MATH 141 - QUANTITATIVE REASONING (3 credits), Fall Semester 1998-9

LECTURE 1. 8:50-9:40 a.m. MWF, B139, Van Vleck Hall

INSTRUCTOR. Professor Richard A. Brualdi, 223 Van Vleck Hall
            E-mail: brualdi@math.wisc.edu
            WWW: http://www.math.wisc.edu/~brualdi
                 (Information about the class, including most
                   hand-outs will be available on the WEB at
                   this WEB address.)

OFFICE HOURS.     Contact me by e-mail for routine/informational 
(223 Van Vleck)   questions. I usually respond very quickly.

                        Tuesday, 11-11:50 AM
                        Wednesday, 2:25-3:15 PM       

TEXTBOOK. 1) "Why Math?" by R.D. Driver (Springer-Verlag).       
         (This book can be used by students for review of basic 
         material. I will refer to this book for some exercise assignments.)  
          2) There will be regular handouts, mostly containing non-routine
              problems involving quantitative reasoning. 

ATTENDANCE POLICY. I expect students to be in attendance at all classes
and to participate fully in classroom discussions.

ABOUT THE COURSE. This course is intended specifically for those students
who want to satisfy part A of the Quantitative Reasoning (QR) requirement
with a course in the Department of Mathematics and who do not plan to
take any further mathematics (in particular, part B of the QR requirement
will be satisfied in another department).  Very little mathematics which
is new to the student will be introduced in the course. The emphasis will
be on using reasoning, coupled with elementary mathematical computations
and manipulation, to answer questions, understand arguments and
conclusions, and solve problems one may be confronted with in every day
life situations. Some of the problems will be 'routine,' but many if not
most will be problems that require thought to understand the context and
terms, the question being asked, the creation of a 'mathematical model'
(usually one or more mathematical equations involving variables that you
need to define), reasoning with this model, and translation of your
answer to the original terms of the problem (Is the answer reasonable
given the problem?). 

Our goal is a substantial increase in quantitative literacy, a better
appreciation of the importance and use of quantitative reasoning, and a
measurable increase in students' ability (and confidence in that ability)
to solve practical problems involving elementary mathematics.


        
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BASIC COURSE OUTLINE.

1. Estimation, percentages, rates and other linear relations.
       Chapters 1, and 4, plus handouts.
2. Quadratic equations and quadratic relations.
       Chapter 5, plus handouts.
3. Exponential relations (exponential growth and decay).
        Chapter 6, plus handouts.
4. Counting and probability (measuring chance).
        Chapters 11 and 12, plus handouts.       
5. Other topics to be determined.

TESTING ETC. SCHEDULE.

1. Quizzes (7) in class every two weeks on Friday:
     September 11 & 25, October 9 & 23, November 6 & 20, December 4.
      _No make-ups will be given_
     Each quiz will be a 25 minute quiz. You will have the 50 minutes
     to complete it: 25 minutes to work out solutions *AND* 25 minutes
     to write your solutions in clear, readable, grammatically correct,
     and well-reasoned form.
2. Written assignments (5) due in class on other Fridays:
      September 18, October 2, 16, & 30, November 13.
         _Late assignments are not accepted_
      These are also to be in clear, readable, grammatically correct,
      and well-reasoned form!
3. Project Paper (1) due no later than (!) Friday, December 11. 
      (A 3-4 page typed paper on the use or misuse of quantitative reasoning
      in a discipline of your choice. It should include references -
      books, magazines, newspapers, ... - and it should contain actual
      quantitative reasoning. 
4. Final Exam: Monday, December 21, 12:25 -- 2:25 PM, 223 VAN HISE

OUR LAST CLASS DAY IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 14.

GRADING.

1. Quizzes: 20 points each, one quiz score is dropped, no make-ups.
                          Total quiz points: 120
2. Written assignments: 10 points each.
                          Total assignment points: 50
3. Project Paper: 30 points
4. Final Exam:   100 points
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Total Points = 300 (quizzes=120, assignments=50, project=30, final=100).