Math 331: Mathematical Problem Solving with Computers
Spring 2005

• General Course Information
• The Textbook
• Classwork, Homework and Projects
• Computer Resources
• Grading Policy
• Prerequisites
• Special needs
• GRADES
  

• Instructor:
  • Prof. Moira Chas. email: moira@math.sunysb.edu
  • Office hours: Tue 2:15-3:15, Thu 11:30-12:30 or by appointment.
  • Office: Math tower 4-120.
    
• The course meets Tue-Thu 11:20pm- 12:40pm, in room S-235 of the Math tower.

• About the course:
  After a general introduction to the use of the computers we will turn to more mathematical problems. We will try to keep the emphasis in this course on the problem solving portion of the title: we will take a series of problems and try to find solutions or approximate them, keeping in mind that we have access to computers. The discussion of the problems and development of necessary mathematics will be done in the classroom, and then we will turn to the computers to explore and work out the solutions.
  A tentative   syllabus  will be updated according to the progress of the class. Such syllabus will contain also homework assignments and projects.
  In order to make it easier for you to keep up with the lectures, any Maple worksheets from each lecture will be available from this page. These are saved in files named by the date of the lecture HERE. Depending on how your browser is set up, you might be able to just click on the worksheets, or you might have to right-click and select "save link as..." and then open them from maple once you have saved a copy. Alternatively, you can open them directly from maple, assuming you are using Maple 8 or 9.

• HTML version of the full text, PDF version of thef full text.
  
• Chapter 1: Preliminaries about Maple HTML PDF
• Chapter 2: If the Curve Fits, Wear it HTML PDF
• Chapter 3: The Art of Phugoid HTML PDF
• Chapter 4: fsqFsHn sGGousG HTML PDF
• Chapter 5: A turtle in a fractal garden HTML PDF

Exercises:
(50% of your grade)
There will be a number of exercises assigned. An ``exercise'' is like a homework assignment--something that you should be able to do in at most a few hours. Each exercise is worth 10 points, and can be handed in any time before its ``expiration date''. You can work on any number of problems per homework sheet. However, at the end of the semester, you must have handed in at least half of the exercises assigned. If you do more, I will pick your best grades. If you do less, the missing grades will be counted as zeros.


Projects:
(40% of your grade)
There will be three projects assigned during the semester. A ``project'' is more like a term paper-- you will be expected to devote a significant amount of time to doing it, as well as taking care with the presentation. The expository and computational aspects of the project write-ups will be graded separately.


Working together on the projects is encouraged, although each student will be responsible for turning in a write-up of the problem and solution. This should contain a detailed description of the problem or topic, what means were used in solve it, and the solution. These write-ups should be produced by each student individually, and should be detailed enough so that someone who has not taken the class can read and understand them, and will believe the solution is correct. These write-ups are often acceptable for the mathematics writing requirement.

Reading/Class Participation:
(10% of your grade)
I expect you to read along in the text, and actively participate in classroom discussions. I will occasionally ask you to turn in questions/comments on the reading and course in general. The goal is for these questions to help stimulate classroom discussion.

C or higher in MAT 203 or 205 or AMS 261.

Homework problems:    50%

Projects:                          40%

Class Participation:        10%