Math 167:101 - For All Practical Purposes
Summer 2013
Section
101
Instructor: Roberto Barrera
Office Hours: MW 10:30-11:30 am
TR 2:00-3:00 pm
Milner Hall Rm: 030
Textbook
Days
MTWRF
Time
12:00pm-1:35pm
Location
BLOC 166
Email: rbarrera@math.tamu.edu
Website: http://www.math.tamu.edu/∼rbarrera/math167
For All Practical Purpose: Mathematical Literacy in Today’s World, Eighth Edition,
by W. H. Freeman, Pearson (2010). ISBN: 978-1429215060
Catalog Title and (CREDIT 3.0) Math 167 : For All Practical Purposes - Application of mathematics to
Description
real world situations using quantitative methods; includes urban services and elements
or management science (optimal routes, planning and scheduling), elements of statistics
(sampling/polling methods, analyzing data to make decisions), codes used by stores,
credit cards, internet security, cryptography. Prerequisite: High school algebra I and
II.
Learning
Outcomes
During the course of MATH 167, students will gain the following specific knowledge
and skills and will
◦ Design optimal heuristic routes.
◦ Construct schedules that make the best use of resources.
◦ Display and analyze data.
◦ Determine good and bad samples for statistical data.
◦ Distinguish between good and bad inferences from data.
◦ Understand and apply the rules for identification numbers.
◦ Use cryptography to encode and decode information.
◦ Create a fair division of an item or items.
◦ Apportion using different apportionment methods.
Core Objectives
Critical Thinking
◦ Students will synthesize data to look for trends and correlation along with determining if there is a bias or bad sampling.
◦ Students will analyze codes and ciphers to make and break encrypted messages.
◦ Students will think creatively about how resources can be allocated fairly and
decide what the best way to divide contested items.
Communication Skills
◦ Students will model streets, highways and communication infrastructure as a
graph.
◦ Students will diagram machine scheduling problems as a Gantt chart.
◦ Students will display quantitative data as histograms, stem plots, boxplots, and
scatter plots with all units and quantities clearly labeled.
Empirical and Quantitative skills
◦ Students will solve network, graph theory, scheduling and packing questions using
brute force and heuristic models.
◦ Students will describe data sets by finding relevand descriptive statistics. Students will determine whether or not a result is statistically significant.
◦ Students will use check digit schemes and prove if the check digits are able to
find errors in codes.
◦ Students will calculate how to divide items fairly and how to apportion representatives using several different apportionment procedures, including the one
currently used to apportion for the United States House of Representatives.
Homework
Homework will primarily be online. The other assignments that are part of your homework grade may include videos, written assignments, PDF form assignments or in-class
activities.
Quizzes
Quizzes will be given at the end of lecture the day a webassign homework is due. The
quiz will be over the last assignment that was due.
Exams
There will be 4 non-comprehensive exams. The exam schedule is as follows:
◦ First exam: Tuesday, June 11
◦ Second exam: Thursday, June 20
◦ Third exam: Thursday, June 27
◦ Fourth exam: Monday, July 8, 1:00 pm-3:00 (Final Exam is not comprehensive)
Calculators
Scientific calculators are allowed. Graphing calculators are not allowed. In particular,
the following are not allowed: TI-82, TI-83, TI-89, T-1000, T-800, etc.
Grading
The final grade will be computed using the following weights:
Quizzes
Homework
Exam 1 (Chapters
Exam 2 (Chapters
Exam 3 (Chapters
Exam 4 (Chapters
1, 2, and 3)
5, 6, and 7)
16 and 17)
9, 13, and 14)
15%
10%
20%
20%
15%
20%
The grading scale is as follows:
A
B
C
D
F
Attendance &
Make-up Policy
90% and above
80% - 89.9%
70% - 79.9%
60% - 69.9%
Below 59.9%
No make-up exams or late assignments will be accepted without a University-approved
excused absence (see the Texas A&M University Student Rules at http://student-rules.
tamu.edu). Please contact me as soon as possible if there are any unusual circumstances
that you think may be an excused absence.
If you are asked to leave class due to disruptive behavior, you may not make up any
assignments missed.
An absence for a non-acute medical service or regular check-up does not constitute an
excused absence.
To be excused, you must notify me in writing prior to the date of absence, if possible.
Consistent with Texas A&M Student Rules, in cases where advance notification is not
feasible (e.g. accident, or emergency) the student must provide notification by the
end of the second working day after the absence. This notification must include an
explanation of why notice could not be sent prior to the class.
Copyright
All exams, printed handouts and/or assignments, and web-materials are protected by
U.S. Copyright Laws. No multiple copies can be made without my written permission.
No exams or assignments may be shared with anyone outside of the class.
Honor Code
”An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.” For additional
information, visit http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor.
Disabilities
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that
provides comprehensive civil rights protections for persons with disabilities. Among
other things, this legislation provides that all students with disabilities be guaranteed
a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact
Disability Services, Cain Hall, Room B118, (979) 845-1637. For additional information,
visit http://www.disability.tamu.edu