Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments
or accommodations is requested to speak with me during the first two weeks
of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with
disabilities should also contact the Office of Student Disabilities Services, located in the
Learning Resources Center.
This course is designed for students who are not majoring in mathematics, the
sciences or engineering. It is completely distinct from the calculus sequence.
It will emphasize an appreciation of the art, history, beauty and applications
of mathematics.
We will use several books for this course that don't have the feel of a typical math textbook. Unlike many math classes where the reading is just a tool used to accomplish the goal of completing the homework exercises, the readings in this class are fundamental to the content of the course and should be taken seriously. The book that we will use to guide the topics for the course will be Coincidences, Chaos, and All That Math Jazz: Making Light of Weightly Ideas by Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird. Most of the other required books are topic specific, and will be used when we reach the corresponding topic.
Here is a list of the required textbooks:
Here are a couple of other recommended textbooks:
Unlike most math classes, the lectures for this course are not simply a chance to teach you a recipe for doing
a particular kind of problem. The lectures will be an opportunity for the class as a whole to gain an appreciation
for a concept. Attending and engaging in the lectures and the recitations are very important.
Homework will be assigned weekly. It is due in class each Friday. If for some reason you miss class or cannot turn in the homework during class, you have until the end of that day to put it in Alina's mailbox in the math department office (DRL 4W2-7). The math department office closes at 5pm. After that time, late homework will not be accepted.
Since the size of the lecture is so large, the recitations are an ideal place for real discussions to take place. Each student will be required to give a 15-20 minute presentation during recitation at some point in the semester. You will sign up for a date during your first recitation. The presentation will be related to the material that I presented in lecture the previous week. I will provide you with a rough outline of what I want you to cover in your presentation. You should build on this basic framework to give an informative, interesting, and interactive presentation.
In order for me to provide you with the outline of the material, you must a meeting with Alina and myself at 2:30-3:30pm on the Friday before your presentation. If you have a class conflict with the meeting time, you must contact Alina at least one week before the meeting to make other arrangements.
Your presentation will be evaluated by Alina, as well as your peers in the recitation. She will provide you with more
specifics about how the presentations will be evaluated.
Two papers will be assigned in this class. The midterm paper is a book report on a mathematical fiction book. Details about the specific requirements of the paper can be found here. The midterm paper is due October 20.
The final paper will be due on December 8.
Details about the final paper can be found here.
The course grade will be computed as follows:
I will hold office hours on Thursdays 3:00-4:00pm. If you cannot make these, feel free to email me at cleidy@math.upenn.edu to make an appointment for a different time.