Math 10120 - Finite Mathematics

Spring 2017, Section 02

Instructor: David Galvin


ABOUT THE COURSE
BASIC INFORMATION
TUTORIAL
TEXTBOOK OPTIONS
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
ASSESSMENT
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
WEBASSIGN/HOMEWORK INFORMATION
QUIZZES
EXAMS
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
CONDUCT

NOTE: all course policies announced here are subject to change up to the first day of semester!


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About the course

The course is broadly about chance and strategy.

We begin with probability, the mathematical language that allows us to talk precisely about experiments involving chance. We start with an exposition of some useful and efficient techniques for counting. Next we apply these techniques to the calculation of probabilities or the chances of various events occurring. Finally, we do a little bit of statistics: making sensible inferences about a whole population, when all we have to work with is information about a small sample.

We then move on to optimization, the study of what choices you should make to maximize some payoff (or minimize some payout), when various constraints are placed on the choices that you get to make. We start by examining systems of linear equations and their solutions. Matrices are introduced and we see how these can be used to solve systems of linear equations. We then look at optimization problems, which involve getting the most out of limited resources. Often such problems can be reduced to solving systems of linear equations.

We end with some game theory, or the mathematics of strategy. When you play a game with other players, you want to maximize your return, or minimize your loss, but you have to keep in mind that your opponents also have the same objectives. We use matrices, optimization and probability to find optimal strategies for some games.

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Basic information

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Tutorial

Four times weekly throughout the semester, there will be a (voluntary) two-hour tutorial led by Megan Donnelly and Lydia Liu, (mdonnel9 at nd.edu and jliu10 at nd.edu). The tutors will always be in 109 Pasquerilla Center. The times for the tutorials are as follows:

The tutorials are a great opportunity to ask questions about anything in the course that is causing you trouble.

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Textbook options

We will cover material from the book

Finite Mathematics, 8th Edition, Rolf (Hybrid Edition with access to online homework).

You may either

purchase a hard copy of this book along
with access to the e-book and online homework

or

purchase access to the online homework system
and use the e-book that comes with it for reference.

Specifically, you have four purchasing options:

  1. Direct from publisher: Hybrid book with access to online homework and e-book, $129.95. The link is here.
  2. ND Bookstore, option 1: Single Term Access code for online homework and e-book (Enhanced WebAssign Access), $96. The link is here.
  3. ND Bookstore, option 2: Hybrid book with access to online homework and e-book (new), $139.75. The link is here.
  4. Improvisational option: You may also purchase an access code online through WebAssign after you register for online homework, $79 (this was the cost in spring of 2016; it may have now increased by a few dollars). This includes an electronic copy of the book. If you also want a hard copy you can easily purchase a second-hand copy online fairly cheaply. Keep in mind that used copies of the hybrid book will not have an access code, since access codes are not transferable. You may register for online homework as soon as semester starts (January 17) and you have roughly two weeks to purchase and enter an access code before your account (and whatever homework you have completed to date) is erased.

Note that all options include access to WebAssign --- this is absolutely necessary.

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Weekly schedule

Here is an outline of what sections of Rolf's book we will be covering. It may change slightly as the semester progresses. Click on each section number to see the slides for that section. Note that the slides will only become available on the morning of the relevant lecture (before that you will hit dead links).

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Assessment

You will be marked out of 600 points, with the specific breakdown as follows:

Your marks on each of these components will be periodically updated on Sakai.

A total of 570 out of 600 points will earn you an A; 550 will earn you an A-; 530 a B+; 505 a B; 480 a B-; 455 a C+; 430 a C; and a total of 410 out of 600 points will earn you a C-.

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Late assignments

All homework must be done by the due date to receive credit, and all quizzes and exams must be taken at the assigned times.

I will not consider requests for homework extensions --- the online homework system gives ample time after each section has been covered to complete each assignment, so if you have to be off-campus, I expect that you manage your travel time in such a way that you can complete your assignments in a timely manner, and if you have computer problems I expect you to go to a computer cluster on campus to complete your online homework.

I will not consider requests for make-up quizzes and/or exams, except in the case of legitimate, university-sanctioned conflicts. It is your responsibility to let me know the full details of these conflicts before they cause you to miss an assignment! Excepting university-sanctioned conflicts, it is your responsibility to be in class for all scheduled lectures and mid-semester exams; in particular, you should not plan travel on the morning of any of the Thursdays on which mid-semester exams are scheduled.

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WebAssign/Homework information

We are using WebAssign for online homework; there will be no paper homework.

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Quizzes

Quiz 6 was given on May 1. Here is the quiz, with solutions.

Quiz 5 was given on April 12. Here is the quiz, with solutions.

Quiz 4 was given on March 31. Here is the quiz, with solutions.

Quiz 3 was given on March 3. Here is the quiz, with solutions.

Quiz 2 was given on February 17. Here is the quiz, with solutions.

Quiz 1 was given on February 3. Here is the quiz, with solutions.

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Exams

The final exam will be on Monday May 8 at 1.45pm in 129 Hayes-Healy. It will last 2 hours. It will be cumulative, with 30 multiple choice questions, split roughly 8/8/8/6 between the material for each of the three midterms and the material we've covered since the last midterm. Here are some practice exams:

Here are some resources for help.

Exam 3 (click for copy with solutions) was on Thursday April 20, covering Sections 8.3 through 8.7 and 3.1 through 3.3. A practice exam is posted here (ignore question 10), with solutions here, and a second one is here, with solutions here. Please don't look at the solutions until you have spend a reasonable amount of time working on the exams! Here were some resources for help:

Exam 2 (click for copy with solutions) was on Thursday March 9, covering Chapter 7 and Sections 8.1 and 8.2. A practice exam is posted here (an actual exam from a previous running of this course), with solutions here, and a second one is here, with solutions here. Here are some resources for help:

Exam 1 (click for copy with solutions) was on Thursday February 9, covering Sections 6.1 through 6.7. Here is a practice exam (an actual exam from a previous running of this course). Solutions are here (note that the wording of Q15 in the solution write-up is slightly different from in the practice exam, but it is exactly the same question). Here were some resources for help:

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Supplementary material

Here is where I will post any supplementary material for the course. Note that the slides that I go through in class are available by clicking on the relevant section number in the weekly schedule

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Conduct

Honor code: You have all taken the Honor Code pledge, to not participate in or tolerate academic dishonesty. For this course, that means that although you may discuss homework assignments with your colleagues, you must complete each WebAssign assignment yourself, all work that you present in quizzes and exams must be your own, and you will adhere to all announced exam policies.

Class conduct: The lecture room should be a place where you should feel free to engage in lively discussion about the course topic; don't be shy! But non course related interruptions should be kept to a minimum. In particular, you should turn off or switch to silent all phones, etc., before the start of class. If for some good reason you need to have your phone on during class, please mention it to me in advance.

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