Syllabus for MA 111 009 Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics Fall 2009 Course MA 111 009 MWF 9 00 9 50 CB 341 Instructor Carl Lee Office 967 Patterson Office Tower Mailbox 715 Patterson Office Tower Phone 257 1405 or 257 3336 to leave a message Email lee ms uky edu Office Hours MWF 10 00 10 50 and by appointment Text Tannenbaum Excursions in Modern Mathematics seventh edition second custom printing for UK Pearson Course Web Page www ms uky edu lee ma111fa09 ma111fa09 html Course Description This course explores mathematical methods in a series of applied areas such as the mathematics of social choice management science shape growth and form and basic statistics The course is not available to persons who have received credit in any mathematics course of a higher number with the exception of MA 112 MA 123 MA 162 MA 201 and MA 202 The course does not serve as a prerequisite for any calculus course Credit is not available on the basis of special examination Prerequisites Two years of high school algebra and a Math ACTE score of 19 and above or MA 108R or math placement test Expected Course Outcomes For most of the students this course will be an introduction to some modern mathematical methods in application to real life problems It is expected that by the end of the semester the students will acquire an informal understanding of a variety of new mathematical methods and will be able to appreciate their power and beauty 1 Schedule The following constitutes an approximate schedule subject to adjustments for the course Unit 1 The Mathematics of Voting August 26 to September 11 with the Unit Exam on September 11 Unit 2 The Mathematics of Touring September 14 28 with the Unit Exam on September 28 Unit 3 The Mathematics of Symmetry September 30 to October 14 with the Unit Exam on October 14 Unit 4 The Geometry of Fractal Shapes October 16 30 with the Unit Exam on October 30 Unit 5 The Mathematics of Money November 2 16 with the Unit Exam on November 16 Unit 6 Descriptive Statistics November 18 to December 11 with the partial Unit Exam on December 4 Attendance Attendance is required If you miss a class for any reason please explain your absence in writing as soon as possible at least two weeks in advance for scheduled excused absences Your absence will be excused if it is due to serious reason such as illness death in the family or travel organized by UK see the official list of excused absences in the Student Right and Responsibilities Section 5 2 4 2 www uky edu StudentAffairs Code part2 html Students absent due to an excused absence bear the responsibility of informing the instructor about their excused absence within one week following the period of the excused absence except where prior notification is required and of making up the missed work The instructor shall give the student an opportunity to make up the work and or the exams missed due to an excused absence Homework There will be weekly homework assignments It is expected that you regularly read in detail the relevant sections in the textbook and work on all assigned problems However sometimes only part of the problems will be graded It is fine to work together on homework but you must write up your own solutions in your own words Quizzes There will be approximately one quiz per week Quiz problems will be either taken directly from your homework problems or very similar to them Occasionally you will 2 be asked to define a notion or state a theorem Make sure you read the text carefully and know all the main definitions formulas and results Exams There will be six in class exams one following each unit together with an optional final exam see further explanation below Students with officially recognized special needs in particular those who need extended time for the tests will have their exams scheduled at different dates If this is your case please inform the instructor and provide supporting documentation as early as possible during the semester Optional Final Exam Monday December 14 10 30 am in our regular room CB 341 See further explanation below Grading Policy You will receive a score out of 100 for each unit based on the following percentages 5 Attendance 35 Homework 20 Quizzes 40 Unit Exam Your final course score will be the average of these six Unit scores Your letter grade will be determined according to the standard 10 scale 90 100 A 80 89 B 70 79 C 60 69 D 0 59 E The optional Final Exam will provide you the opportunity to select and try to improve up to two of your Unit Exam scores Cheating Students are encouraged to work together on the course material Part of the work in class will be group work that will provide ample opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from each other As mentioned above working together on the homework assignments is permissible but you must write up your solutions in your own words and not simply copy someone else s work Any kind of communication with other students during a quiz or an exam will be considered cheating and prosecuted according to university regulations 3 Cheating and plagiarism can lead to significant penalties See Sections 6 3 and 6 4 of Student Rights and Responsibilities www uky edu StudentAffairs Code part2 html Calculators For part of the course you will need a scientific calculator Using the calculator during a test for any reason other than performing the required calculations for example to recall a previously stored formula will be considered cheating Help and Conflicts Occasionally you may need extra help Feel free to visit me during my office hours or if inconvenient contact me for an appointment In case you disagree with one of my decisions and feel that an outside intervention is necessary to resolve the conflict the first person to contact is Dr Serge Ochanine MA 111 Course Coordinator POT 837 257 8837 or Dr Jakayla Robbins Director of Service Courses POT 767 257 4802 Important Dates August 25 Tuesday Last day a student may officially drop a course or cancel registration with the University Registrar for a full refund of fees September 1 Tuesday Last day to add a class for the 2009 Fall Semester September 1 Tuesday Last day to officially withdraw from the University or reduce course load and receive an 80 percent refund September 7 Monday Labor Day Academic Holiday September 16 Wednesday Last day to drop a course without it appearing on the student s transcript September 23 Wednesday Last day to officially withdraw from the University or reduce course load