MATH 170 (Section 6441, Spring 2008)
Finite Mathematics
MW 8:10–9:00
AM and TuTh 8:10-9:30 AM, Humanities Room 8
Prerequisites:
Math 120 (Intermediate Algebra)
Textbook and Materials:
·
Textbook: “Finite
Mathematics”, 8th Ed., by M. L. Lial, R. N. Greenwell, and N. P. Ritchey. (Note: this is not the
newest edition of the book.)
·
A scientific
calculator. A typical model costs less
than $15
Course
Contents: This course is to provide students, primarily in the
fields of business, management, economics, social sciences, and behavioral
sciences, with a sound conceptual understanding of the role that quantitative
methods play. Topics include systems of
linear equations and matrices, linear programming, mathematics of finance,
logic, probability, combinatorics, and statistics.
Performance Evaluation and Grading Policy: Grading is based on
the following:
1.
Assignments
(20%): About one per week.
All work is to be completed legibly in pencil on loose-leaf paper. You should
staple—do not fold!—you paper. Clearly print your name. Work of poor quality will not be graded.
Each work turned in shall receive one of the following grades: A+, A, A-, B+,
B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, which are translated into (on a scale of 0–100)
100, 96, 92, 88, 85, 82, 78, 75, 72, 65, 58, 50, 0, respectively. Late work will obtain a grade no better than
B+. Work turned in late by more than
one day will not be accepted.
2.
Tests (65%): There shall be one test every two weeks. Most of the tests
shall take place on Wednesdays, with some on Thursdays.
·
Always bring a
calculator to a test/exam.
·
Test time will not be
extended for late arrivals.
·
There will be no
make-up test, except for reasonable extenuating circumstances subject to the
instructor’s discretion. To qualify,
prior arrangement is required, except for emergencies, in which case a written
document should be presented as proof, in addition to timely notification to
the instructor via voice message or email. A missed test gets a zero.
3.
Final Exam
(15%): Final exam date and
time shall be in accordance with the official schedule of classes: Monday, May
19, 8:00—9:40 AM.
Your letter grade is
then determined based on the following scheme:
F: below 50,
D: 50–69, C: 70–79, B: 80–89, A: 90–100
(1) “Incomplete” (“I”) is strictly for students in good
standing who cannot attend classes near the end of the semester due to
an unforeseeable emergency.
(2) If the student intends to drop the course, it is her/his
responsibility to do so officially with the Admissions and Records by the
deadline. Simply stopping coming to
class may result in you receiving a failing grade (“F” or “D”). See the policy
laid out in the section “Attendance” below.
Attendance: The instructor has the right to drop a student after the
student’s absence from six (6) class meetings, but the instructor is not
required to do so. A student intending
to drop the course is responsible for filing necessary paperwork with the
Admissions and Records by the relevant deadline. Do not count on the instructor
to drop you!! If you simply stop coming
to class without dropping yourself officially and the instructor chooses not to
drop you, you may end up getting a failing grade (“F” or “D”).
Classroom Behavior: Common classroom etiquette is expected. This includes:
·
Cellular phones
should be turned off or set to vibrate.
·
Children should not
be brought to class meetings.
·
Food should not be
consumed in the classroom.
·
Students should
refrain from distracting behavior such as holding side conversation during
lectures.
Academic
Honesty Policy: Cheating on a
test/exam, shall result in, for the first offense, a zero for the
test/exam. A second offense shall lead
to an “F” grade for the course.
Examples of cheating include helping someone on a test, copying another
student’s test, using material not allowed on an exam, or sharing a calculator
or scratch paper on an exam. The
instructor may choose to change seating arrangement during a test/exam when
cheating is suspected.
Important Dates (Related to This Course):
·
No meeting: Monday,
January 21 (Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday).
·
Last day to drop
without “W”: Monday, February 11
·
No meeting: Monday,
February 18 (Washington’s Birthday)
·
No meeting: Monday,
March 17 to Sunday, March 23 (Spring Recess)
·
Last
day to drop with “W”: Friday, April 4. Should be Friday, April 25.
·
Final Exam: Monday,
May 19, 8:00—9:40 AM (Note that it begins on the hour!).