Mathematics S-Y  Summer 2006

This course has been designed to give students an opportunity to explore basic mathematical models as they arise in real-world situations with the goal of understanding the meaning behind mathematical expressions and functional relationships.  We will use computer spreadsheets (predominantly Excel) to study data sets as we work through basic functional relationships such as linear and exponential growth.  As we work with mathematical models we will also review basic algebra as well as topics from statistics. 

Much of the math that we will be working on during the first part of the course constitutes what is typically called “precalculus,” which includes such topics as linear and exponential growth, logarithmic scales, and polynomial functions.  Knowledge of these fundamental topics is not only critical for further study in math but it also forms the basis for much of the analysis that is done in science and economics today.  Confidence and experience in these areas is useful for making better sense of the modern world. 

Students interested in following up from this course with more mathematics should be prepared to go on to either an intensive precalculus class or classes in discrete mathematics or statistics.

During the semester we will use this website as an administrative resource for the course - posting assignments, handouts, times and locations of problem sessions, etc.

When accessing files from this website, if you need to read PDF files, you can download the Adobe Acrobat Reader for free.