FC 119 - Schedule and Assignments

Class   Day   

  1  Jan 15 M  Introduction, history and philosophy of course, expectations,
               assignments, exams (none), papers, grading
  2      17 W  Towers of Hanoi
               Readings: RIM, Habit and Problem Solving
  3      19 F  Chaos in the Classroom
  4      22 M  Chaos in the Classroom (continued)
  5      24 W  What mathematicians do
               Readings: Davis & Hersh, Preface, Introduction, pp. 1-30
                         RIM, A Preview of Mathematics
               Homework 1 due
  6      26 F  How mathematicians do it
  7      29 M  Listener response workshop with allies on writing exercise
  8      31 W  What mathematicians are and how they are viewed
               Readings: Davis & Hersh, pp. 32-65
               Selection of topic and free-write of paper 1
               Homework 2 due
  9  Feb  2 F  What mathematicians are and how they are viewed (continued)
               Summary of free-write of paper 1
 10       5 M  First draft of paper 1
               Listener response workshop with allies on draft of paper 1
 11       7 W  Why mathematics works, mathematical models, utility
               Readings: Davis & Hersh, pp. 68-89
                         RIM, What Kepler Found and What Kepler Missed
 12       9 F  Second draft of paper 1
               Listener response workshop with peers on draft of paper 1
               Videotape: The Mechanical Universe, The Kepler Problem
 13      12 M  Symbols, notation, abstraction, generalization
               Readings: Davis & Hersh, pp. 122-136
                         RIM, Numbers
 14      14 W  Symbols, notation, abstraction, generalization (continued)
               Aesthetics in mathematics, pattern, order, chaos, algorithmic and
                  dialectic mathematics
               Readings: Davis & Hersh, pp. 168-186
                         RIM, Patterns in Numbers and Nature
               Paper 1 due
 15      16 F  Aesthetics in mathematics, pattern, order, chaos, algorithmic and
                  dialectic mathematics (continued)
 16      19 M  Teaching and learning mathematics
               Readings: Davis & Hersh, pp. 272-284
 17      21 W  Proof in mathematics
               Readings: Davis & Hersh, pp. 147-151
               Videotape: NOVA, Mathematical Mystery Tour
               Homework 3 due
 18      23 F  Early Greek mathematics, Hippocrates' quadrature of the lune
                  (ca. 440 BC)
               Readings: Dunham, Chapter 1
 19      26 M  Early Greek mathematics (continued)
 20      28 W  Early Greek mathematics (continued)
 21  Mar  1 F  Greek mathematics, Euclid's "Elements", Euclid's proof of the
                  Pythagorean Theorem and its converse (ca. 300 BC)
               Readings: Dunham, Chapter 2
               Homework 4 due
 22       4 M  Greek mathematics (continued)
 23       6 W  Greek mathematics (continued)
         7-17  Spring Break
 24      18 M  Archimedes' determination of the area of a circle (ca. 225 BC)
               Readings: Dunham, Chapter 4
               Homework 5 due
 25      20 W  Archimedes (continued)
 26      22 F  Archimedes (continued)
               Paper 2 due
 27      25 M  Mathematics of the Italian Renaissance, Cardano and the solution
                  of the cubic equation (1545)
               Readings: Dunham, Chapter 6
 28      27 W  Mathematics of the Italian Renaissance (continued)
 29      29 F  Mathematics of the Italian Renaissance (continued)
               Homework 6 due
 30  Apr  1 M  Chaos, fractals, and dynamics
               Readings: Dunham, pp. 155-165, 177-183
 31       3 W  Chaos, fractals, and dynamics (continued)
          5-8  Easter Break
 32      10 W  Chaos, fractals, and dynamics (continued)
               Homework 7 due
 33      12 F  Inverse problems, brachistochrone problem, CT scan
               Readings: Dunham, pp. 184-196, 199-202
 34      15 M  Inverse problems, brachistochrone problem, CT scan (continued)
 35      17 W  Inverse problems, brachistochrone problem, CT scan (continued)
               Homework 8 due
 36      19 F  More inverse problems, coding and decoding
               Readings: Dunham, pp. 207-212, 235-244
 37      22 M  More inverse problems, coding and decoding (continued)
               Paper 3 due
 38      24 W  More inverse problems, coding and decoding (continued)
 39      26 F  Finite and infinity, countability and uncountability
               Readings: Dunham, Chapter 11
 40      29 M  Finite and infinity, countability and uncountability (continued)
 41  May  1 W  Finite and infinity, countability and uncountability (continued)
               Homework 9 due
 42       2 R  Overflow and review

          9 R  Final Exam (8:30-11:30 AM)