Homework 6

Notes

• In order to get full credit in the open ended questions, you need to spend some time reflecting upon and writing your answers. In most of these problems, the probability that a one-sentence answer will get full credit is close to 0 (and so will be what you learn from the exercise)
• Make sure you show all your work on the problems that require it so. Otherwise, even if you give a correct answer, if you do not explain how you obtained it, you'll get very little or no credit.
• It would be great if you discussed ideas with your classmates. The write-up, however, must be done individually.
• Recall that the slides of the lectures can be found here.

Problems

1. If you were explaining to a non-mathematician what this course was about, and why you think the department requires it, what would you say? You can discuss which topic or idea you found most interesting and why and/or if a point of view or idea that you had changed because of this course. (Use about 500 words)
2. Give an example (or more than one) in the history of mathematics where problem-solving served as the basis for the initial development of a math concept.
3. Give an example where a mathematician, unable to solve a certain math problem, ended up solving a related but different one.
4. Given examples (at least two) of mathematical concepts that were represented in different ways in different cultures.