Instructor: Janice Sklensky
Office Phone: (508)286-3970
Office: Science Center 103
Office Hours: see schedule
E-mail: jsklensk@wheatonma.edu

Below, I discuss

• Course Materials
• Overview of the course
• Is this the right course for you?
• Office Hours: reasons to come to them
• Journal
• Problem Sets
• Projects
• Quizzes
• Midterms
• Attendance
• Evaluation
• Honor Code

Course Materials:
Excursions in Mathematics, byTannenbaum and Arnold. and the associated web site

We will discuss some of the interesting and beautiful mathematics surrounding us: the mathematics behind elections and determining how many representatives each state has in congress; the most efficient route doing errands or deploying a delivery truck, the cheapest way to visit a number of cities (or the best route for an exploratory vehicle to travel in); the mathematics behind symmetry and how mathematics is affecting modern art, through fractals.

In addition to the topics discussed above, you will also have ample opportunity to bring some of your own interests into this class, and to investigate how math relates!

This class satisfies the math and logic requirement, and consequently you are expected to work and learn. As with all college classes, you should expect to work a minimum of 2 hours outside of class for every 1 hour in class, or 6 hours a week, outside of class.

What do you write in this journal? Did you encounter math in an unexpected place? Did you hear about something mathematical that intrigued you? Is the class material making you think about the world in a new way?

In a separate folder, jot down any such thoughts you want to share with me (at least 3 sentences a week). Each Friday, you will hand these in. I will write brief responses when appropriate, and return them to you on Monday. These are not busy work--I've found that the journals keep students interested, and create some really interesting dialogues.

For each week you hand in the journal, you'll receive 2 points for an entry that is at least 3 sentences long and which discusses matters such as those described above. If you're blanking on such thoughts, I'm also interested in well or poorly you think you're understanding the material we're learning in class. For such entries, you'll receive 1 point. The only way to get 0 points for an entry is if you say something like ``I was too busy to have math thoughts this week''--you're probably having mathematical thoughts all the time, you just don't know it!

The problems will be posted on the course web page (see the above web address), no later than Wednesday of each week. (The first week, they will be posted on the web before the first class). You are to have done them all by Wednesday. On Wednesday, I will answer a few questions on the problems.

Keep all your problem sets for reference purposes. I have answers to many of the problems in a binder in my office; please feel free to come by and look at them.

We will therefore have two types of projects.

• Individual Projects:
  This class serves a broad spectrum of students, and so I give you several opportunities to bring your interests into this class.
  
  1. Commercial
     You will pick some (non-mathematical) topic that interests you, investigate how math is related to it, and either give a brief spoken commercial break to the class discussing it, or for those few who really refuse to speak in public, a written commercial is also an option (but it's more work.)

     Before the official sign-up period begins, I will be giving you an in-depth description of these projects, plus a list of some possible topics.

     This project is worth 20% of your grade. Expect to spend a lot of time on it. If you give yourself enough time, and are willing to enjoy it, I think you'll find it really rewarding.

  2. Activities
     This is another opportunity for you to explore any aspect of math that interests you. It is more versatile than the commercial: you can explore an idea in the same way that you do for the commercial, but you can do other activities as well. You can write a poem using mathematical ideas, design a tiling of the plane (this is a mathematical term, and would need to be explored), explore alternative voting methods, etc, compose a piece of music or visual art based on mathematical ideas, etc.

     I will give you a list of some few possible activities in a few weeks.

• Group Project:
  You will work with a group to analyze the results of an election we will hold in class. Your group will then jointly write a paper describing your results in a way that is comprehensible to your intended audience (who has not yet been determined).

  Should it turn out that you are disappointed with the score you receive on the project, you are welcome to rewrite it, to receive up to 1/2 the points you missed.

  I will give you guidelines for how your paper should be written when the time comes.

I will drop the lowest quiz score at the end of the semester.

If you are disappointed with the score you receive, you may rewrite the exam, to receive up to 1/3 the points you missed.

The two midterms will be given on Tuesdays, outside of class, to allow you to take your time.

Notify me in advance, either by phone or by e-mail, if you can not take the exam that Tuesday. If your reason is acceptable, we will arrange that you take the exam the preceding Monday. If your reason is not acceptable, or if you miss an exam without notifying me in advance, I reserve the right to not give you a make-up exam. I will not give any student more than one make-up exam during the semester.