FINITE MATHEMATICS 41.151.12, Fall 1998

Instructor: Gideon Weinstein (please call me Gideon)

Phone: (202) 885 3042

E-mail: gideon@american.edu

Office: Clark Hall 215

Office Hours (no appointment needed): Monday 10:00 to 4:00, & immediately after class

Other Hours (by appointment only): Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons

Class Hours & Room: Tuesday and Friday, 9:55 to 11:10, Hurst Hall 209

Textbook: Raymond A. Barnett and Michael R. Ziegler. Finite Mathematics for Business, Economics, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences. Eighth Edition, MacMillan Publishing Company, NY, 1999. We will cover the following sections, in the order listed: A-6, A-8, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 4-1, A-9, 1-4, 2-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, A-1, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 7-1, 7-2, B-1, 7-3, 7-4.


Calculators:
You are required to have a graphing calculator (such as the TI-83 or TI-82). I will be using a TI-82 and demonstrating its use in class, but any model with sufficient capabilities is allowed. You may not share calculators during quizzes, tests, exams, or the final. A limited number of graphing calculators are available for rental from the Department in Clark 205 on a first-come, first-serve basis. A cash deposit is required.

Tutoring Lab:
Roper Hall 122 is a FREE mathematics tutoring lab. Regular hours begin Tuesday, September 8.

Monday - Thursday 12:00 to 8:00

Friday 11:00 to 3:00


Final Exam:
The final exam is comprehensive and it is the same for all sections of 150 and 151. It will be given on Saturday, December 12, from 1 to 4. Mark your calendar now! The Department will not allow a student to take a make-up for the final exam except for severe and documented emergencies or religious beliefs.

Exams:

There will be three exams throughout the semester. I will not give make-up exams except under extenuating circumstances. The tentative scope and schedule for the exams is:

Exam I Week 5, Friday, October 2, on Algebra, Linears, and Quadratics
sections A-6, A-8, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 4-1, A-9, 1-4

Exam II Week 10, Friday, November 6, on Finance and Probability
sections 2-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, A-1, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3

Exam III Week 14, Friday, December 4, on Data Description
sections 7-1, 7-2, B-1, 7-3, 7-4


Exam corrections:
You will have the opportunity to improve your grade on the three exams. Corrections are due one week after the exam is returned. To receive credit for correcting a problem, you must include a) a detailed explanation of why the answer was wrong, b) an explanation of your new understanding of the problem, including an explanation of the correct procedure for solving it, and c) a correct solution to the problem that shows all your work. You may earn up to half the credit you lost on the problem, but I will not raise your grade to anything higher than a 90%.

Project:
You will work on a project this semester in class. The project can be done either individually or in groups, and will hopefully tie in to your personal interests and/or your professional training. The project will include a written report and can include a presentation in class or in my office. Further details will be given later in the semester and are available on the Web .

Other Assignments:
I will be regularly assigning homework from the textbook, which I might or might not collect for a grade the next class meeting. I might also give short quizzes in class, sometimes with advance warning, sometimes without. I might also give you other small tasks to complete before the next class. All of this work will count towards your grade for the class, under the category of "assignments," and you must complete at least 70% of these assignments to my satisfaction to pass the course (see Grading below).

Portfolio

I expect you to keep a portfolio of your work in this class. You should keep a 3-ring binder with the following material organized neatly:

All handouts from me (such as this one)
Homework, whether graded or not
Other assignments
Quizzes
Exams and corrections
Project notes, drafts, data, and final write-up

Late Work and Attendance Policy:
I have a simple policy about late work, with one twist. The simple policy about late work is that I don't accept any. The twist is that if you notify me in advance that you will be missing a quiz, test, or other graded work, than I will allow you to hand in the work late, for one-half the usual credit One consequence of this late work policy is that I have no attendance policy. That means all absences are inexcusable, because I don't ask for excuses. I ask for advance notice, by which I mean at least 12 hours notice, by e-mail or by phone. If you don't give me advance notice, don't expect me to allow you to make up any work you missed [except in documented cases of extreme emergencies].

 Grading
 

Earning an "A" means that you have demonstrated EXCELLENT work.

You must do all of the following:

Earning a "B" means that you have demonstrated GOOD work..

You must do all of the following:

Earning a "C" means that you have demonstrated ADEQUATE work..

You must do all of the following:

If any of the criteria for a "C" are not met, then the grade for the class will be an "F"

Grades with "+" and "-" will be awarded at the discretion of the instructor.

Departmental policy states that no grades of "I" (incomplete) will be awarded.

Achieving academic success in my class
I have very high expectations of you, and I am going to demand that you take your education, and this course, seriously. However, I am not here to "weed you out," to be a filter in your college education. Instead, I am here to help "pump you up," to assist you in gaining new intellectual tools and abilities that will make you more powerful. To help you (continue to) adapt to the rigors of college life, I will try to make a daily ritual of reading from 100 Things Every College Freshman Ought to Know, by William Disbro. I also recommend that you take advantage of 4 particularly useful academic training workshops of the 8 offered by Learning Services in Mary Graydon 201;
  • The Nuts and Bolts of Academic Success, 6:00-7:30pm, Sept. 15 and 12:45-2:00pm Sept. 16
  • It's Worth the Time, 6:00-7:30pm, Sept. 22 and 12:45-2:00pm Sept. 23
  • Strategies for Reducing Text Anxiety, 6:00-7:30pm, Oct. 13 and 12:45-2:00pm Oct. 14
  • Now What? After Midterms and Before Finals, 6:00-7:30pm, Nov. 10 and 12:45-2:00pm Nov. 11


    • FINITE MATHEMATICS 41.151.12, Fall 1998, Weinstein
    Tentative Calendar

    week
    TUESDAY
    FRIDAY
    1
    		 9/1 Introduction to me, the course, and the syllabus 9/4 
    A-6
    2
    		 9/8 
    A-8    		 9/11 
    1-1
    3
    		 9/15 
    1-2, Discuss Projects    		 9/18 
    1-3, Discuss Projects
    4
    		 9/22 
    4-1, Assign Projects    		 9/25 
    A-9, 1-4, Assign Projects
    5
    		 9/29 
    1-4, review    		 10/2 Substitute
    EXAM I
    6
    		 10/6 
    2-2    		 10/9 
    2-3
    7
    		 10/13 
    3-2    		 10/16 
    3-3
    8
    		 10/20 
    Some Projects due, with presentations    		 10/23 
    Drop Deadline
    A-1, 6-1
    9
    		 10/27 
    6-2    		 10/30 
    6-3
    10
    		 11/3 Substitute
    Review    		 11/6 
    EXAM II
    11
    		 11/10 
    7-1    		 11/13 
    7-2
    12
    		 11/17 
    B-1    		 11/20 
    7-3
    13
    		   Wednesday 11/25 
    7-4
    14
    		 12/1 
    Review    		 12/4 
    EXAM III
    15
    		 12/8 
    Review, Some Projects due    		 12/10 and 12/11 
    Reading Days &
    Departmental Review Sessions    		 Saturday 12/12 

    FINAL

    Gideon's Weekly Schedule



     
     
    MON
    TUES
    WEDS
    THURS
    FRI
    8:30 - 
    9:45 

     
     ARRIVE 9:00
    ARRIVE 9:00

    ARRIVE 9:00



    9:55 - 
    11:10 

     
    Finite Math
    41.151.12
    Hurst 209
    Finite Math
    41.151.12
    Hurst 209
    OFFICE HOURS
    10 to 4
    OTHER HOURS available by appointment on Tues, Weds, and Thurs afternoon
    11:20 - 
    12:35 

     
     ARRIVE 
    Noon
    ARRIVE 
    Noon


    12:45 - 
    2:00 

     


    LEAVE 12:30

    2:10 - 
    3:25 

     


    3:35 - 
    4:50 

     
    Department
    Meetings


       
    LEAVE 5:00
    LEAVE 5:00
    LEAVE 5:00
    5:20 - 
    6:35 

     
    Math Ed
    41.585.01
    		  
    6:45 - 
    8:00 

     

    		  

     


    LEAVE 9:00