m355syl

Math 355 - Mathematical Modeling - Spring 2014		Instructor: Professor Ellen Fagerstrom
Maclean 169		Mathematics
MWF 2:00-2:50 pm		Office: Maclean 375 B
3 credits		Office phone: 477-4023
Textbook: Mathematical Modeling and Computer Simulation, by Maki and Thompson		fagerstrom@mnstate.edu
web.mnstate.edu/fagerstrom		Office Hours: Mondays 10:00-1:00; Tuesdays 1:00-2:30; Wednesdays 12:00-1:00; Thursdays 1:00-3:30; Fridays 9:00-10:00 and 12:00-1:00

Techniques of developing and analyzing mathematical descriptions of physical phenomena. Prerequisite: Math 323 and Math 327. In addition, Math 335 (Prob/Stats I) will be helpful. If you have already taken Math 310 (Discrete Math) then Math 327 (Linear Algebra) may be taken concurrently with this course on an override basis.

The Student Academic Conference (SAC) is Tuesday, April 15. You have the option of presenting one or both of your projects during the SAC. See the project page for details. There are no MSUM classes on that day, so you should not have any class conflicts. If you are taking a class through Tri-College, let me know and I will write a memo to excuse you from any class that the SAC might conflict with. It is possible that you may be required to present at the SAC for some other course or activity you are involved in as well.

This course is a writing intensive course. By its very nature, Mathematical Modeling is a course that talks about real-world applications. In it we not only solve problems at the level of the real world, but we communicate how the problem is translated into mathematics, how the problem is solved mathematically, and how the solution is translated back to the real world. At the end of this course you should be able to explain to a non-math person (such as your boss) how and why you could use math to solve a problem as well as the solution and either how it could be implemented or how it would manifest itself, based on the nature of the problem that you are solving. This is often done in a combination of Mathematics and English, and how to combine the two in an understandable manner is part of the goals of this course. As a result, you will write a great deal in this course. In addition to two projects (which will be formal writing assignments), the daily homework will often include short informal writing assignments designed to get you to think about how mathematics or models show up in the real world.

The following are Written Communication competencies that this course will address at least in part.

· Use a coherent writing process including invention, organization, drafting, revising, and editing to form an effective final written product.
There will be two projects in this course, an individual and a group project. For the first project, I will ask you to submit a draft of your final paper. I will then comment on it and return it to you for corrections. I will be looking at both the mathematics and the writing. I would like to point out that my experience tells me that most of my comments that relate to the writing are still mathematical in nature. They tend to be along the lines of how to refer to your functions correctly, how to break long equations into shorter lines when necessary, etc.. In other words, issues that relate to how the Math and the English interrelate, and are not likely to have been addressed in your previous writing courses (especially if you have not taken any courses that used a lot of writing from either the Math department or a science department).

· Consult effectively and appropriately with others to produce quality written products.
One of the two projects will be a group project, so will include working with others in the class. In addition, I expect you to seek advice from me or others if you have questions about either the mechanics of the writing or the mathematics. I also expect you to be using both the textbook and other resources in the library, on the web, or in some cases in the community to help with the projects.

· Locate, use, and cite appropriately primary and secondary source materials from both print and electronic resources.
The projects and some of the daily assignments will likely require you to search for ideas from other sources in the textbook, the library, the internet, or the community. The ideas gleaned from such sources are expected to be integrated into your existing body of knowledge, and I expect you to cite those sources when appropriate.

· Create logical, engaging, effective written products appropriate for specific audiences and purposes.
In most cases in your informal writing, you should write as if your audience is a coworker or supervisor in a business setting. Therefore, the audience is someone who understands what the question is, but does not necessarily have the answer already. In other words, you want to explain your answer as if you are talking to someone who does not know it, not as if you are trying to convince your instructor that you know what you are talking about. For the projects, your audience should be viewed as a similar group of people, but who don’t know what the question or project is about. Most mathematical papers start with an explanation of why you would want to do this particular analysis or project.

· Use correct grammar and mechanics in writing.
Anything you write for this course will be graded at least in part on spelling, grammar, and coherent sentences, whether formal or informal. I grade answers in any class in part on these, even lower level courses such as Math 127 or Math 229, but in this class it is a particular focus in my grading since it is a Writing Intensive course. For the projects, the grade will have both a mathematics component and a writing component to it.

I do not take attendance. However, it is my experience that students who frequently miss class (one absence every month) frequently do not do well in mathematics courses of this level. Skipping class is an extremely bad idea. If you do miss class, it is up to you to get copies of the notes from a classmate. I also expect you to turn in any homework early if you know that you will miss class. This includes those instances when the absence is due to an official university activity.

For all graded work in this class, you must show work for credit and give exact answers unless otherwise specified. In general, if you have to write it down in your solution process, you have to show it to me. My rule of thumb when grading is either whether I could do a similar calculation in my head or on a calculator and not make a mistake or if the point of the problem is being met (i.e., if the point of the problem is to show a known result, you have to show it in some detail). If I feel that you needed to show more work, I will indicate it.

I very rarely give extra credit, and when I do it is to the entire class. If you come to my office at the end of the term and ask if you can do extra credit to improve your grade, my answer will be no. The grading scale and weights for the course are given here.

I will in general return any work the next class day. If you are not there, I will not give it to friends, nor will I give out grade information on the phone or via email. (These restrictions are not arbitrary - they are based on federal law regarding student privacy.) Normally, I include any old assignments with any current ones, but I do not try to pass them back a second time unless you have turned in the most recent assignment. I will bring the old assignments with me every day, so if you ask at the end of class you can get them then.

As in any college class (or any level, for that matter), cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. On the other hand, when doing the daily homework and when working on the projects I do encourage you to work together (especially the group project!). This is not the same as copying from each other, however. Working with someone else in a small study group is often very conducive to learning mathematics and most other subjects (as long as you stay on task!). Working together, however, will not be allowed on exams, so you must make sure that you learn the material yourself. See also the MSUM statement on academic honesty.

We will make extensive use of Maple throughout the course, but it won't necessarily be on a daily basis. I expect that you have gone through Math 260 sometime when you took the Calculus sequence and therefore I do expect you to be reasonably familiar with Maple. We will occasionally use features of the program that were not covered in Math 260. On exams, I try to write them so that a lack of familiarity with the computer program would not be a significant factor for the grade on the exam. During the regular run of the course, however, we will probably just use Maple if we need to do any calculation. During the exam, you may find a calculator more accesible.

I will assign homework on most days. The problems may or may not be from the textbook. Every homework assignment will be given a grade out of ten points, and all assignments will be weighted equally. In general, homework will be due the second class period after it is assigned. Specific due dates will be given when the homework is assigned. Homework will be due by 4:00 pm or when I start grading the assignment, whichever is later. If you do not submit it in class, please bring it to my office, and slide it under my office door if I'm not there. It can be submitted by friends, roommates, spouses, etc. if you are ill or otherwise unable to come to campus. Late homework will not be accepted for a grade for any reason except an extended illness, National Guard duty, Jury duty, or a similar reason that requires you to miss at least two weeks of class. A short illness, family event, and the like are not sufficient. I suggest that you start the homework as soon as it is assigned so that it can be submitted on time even if you are unable to come to class.

In addition to homework, there will be two projects that you must complete in this course and a final exam. For more information on the projects, see the project page.

The only exam will be the final scheduled for Friday, May 9, at 2:00 pm. If you have to miss the exam for any reason, I expect to be notified as soon as possible. In particular, this means before the exam. If it is a reason that I would expect you to know now (such as a MSUM official activity, a family commitment such as a wedding, etc.) I expect to be notified no later than Wednesday, January 22. If you do not notify me by that time, I may not give you a makeup exam. If you are sick on the day of the exam, I expect a phone call or an email before the exam starts. I also assume that if you are sick enough to miss an exam then you are sick enough to go to the health center - after all, you don't want to be sick longer than absolutely necessary, especially during finals week. In any event, if you miss the exam, I insist on written documentation before I grade a makeup exam. This can be a dated and timed note from the doctor's office saying that you were seen (I do not need to know what you were seen for), a program from the wedding, a published obituary notice, a copy of the police report from an accident you were in on the way to the exam, etc.. If a relevant relationship is not clear, I may ask you to write a sentence stating what the relationship between you and the appropriate person in your documentation is and to sign it.

Note: For any university-sanctioned activity, I expect to be notified at least two weeks prior to the event, as required by the Student Absence Policy. Failure to meet this deadline will be a problem for you. Note that this means that you will likely have to get on your coach's case - few coaches or academic advisors meet this deadline without prompting, in my experience.

Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Coordinator of Disability Services at 477-4318 (Voice) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY), Flora Frick 154 as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Information regarding Disability Services is available at http://web.mnstate.edu/disability/.

Turn off your cell phones when you go to class (this class or any other class). Cellular phones and other distracting devices generally have no place in a formal or semi-formal setting, such as a classroom. Having your phone on, even in vibrate mode, or texting during class is disrespectful to both your instructor and your classmates. If your cell phone rings, beeps, or has an audible vibrate during an exam I will reserve the right to require that you turn in what you have at that point, without finishing the exam, or to reduce your exam grade by 25%. The point is that such an interruption can hurt your classmates' exam grades. In mathematics in particular, regaining a train of thought that was interrupted by a classmates phone can be very difficult for some students, and their exam grades correspondingly suffer. I strongly suggest that you always remember to turn off your phone. This policy applies to any other distracting device, such as a pager or alarm clock, as well.

Similarly, I expect you to respect the learning environment by being in class on time and ready, to do course-related work the entire period, and to remain in class until the end of the class. On those rare occasions where you must be late, show respect by taking off your coat and getting out your notebook in the hallway before entering the room, and sitting down in the first available seat by the door - even if it is not where you prefer to sit. That way you minimize the interruption to the classroom.

In addition, during exams, your cell phone (or any other electronic device) may not be visible at all - you must put it in your closed bookbag or something similar. If you use it for your watch, you will have to bring a different clock to exams or use the classroom clock.