Notes for Mathematics 2687L for Spring 2009

J. D. Faires

In this and other of my course web sites I will be entering material in .PDF format, since this permits me to enter technical material in a format that can be read and printed without the use of the technical programs that have created the files. A .PDF file can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is downloadable form Adobe. Click the button to link to the site that will provide you with a free copy of the latest version of Adobe Reader.

I will use your university assigned e-mail address to contact you, and I would like you to check for e-mail on a regular basis. If you do not want to use the university account for you e-mail, you will need to forward the mail that comes to you at the university address to the e-mail address that you commonly use. Instructions for doing this are available from the Help Desk. Please take care of this before the second class period.

This class is a continuation of Mathematics 1586L and is designed to give instruction in three interconnected areas that are particularly important for students in the sciences and engineering. In the first term we considered the Computer Algebra System Maple. This system will algebraically solve any mathematical problem that you are likely to encounter during you undergraduate training, and will form a basis for computer implementation in a number of mathematics course that you will likely encounter.

Then we saw how to prepare technically precise scientific documents using the LaTeX system. At the end of the first term we combined these subjects to illustrate how to prepare technically written documents that are at a professional level.

During this term we will continue the LaTeX instruction including aspects that are useful when presenting oral presentations, and consider some ways to produce professional quality graphics. However, the major portion of this second term involves a project in technical writing. Specifically, I will be grouping the class into groups of three students and during the weekend of February 5 through 9 each group will prepare a solution to one of the COMAP Mathematical Modeling (MCM) problems. At least one, and perhaps as many as three, of these groups will be officially representing YSU in this competition. It is a demanding competition, but YSU students have historically done very well. I expect that you will each spend at least 24 hours during the Thurday evening through Monday evening period, so this will constitute approximately 50% of the course.

You will find this experience exhausting, I suspect, but it might also be one of your most rewarding, in terms of personal evaluation, experiences in your undergraduate eduation. I have found that those who succeed in life and are happy in what they do, work very intensely at certain periods when the pressure is on. The COMAP experience will give you an idea of how you handle this type of pressure and whether you enjoy the stress.

A description of the MCM contest in Mathematical Modeling can be found here . Notice the listing of schools on the right hand side of the second page! Some of the past contest problems are available from this site .

There is no textbook for this course. All instructional material will be provided in PDF format.

Tentative Topic Schedule

It is somewhat unusual to have a tentative schedule for a class rather than a firm one, but I am attempting to be honest here. The objectives of the course are firm, but precisely how long we will need to spend on each of the individual items depends in how much we want to cover, as well as on the interest of the students who are in the class.

Here is the tentative course schedule:

Session 1	January 16	Introduction to the COMAP MCM
Session 2	January 23	Modeling tips from YSU students
Session 3	January 30	A sample MCM experience
Session 4	February 6	No class, MCM competition
Session 5	February 13	MCM experience in review
Session 6	February 20	Preparation for YSU-PME
Session 7	February 27	The Beamer package in LaTeX-1
Session 8	March 6	No class
Session 9	March 20	The Beamer package in LaTeX-2
Session 10	March 27	Analysis of MCM results
Session 11	April 3	The Beamer package in LaTeX-3
Session 12	April 10	Creating High-Quality graphics
Session 13	April 17	Creating an oral presentation
Session 14	April 24	Oral presentations
Session 15	May 1	Oral presentations

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be based on your performance on the MCM, your knowledge of LaTeX, particularly the Beamer package, and your oral presentation.

A student who intends to receive a grade of A should expect to work to the best of their ability on the MCM conpetition, should be able to prepare a Beamer presentation on a par with those that are traditionally prepared by YSU students when giving oral presentations at conferences, and give an oral presentation that fits within the parameters specified at the YSU-PME conference.

A student who intends to receive only a grade of B should expect to work to the best of their ability on the MCM conpetition, but might not be sufficiently knowledgeable on the Beamer package or not do satisfactory work their oral presentation.

No student failing to participate fully in the MCM competion will receive a grade above C, since the MCM experience is a major component of this course.