Course Prerequisites: A grade of C- or better in MAT 224 and either MAT 122 or 236.
Course Objectives:
Develop an appreciation for the contributions by various cultures to the growth and development of mathematical ideas
Realize that mathematics has not always existed in the polished form presented in textbooks, but instead has evolved from a need to solve problems
Forms of Assessment:
Math Assignments: Homework problems intended to test your understanding of the
concepts presented in the text will be assigned. Sorry, no late homework
will be accepted. Please make sure that your work is neat and legible!
Writing Assignment: MAT480 is a writing intensive course. You will be asked to submit one "major" writing assignment. You can choose to submit a cultural paper or a topical paper, see below for more details. You will have the opportunity to submit a first and a final draft of this assignment. Your first draft must be a serious draft, otherwise I will not be able to make helpful comments on it. I reserve the right to average the grades you get on the first draft and the final draft, if I feel that you did not submit a serious first draft.
Tests: You will have 2 tests and a final exam. The dates for these exams will be announced in class
at least one week in advance.
Please see me in advance if you have a conflict with any of these times and we will make
appropriate arrangements.
Grading:
Your grade will be determined as follows:
Math Assignments
30%
Writing Assignment
16%
2 Tests & a Final Exam (equally weighted)
54%
Total
100%
Content:
We will discuss the following topics to various degrees of depth:
Egyptian Mathematics
Babylonian Mathematics
Greek Mathematics
Medieval Mathematics
Honor Code
Math Assignments: You may collaborate with others on the math homeworks. Please do not use collaboration as a method to escape learning the material. If you do not know how to do the assigned problems, you will have a hard time passing the tests.
Writing Assignment: You may not collaborate with others on this assignment.
Tests: You may not collaborate with others on tests.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is very
important and shows that you value your education and take it
seriously. By choosing to miss class without having a legitimate
excuse to do so, you forfeit your right to seek my help with
material discussed during your absence.
Disability Statement:
SUNY Cortland is committed to upholding and maintaining all aspects of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you are a student with a disability and wish to request accommodations, please contact Disability Services located in Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-40, or call (607) 753-2066 for an appointment. Any information regarding your disability will remain confidential. Because many accommodations require early planning, requests for accommodations will be reviewed in a timely manner to determine their appropriateness to this setting.
Ask Questions - Work Hard - Have Fun
Writing Assignment Guidelines:
Your writing should be concise and clear, but it must also be precise. You should proofread your paper a couple of times before submitting it. Write it in your own style and avoid stringing together a bunch of quotations. Don't quote without citing the source. When you mention some fact that is not common knowledge, indicate its source. Be careful with the description of the mathematics you write about.
Check out the following links. The first is a guide to writing mathematics and the second provides links to citing and referencing guides. Writing Mathematics Citing and Referencing
To be assigned a grade of A or B on a paper, your paper should have:
A nice combination of mathematics and history.
A nice fluid writing style.
Good explanation of the mathematical ideas.
If your paper has one or more of the following, you will be assigned a grade of C or D:
Choppy writing style.
Too many quotes, especially long ones.
Lots of mathematics, but no details.
Technical terms not explained.
Writing Assignment: You may choose to write a cultural paper or a topical paper.
Cultural Paper:
Write an 8 page paper (double spaced) on the mathematical contributions of a certain culture (not formally studied in the course). Your paper should include both precise history and interesting mathematics. For example, you could write about:
History of Native American Mathematics
History of Hindu mathematics
History of Chinese mathematics
History of Islamic mathematics
Topical Paper:
Write an 8 page paper (double spaced) on one of the following topics. Your paper should include both precise history and interesting mathematics.