Math 105–Contemporary Mathematics Syllabus
Spring 2001

Any student with disabilities or other special needs are encouraged to share these concerns or requests as soon as possible.
Instructor: Timothy Peil
Text:   Excursions in Modern Mathematics by Tannenbaum and Arnold, 6th Edtion.
Office:  MA 375V
Phone:  218-477-2454
E-mail: peil@mnstate.edu
Web Homepage: http://web.mnstate.edu/peil
Office Hrs:  MSUM MWF 9:30–10:20, 2:30–3:20;  

 General Information follows the tentative class schedule.
Date
  
Section
   Topic
January 10
  

Ch. 5

    Euler Circuits: The Circuit Comes to Town
Read pp. 149-161; Graph Theory Worksheet 
12
  

Ch. 5

     Read pp. 161-167; p. 173 #1 - 15 odd, 27, 41
15
         Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
17
  

Ch. 5

   Read pp. 167-173; p. 175 #17 - 21 odd, 29, 31, 39, 49, 53
19
  

Ch. 5

   p. 176 #23, 25, 33, 35, 37, 43, 47, 55; Read pp. 185-197
22
  

Ch. 6

   p. 210 #1 - 15 odd, 39; Read 197-209
24
  

Ch. 6

   p. 213 #17, 19 - 23, 27, 28, 47
26
  

Ch. 6

   p. 215 # 29 - 33, 37, 49, 50, 59
29
  

Ch. 7

   Read pp. 225-245; p. 245 #1 - 9 odd
31
  

Ch. 7

   p. 247 #11 - 23 odd;  Quiz due Friday
February 2
  

Ch. 7

   p. 250 #29, 31, 35, 43, 45
5
  

Review

     
7
  

Exam 1

   Read pp. 329-337
9
   Ch. 10   Read pp. 338-345;  p. 351 #1, 5, 9, 13, 17
12
   Ch. 10   Worked sample problems in class.
14
   Ch. 10   Read pp. 345-350; p. 351 #3, 11, 15, 21, 23, 31
16
   Ch. 10   Quiz and discussion.
19
   Ch. 10   p. 351 #7, 16, 19, 29, 33, 35, 39
21
   Ch. 10   p. 351 #6, 14, 25, 27, 37, 47
23
  

Ch. 10

  Takehome Quiz due Monday February 26.
26
   Ch. 1   Fairness Criteria and Plurality Method.
Assignment for the whole chapter:  Read pp. 3 - 27; p. 27 #1, 3 - 20, 41, 43 - 45, 53
28
   Ch. 1   Borda Count
March 2
   Ch. 1   Plurality-with-Elimination
5
   Ch. 1   Method of Pairwise Comparisons
7
   Ch. 2   Voting analysis worksheet Due Friday March 9
Read pp. 41 - 53; p. 61 #1, 3, 5, 13
9
   Ch. 2   Read pp. 53 - 60, 70; p. 62 #7, 9, 11, 15, 17
12 - 16
         Spring Break
19
  

Ch. 2

   p. 63 #19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29
21
  

Ch. 2

   p. 65 #31, 33; p. 61 #2, 10, 16, 18, 20; p. 103 #25, 27, 29, 31
23
  

Ch. 3

   p. 103 # 26, 28, 30 
26
  

Review

    
28
  

Exam

    
30
  

Ch. 13

  Read pp. 425 - 444; Work p. 445 # 1 - 8 (Be prepared to discuss in class and hand in.)
April 2
   Ch. 13    p. 446 #9 - 20  (Be prepared to discuss in class and hand in.)
4
   Ch. 13    p. 447 #21 - 30 (Be prepared to  hand in.)
6
   Ch. 13     Quiz over chapter 13.
9
        Probability: Roulette Worksheet
11
  

 

    Probability: Roulette
13
        Non-instructional Day
16
        Probability: Craps
18
        Probability: Craps Worksheet
20
        Probability: Craps 
23
        Probability: Blackjack
25
        Probability: Blackjack 
27
        No class - MCTM Spring Conference
30
  
  
    Probability: Blackjack
May 2
  
 Review
    Review for the final exam.

FINAL EXAM:   Friday, May 4 at 12:00 noon

OUTLINE:  We will cover parts of the material from each of the following chapters:
            5.  Euler Circuits:  The Circuit Comes to Town
            6.  The Traveling Salesman Problem:  Hamilton Joins the Circuit
            7.  The Mathematics of Networks:  Connections!
          10.  The Mathematics of Population Growth:  There is Strength in Numbers
          11.  Symmetry:  Mirrors, Mirrors, Off the Wall...
          12.  Fractal Geometry: Fractally Speaking
            1.  The Mathematics of Voting:  The Paradoxes of Democracy
            2.  Weighted Voting Systems:  The Power Game
            3.  Fair Division:  The Slice Is Right
          13.  Collecting Statistical Data:  Censuses, Surveys, and Studies
          14.  Descriptive Statistics:  Graphing and Summarizing Data
          15.  Chances, Probability, and Odds:  Measuring Uncertainty

GENERAL INFORMATION:   Read the text and be able to work all the odd exercises. (You may need to work more problems than those that are assigned.) A quiz will be given each Friday over the material covered that week. Homework will be collected periodically, expect to hand it in each day. No late homework will be accepted.
        Calculators are permitted, but consider the following analogy:

I will use a teaspoon to till a flower pot,
a spade to till a flower bed,
a tiller to till a garden,
and a tractor and plow to till a field.
I will not drive a tractor and plow into my house to till a flower pot.
Timothy Peil (1995)
Audio Version

GRADES:  Your grade will be determined from the total points earned from the four in-class hour exams, quizzes, homework, projects, labs, and the final exam. Grades will be assigned using lower bounds of 93 A; 90 A-; 87 B+; 83 B; 80 B-; 77 C+; 73 C; 70 C-; 67 D+; 63 D; 60 D-; and below 60% F.
        Since participation is necessary for the success of the course, attendance is required. A student's grade will be lowered one-third of a letter grade, if the number of unexcused absences exceeds 3,  two-thirds of a letter grade, if the number of unexcused absences exceeds 6, a letter grade, if the number of unexcused absences exceeds 9. Excused absences must be approved in advance, except in cases of extreme emergencies. 
         Makeup exams will be given only in cases of extreme illness, family emergency, or university-approved activities;  you must notify me before the exam takes place.

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