Math Patterns in Nature, V55.0101

Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00-3:15

Course Information

Primary text: Quantitative Reasoning. Understanding the Mathematical Patterns in Nature by F. P. Greenleaf. Available at the NYU bookstore.

Syllabus.

Calculators: A scientific calculator is required for the course. Graphing calculators are not necessary. The text includes advice for using SHARP scientific calculators. You will be responsible for learning how to use your calculator. Our TA will answer questions about calculators in the TA's office hours.

Course requirements and grading: Homework will be assigned on a regular basis and will typically be due one week after the assignment. All new homeworks will be listed on this webpage.

There will also be a weekly 5 minute quiz given every Thursday at the beginning of class. One quiz will be worth half as many points as a homework assignment. Your lowest three quiz grades will be dropped.

There will be two in-class midterm exams. They are scheduled for March 7 and April 13. The first will cover the material from Chapters 1 and 2. The second will cover Chapter 4.

Final Exam: The course ends with a cumulative final examination, which will take place on Tuesday, May 2 from 10:00 to 11:50 in Silver 207.

During an exam, students must not communicate in any way, nor use any materials or technology not explicitly permitted by the instructor, other than pens, pencils, and a scientific calculator. A student may not look at another student's test.

Grades breakdown: 10% HW and quizzes, 25% midterm 1, 25% midterm 2, 40% final.

All grades will be listed on the course's Blackboard site. To access the site, log in to NYUHome and select Academics. The Blackboard site for this class should be listed.

Free help: Additional assistance for this class is available to you free of charge at the College Learning Center located on the 1st Floor of Weinstein Hall (right behind Java City). For information on one-on-one and group peer tutoring, please stop by the CLC or go to their website: College Learning Center

HW assignments.

1. Section 1.2: 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 29, 30, 31,44, 47, 49, 52 (due Tuesday, 1/24) solutions

2. Section 1.3: 14,16,18,25,27,30,32,33,38,40,41,43,46,50,52, and this extra problem.(due Tuesday, 1/31) solutions

3. Section 1.4: 4,8,10,13,14,18,19,22-24,28,29,36,47-49 (due Tuesday, 2/7) solutions

4. Section 2.1: 13,18,22-24,26,27,34,45,48; Section 2.2: 1,2,4,5,11 (due Tuesday, 2/14) solutions

5. Section 2.3: 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 18, 21, 22, 25, 28-30 (due Tuesday, 2/21) solutions

6. Section 2.4: 8-20 even, 24-30 even, 36, 37. Also do 4, 6 and 7 using your calculator ONLY to find ln(10) and ln(6.023). Show all steps needed to do this. (due Tuesday, 2/28) solutions

7. Section 4.1: 1, 2, 12, 13, 28-38 even, 42, 48 (Due by Friday, 3/10) solutions.

8. Section 4.1: 49,53,54,58,60,72-76 even; Section 4.2: 6,8,9,10,14,16,20,21,22,23,24,26,28,32 (Due Tuesday 3/28)solutions.

9. Section 4.2: 38,41,42,44-50, 54, 58-64 even, 65-70 (Due Tuesday, 4/4)solutions

10. Section 4.3: 2-8 even,16-18, 20, 21, 30-34, 36, 28, 42-44 (Due Tuesday, 4/11)solutions

11. Section 3.3: 9, 10, 13-15. Section 3.4: 2, 4, 8, 12, 13, 20, 22, 24-27, 29-32 (Due Tuesday, 4/25)solutions

Scientific notation.

Units.

Geometric progressions.

Compound interest.

Solving using ln.

List types.

Probability I

Probability II

Expected Value

Combinatorics.

Expected Value (with hint for excericise 5, and corrected answer for excercise 4).