What: Core 5.2

When: 4:55-5:45 MW

Where: 232 NE

Instructor: Prof. Bouziakova

Office: Ingersoll Hall 1317aN

Office hours: 4:00-4:50 M and 7:20-8:00 W

Textbook: "The Heart Of Mathematics: An invitation to effective thinking", Edward Burger and Michael Starbird, Key College Publishing in cooperation with Springer-Verlag, 2000

Material to be covered: Chapters 1,2,and 3 (and some selected topics from the other chapters if time permits)

Week 1: "Stories" with mathematical content and their resolution;

Week 2: Counting - the pigeonhole principle and related issues;

Week 3: Patterns;

Week 4: Prime numbers and clock arithmetic;

Week 5 & 6: Fermat’s little theorem and public key cryptography;

Week 7: rational and real numbers;

Week 8: midterm exam;

Week 9 & 10: Cantor’s diagonal argument;

Week 11 through 14: selected topics

Grading policy: There will be 2 hourly tests (only the one with a better score will be counted) and final exam. Test will affect 60% of your final grade. The final exam counts for 40 %.The tests are tentatively scheduled for 5^th and 10^th weeks.

Tests will be announced one week in advance. The final exam will take place on May 23 from 1:00 pm to 3:00pm.

Grading scale: 90 – 100% - at least A-; 80 -- 89% - at least B-; 70 -- 79% - at least C-; 60 -- 69% - at least D-; F below 60%.

Attendance: At the beginning of each class period I will take attendance. Although attendance will not negatively affect your grade, every student is responsible for all announcements made in class as well as all material covered.

No make-up exams will be given.

Homework is assigned during every class period, but is not collected and not graded. You are welcome to ask questions related to the last homework during the first ten minutes of each class period.