned more than 50% on those assignments.
(I.e., you will be allowed to drop the two lowest homework assignments which
have a score of 10 or better. The clarity of your written solutions is important
and students should strive to have clear, well-written solutions. Homework is
due at the BEGINNING of the class period and NO LATE HOMEWORK will be accepted
Any homework received more than 10 minutes after the start of class will be
considered late and will receive a grade of zero. While you are encouraged to
work together on homework, you are expected to write up your own homework
solutions and document your homework papers with references to those who helped
you solve problems. Under no circumstances should your written answers match the
written answers of another person. This will be considered a violation of the
Academic Integrity code and will be prosecuted as such. There will be an
optional Math Poetry Slam towards the end of the semester which students can
participate in and which will replace your lowest homework score that is a 10 or
better with a score of 20.
20 points - Math Essay
Your first assignment of the semester is to
write a 3 page math history essay explaining to me your personal math
history. This will include what courses you have taken, why you are
taking the course, your assessment of your personal math anxiety level, and
other information pertinent to me as the course instructor. This
assignment is due on Thursday, January 11th and is required of all
students.
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20 points - Reflection Essay-
Your last assignment
of the semester will be to write a 3 page essay reflecting on the life
lessons and your own thinking about mathematics and the academic area that
you are choosing to study. The paper will essentially be a reflection on the
journey that you have taken in Math 102 and is required of all students.
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20 points - Failure Points
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Students will be
"graded" on the quality of their failure throughout the semester. Students
are encouraged to conjecture wildly and fail boldly since mathematics is not
a subject to be approached timidly. Students will be asked to assess their
own failure at various times throughout the semester. Although you will be
assessing the quality of your failure at the end of the semester, you will
be given the grading rubric at the beginning of the semester so you can work
on failing boldly throughout the semester.
300 points - Exams
There will be three exams during the
semester, each worth 100 points. The exams are scheduled for Tuesday,
February 6th, Thursday, March 1st,
and Thursday, April 5th. All make-up exams will be a
one-hour oral exam in my office. See the make-up policy section for further
details.
200 points - Final Exam
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The final exam will be
a comprehensive written exam given during the scheduled exam time. Section
1 (10:00) will take the final Monday, April 23rd from
10:30-1:00. Section 2 (11:00) will take the final Thursday, April 26th
from 7:30-10:00 a.m.
DO NOT plan to go home
before the final exam as NO MAKEUP FINALS will be given.
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- NOTE: You MUST pass the final exam with at least a D in order to
pass the class with at least a C-.
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The following guidelines may be used to determine your grade for the course:
- 93-100%=A
- 90-92.9%=A-
- 88-89.9%=B+
- 83-87.9%=B
- 80-82.9%=B-
- 78-79.9%=C+
- 73-77.9%=C
- 70-72.9%=C-
- 68-69.9%=D+
- 63-67.9%=D
- 60-62.9%=D-
- 0-59.9%=F
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Homework assignments will be given out daily and will also be posted here. If you miss a class, be sure to check this web page for any changes to the homework!
 Assignment
0
- Half page "Surfing the Book" assignment - due Tuesday, January
9th
- Math Essay - due Thursday, January 11th
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 Assignment 1
- Due Thursday, January 18th
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Homework from
Section 1.4
 Assignment 2
- Due Thursday, January 25th
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Homework from
Section 8.4
 Assignment
3 - Due Thursday, February 1st
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Homework from
Section 8.5 and 2.1
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The exams for the course are
schedule on the following days and times. If you must miss an exam for a
University approved absence, you must make arrangements at least 3 days in
advance of the scheduled exam or you will not be allowed to take a make-up exam.
Anyone who misses an exam for any reason and does not contact the professor by 5
p.m. on the day of the exam will not be allowed to take a make-up exam.
Exam 1 - Tuesday, February 6th
Exam 2 - Thursday, March 1st
Exam 3 - Thursday, April 5th
Final Exam - Section 1 (10:00 MTR):
Monday, April 23rd, 10:30-1:00
Section 2 (11:00 MTR): Thursday, April 26th, 7:30-10:00 a.m. |
ATTENDANCE POLICY
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Attendance for this class
is mandatory since so much of what we will study and learn will be discovered in
class through working on problems and discussing the problems, solutions and
methods of discovery. You will be allowed 1 "free" absence during the
semester. On your second absence, you will lose 1 point from your total grade.
The third absence is worth 2 additional points, the fourth absence is worth 4
additional points, the fifth absence is worth 8 additional points, the 6th
absence is worth 16 additional points, and the total point loss will double with
each additional absence. Illness (with the exception of a hospital stay) is NOT
an exception to the policy. The only accepted absences will be University
approved absences such as sports events, debate, etc. Anyone missing class for
a University approved absence MUST inform Dr. Killpatrick at least one week in
advance of the absence. The absent student is solely responsible for making up
missed work and finding out about any homework assignments assigned during the
missed class. Students who are absent should obtain course notes from a fellow
student in the class, read through the sections in the book that were covered in
class and attend office hours to make up missed work.
MAKE-UP POLICY
- Late Assignments - Homework is due at the BEGINNING of each class period and will not be accepted late.
Anyone coming to class more than 10 minutes past the start of class is considered late and their homework
will not be accepted. Exceptions will not be made. You may still have your late homework graded for your
own personal benefit, but the score will not count towards your homework score. If you turn in an assignment
to the instructor's box (located in the main office), have a secretary date, time and initial the assignment.
DO NOT put assignments underneath my office door. DO NOT submit any assignment electronically or on disk
(this
includes NO email attachments if you miss class). Athletes and debate team
members ARE SUBJECT to all homework deadlines. If you will be missing class for
a sporting or debating event, you must turn in assignments ahead of time or have
a classmate turn it in for you in class.
- Missed Examinations - There are NO MAKEUP EXAMS unless arrangements have been made prior to the
examination and only as a result of severe illness (must be documented) or other significant reason documented
and approved by the professor. ALL make-up exams, regardless of reason, will be an oral examination,
administered by the professor in her office and lasting approximately one hour.
PLAGIARISM POLICY
- Cheating or plagiarism on a test or other assignment will result in automatic failure on that assignment
and possible failure in the course. Students suspected of cheating will be referred to the Academic Ethics
Committee and face penalties up to expulsion from the University. It is considered cheating on homework to
copy someone else's solutions. Plagiarism on a written assignment is considered to be taking more than 10%
of another's words, sentences, or written material without properly documenting and identifying the source.
DISABILITY SERVICES
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Any student
with a documented disability (physical, learning or psychological) needing
academic accommodations should contact the Disability Services Office (Main
Campus, Tyler Campus Center 264, x6500) as early in the semester as possible.
All discussions will remain confidential. Please visit
http://www.pepperdine.edu/disabilityservices/ for additional information.
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Graphics due to Vickimouse.
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