Spring 2016
Math 141: Business Math I Syllabus
Name
Sherry Scarborough, Ph.D.
http://www.math.tamu.edu/~Sherry.Scarborough/
Office
Phone number
E-mail
Blocker 209
Math Department: 845-3261
sherry.scarborough@math.tamu.edu (include your name, 141
and section in the subject line of your emails)
Course Page
General Page
Office hours
BMTA hours
http://www.math.tamu.edu/~sherry.scarborough/141topics.html
Help Sessions
Week in Reviews
http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/math141/?termcode=201611
Mondays 3 – 4:30pm; Wednesdays 3 – 4:30pm
Mon 9:15am -12:15pm, Tues 2:30-4:30pm, Wed 10:15am12:15pm, Fri 9:15am-12:15pm - in Blocker 111
http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/helpsessions.html
http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/weekinreview.html
CLASS TIMES
 141-503: MWF 12:40 – 1:30pm BSBE 115
 141-504: MWF 1:50 – 2:40pm BSBE 115
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
Business Mathematics I (Credit 3) Linear and quadratic equations and applications; functions and graphs,
systems of linear equations, matrix algebra and applications, linear programming, probability and
applications, statistics. No credit will be given for more than one of Math 141 and Math 166.
Prerequisites: High school algebra I and II and geometry.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course is focused on quantitative literacy in mathematics found in both business and everyday life. Upon
successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Logically find relationships among variables to formulate mathematical models for everyday applications,
including business applications, such as cost, revenue, profit, supply and demand.

Understand matrices and their applications, including solving systems of linear equations.

Construct linear programming problems for various applications and solve using graphical techniques,
including finding the optimal point(s) where a company minimizes its cost or maximizes its profit.

Understand set terminology and its relationship to symbolic notation.

Use Venn diagrams to model the relationship between sets and set operations, with applications to realworld problems.

Understand the principles of probability and counting and apply these concepts to a variety of problems,
such as finding the number of ways or probability of obtaining particular card hands.

Identify types of random variables and calculate probabilities and statistics for random variables.

Apply the concepts of finance to real-world situations, such as financing a car or house.
TEXTBOOK
Finite Mathematics for the Managerial, Life, and Social Sciences, 11th Edition, by Tan
Note: When you registered for this class you paid for an electronic version of the textbook and access to
your computer homework. Thus, you are not required to purchase a hard copy of the textbook. You have
the option to purchase a custom loose-leaf copy of the textbook through the local bookstores. For more
information go to http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/eHomework and click on “Student Information
Page”.
CLASS NOTES
You need to bring your class notes, found in eCampus, to every non-exam class day.
CALCULATOR POLICY
A TI-83, TI-83PLUS, TI-84, TI-84PLUS, or TI-Nspire Non-CAS (with an 84 faceplate) is REQUIRED
for each class. These are the only types of calculators allowed. NOTE: It is considered a violation of the
Aggie Honor Code to have any programs, notes, etc. in your calculator, which have not been approved by
your instructor. You may not share calculators during quizzes or exams. On exam days, calculator lids are
not allowed and the calculator memory must be RESET before entering and when leaving the classroom.
HIGHLY SUGGESTED TEXT PRACTICE PROBLEMS
Your highly suggested text practice problems will prepare you for your computer homework, quizzes, and
exams, but will NOT be turned in for a grade. It is crucial that you work these problems. A list of highly
suggested text homework practice problems can be found at the end of this syllabus.
COMPUTER HOMEWORK (WEBASSIGN)
There will be a graded computer homework assignment for each section we cover in-class. These
assignments will be taken on the WebAssign computer system. For more information and to login please
go to http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/eHomework. When the course grade is calculated your 2
lowest homework grades are dropped.
QUIZZES
Quizzes may or may not be announced so it is imperative that you keep up with the suggested text
practice problems and notes. You will be expected to show all of your work, including calculator
methods, on all quiz problems for full credit, unless it is stated otherwise. There will be no makeup
quizzes, since when the course grade is calculated your 2 lowest quiz grades are dropped. If you
know ahead of time you will have multiple excused-absences (example: member one of TAMU’s sport
teams), you will need to come to my office hours the first two weeks of school so we can discuss
provisions of multiple absences. All quizzes are individual and you are on your honor to complete them
by yourself.
EXAMS
There will be three in-class regular exams, plus a comprehensive final exam. You must bring your TAMU
student ID, a TAMU Scantron, #2 pencil, eraser, and approved calculator, with its memory reset, to
each exam. The tentative exam schedule is as follows:
Exam 1: Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Exam 2: Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Exam 3: Wednesday, April 13, 2016
FINAL EXAM
The final exam will be comprehensive. The final exam schedule is as follows:
Section
141-503
141-504
Class Time
MWF 12:40 – 1:30pm
MWF 1:50 – 2:40pm
Final Exam Date and Time
Friday, May 6 10:30am – 12:30pm
Monday, May 9 3:30pm – 5:30pm
GRADING POLICIES
A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), D (60-69%), F (0-59%)
Activity
Exam I
Exam II
Exam III
Computer Homework
Quizzes
Final Exam
TOTAL
Date
2/10/2016
3/9/2016
4/13/2016
Weekly
Weekly
See Schedule
Percentage
18%
18%
18%
10%
13%
23%
100%
Due to confidentiality, grades will not be discussed via phone or email, only in person.
ADDITIONAL HELP & PREPARING FOR EXAMS
 Me: I am here to help you but I cannot help if I do not know there is a problem. I encourage each
of you to talk to me, ask questions both in and out of class, come to office hours, send emails, etc.
Your best bet for success is active participation!
 Class Notes: An outline of the notes is posted in your Math 141 class in eCampus. It will be
beneficial to print these out and bring them with you to class. You should review your notes after
class, before doing homework, and while preparing for exams, and make sure to get any questions
you have about the material in the notes answered, before the next class meeting, if possible. A
completed set of notes will NOT be posted after class.
 BMTAs: Your class will have a Business Math Tutorial Assistant. This tutorial assistant will be
offering additional help at times outside of my office hours and other departmentally provided
help hours for my students. Times and places for these additional hours of help are posted on my
Math 141 webpage.
 Your Classmates: Get to know your classmates. Form study groups and work on suggested
problems outside of class.
 Week-in-Review (WIR): There are Week-in-Review sessions conducted by instructors each
week. Each review is open to all Math 141 students to review the topics of the previous week and
to provide additional examples. The days, times and places of these reviews will be posted on our
course webpage and will be announced in class, once they are determined. Additionally, this
information can be found at http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/weekinreview.html. Additional
sets of old Week-in-Review questions with solutions are linked from my Math 141 webpage.
 Practice: In order to succeed in this course, it is essential that YOU practice extra problems ON
YOUR OWN. Even if you are not able to attend either WIR, you can still use the provided
problems for practice. If you regularly attend a particular WIR, it might be a good idea to work
through the problems from the other WIRs, on your own, for additional practice.
 Help Sessions: Help sessions are an opportunity for you to ask questions and get help with your
homework. These sessions are led by students, where you may come and go, as your schedule
allows. Once determined, the schedule will be announced in class, posted on our course webpage
and additionally posted at http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/helpsessions.html.
 Calculator Help: Step-by-step written keystroke directions are available for all needed calculator
functions via links on http://www.math.tamu.edu/~sherry.scarborough/141topics.html
ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP POLICIES
 Excused absences: Attendance is mandatory and may affect your grade. For excused absences
refer to Student Rule 7 at http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule07. Excuses for absences during an
exam must be substantiated by appropriate documentation. Falsification of documentation is a
violation of the Honor Code. To be excused you must notify Prof. Sherry by email prior to date of
absence if such notification is feasible. If advanced notice is not possible, you must contact me
within two working days, preferably by the next morning after your missed exam. For injury or
illness too severe or contagious to attend class, you must provide confirmation of a visit to a
health care professional affirming date and time of visit. The Texas A&M University Explanatory
Statement for Absence from Class Form will NOT be accepted.
 Scheduled Make-Up Exams: If you have a University approved absence for missing an exam,
you will be expected to make up your exam in the designated room according to the schedule
found on http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/makeupexams.html, starting with the earliest
possible option for each exam, after being given approval by me. Please email me no later than
next morning following the missed exam date so I can set up your makeup exam. Your TAMU
student ID is required for admittance to the makeup exam and you must show up within the first
15 minutes to be given an exam. Only if you have a University approved absence for the day of
the exam AND the makeup day will you be allowed to use a later makeup option.
 Attendance: Attendance is essential in this class. Please be courteous and respectful. During
class I will stay focused on teaching you mathematics, so please stay focused on learning the
mathematics being taught. This means you should arrive to class on time, you should stay awake
throughout class, you should not be reading a newspaper or working with materials from another
course, you should refrain from discussion not related to class, and you should not leave class
early (unless there is an emergency or you have talked to me before class). If I feel you are being
disruptive or disrespectful during class, you will be asked to leave the room.
POLICIES
 Grade Disputes: If you disagree with any deduction taken on an assignment or with a point
total, you must bring it to my attention within two working days of it being returned; otherwise
the grade will not be changed. Due to privacy issues, I cannot discuss grades over email or phone.
If you have a question about your grade, please come see me in person.
 Grade Posting: Quiz and exam grades will be posted periodically in WebAssign. Course
midterm grades, if required, and course grades will be posted in eCampus.
 Late Work: No late work will be accepted and no extensions on online homework problem sets
will be granted.
 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 or posted on any website. This
means that class notes, online material, online homework problems, exams, quizzes, handouts, or
subsets thereof may NOT be posted or texted or transmitted on Facebook, Twitter,
Yahoo!Answers, YouTube, blogs, wikis, forums, videos, podcasts, or any other social media.
 Exam and Quiz Content: Exam and quiz contents are confidential until the exam or quiz is
returned. You may not discuss the contents of an exam or quiz until they have been returned; to
do so violates the Aggie Honor Code. Please note that the final exam will not be returned as it is
property of the TAMU Mathematics Department.
 Cell Phone and Electronic Devices: Please turn off and put away all electronic devices during
class, unless otherwise stated.
 Class Preparation: It is expected that you have skimmed the notes ahead of our class time so
that we can focus on working the math problems and to have your calculator out and ready to use.
 Seat Assignment: As soon as seats have been assigned, please sit only in your assigned seat.
 Active Class: Since I appreciate having an active class, I encourage you to ask questions, to
‘pause’ me when I get too excited and go too fast, and to ‘rewind’ me when I need to go over a
step or problem again. I really appreciate those who ask questions in class, and volunteer answers
(right or wrong!) in class. The only dumb questions are the ones you do not ask. Even if you
cannot figure out how to ask the question, just tell me to run it by you again. It is my job to be the
translator -- to figure out what you are trying to ask, so the more information you give me, the
better I can figure out what to say. One of my guidelines in life is to learn from my mistakes. We
can learn a lot from wrong answers, so please blurt out answers. I can say and enhance your
learning so much more from offered comments and answers, than I can to silence. I also
appreciate when you can help your neighbor by pointing out a needed thought in the notes.
However, please be courteous and respectful to your classmates and to me by not randomly
chatting during class time so I will not need to use the virtual ‘mute’ button!
 Funny Face: Sometimes when I am asked a question, I must have this really funny face (some
have said mad or stern face); something like :-| . This expression means you have asked a really
good question, I am trying to figure out how best to answer it, or I am trying to figure out the
logistics for what is being asked. I am just concentrating. I am not mad, nor do I think you are
stupid --- it would upset me greatly for you to think that I thought that! I have learned to tell my
students to not misread my expression. I really care about you and work really hard to best
answer your questions. :-)
 You Are Special: You are special and so is everyone else. Your grades will be calculated the
same as everyone else’s. After you turn in your final exam, there is nothing more you can do for
your grade. If you are concerned about losing your scholarship, getting kicked out of school, or
not getting in the major you want, you need to seek help the whole semester, not just come to me
the last week or two of school. I do care about you and about your learning. This is college; it is
up to you to seek help. If you are having trouble with math, please come to my office hours,
attend the Week-In-Reviews, attend help sessions, etc. If you are having personal issues or other
problems, please let me know so I can direct you to those who can help or register for services at
http://scs.tamu.edu/.
SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY
 An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do! You are an Aggie, and so am I!
The Aggie Code of Honor will be enforced.
 Students are encouraged to study together, unless otherwise directed, but all work intended for a
grade must clearly be your work as an individual. All exams and quizzes (whether in class,
online, or take-home) are to be taken individually.
 Upon accepting admission to Texas A&M University, a student immediately assumes a
commitment to uphold the Honor Code, to accept responsibility for learning, and to follow the
philosophy and rules of the Honor System. Students will be required to state their commitment on
examinations, research papers, and other academic work. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude
any member of the TAMU community from the requirements or the processes of the Honor
System. For additional information on the Honor Council Rules and Procedures, consult
http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu.
 Note: It is considered CHEATING to have notes, formulas, or programs in your calculator. It is
also considered Academic Dishonesty to provide falsified documentation in order to obtain an
excused absence. It is a violation of the Aggie Honor Code to continue writing on the exam or
Scantron after time is called.
 On exam days all cell phones must be turned off and placed at the front of the room. It is
academic dishonesty to have any electronic devices, including cell phone, on your person during
exams.
 You are authorized to use a pencil, eraser, TAMU Scantron, your own TAMU student id, and
approved calculator (no lid); use of anything else is a violation of the Aggie Honor Code.
 The starting point for an Honor Code Violation is an F* for this course.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires 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, currently located in the Disability Services building at
the Student Services at White Creek complex on west campus or call 979-845-1637. For additional
information, visit http://disability.tamu.edu.
PERSONAL REQUESTS
You are always welcome to come to my office hours or attend the BMTAs’ tutorial office hours; you do
not need an appointment – just show up! I encourage you to come, ask questions, as often as you would
like. Students who come to office hours can get personal attention and help. If you smoke, please ‘air out’
before visiting. Thanks!
TENTATIVE WEEKLY SCHEDULE
WEEK
TOPIC
Linear functions and Mathematical models
1
Quadratic functions, systems of linear equations
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
*Note that this section is not located in the textbook. Please see the
supplemental handout.
Systems of linear equations, matrix arithmetic
Review, Exam 1 (1.3,1.4, 1.Q, 2.1-2.5)
Graphing systems of linear inequalities, Linear Programming problems
Sets, Counting, Multiplication principle
Multiplication principle, Permutations, Combinations, Experiments,
Sample spaces, and Events
Review, Exam 2 (3.1-3.3, 6.1-6.4, 7.1)
Definition and rules of Probability, Counting
techniques in probability
Conditional probability, Independence, Bayes' Theorem
Distributions of random variables, Expected Value, Variance, Standard
Deviation
Binomial Distribution, Review, Exam 3 (7.2-7.6, 8.1-8.4)
Normal distribution, Finance
Finance
Review for Final Exam, Final Exams
Final Exams
SECTIONS
1.3, 1.4
1.Q*, 2.1, 2.2
2.3, 2.4, 2.5
3.1
3.1, 3.2, 3.3
6.1, 6.2, 6.3
6.3, 6.4, 7.1
7.2
7.2, 7.3, 7.4
7.5, 7.6
8.1, 8.2, 8.3,
8.4
8.5
8.5, 8.6, 5.1
5.2, 5.3
HIGHLY SUGGESTED TEXT PROBLEMS (11TH EDITION):
SECTION
EXAM 1
1.2(REVIEW)
1.3
1.4
1.Q
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
EXAM 2
3.1
3.2
3.3
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
7.1
EXAM 3
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
NEW FOR FINAL
8.5
8.6
5.1
5.2
5.3
PROBLEMS
1, 3, 5, 9, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 31, 33, 39, 43, 45, 55, 57, 59
11, 13, 15, 21, 23, 35, 39, 47
3, 9, 13, 21, 25, 27
1-12 *these problems can be found in the Supplemental Handout created by Joe Kahlig
5, 7, 9, 11, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 37, 39
3, 7, 13, 15, 23, 29, 37, 49, 51, 59, 63, 67, 71, 73, 75
1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 19, 33, 37, 39
3, 7, 9, 11, 21, 23, 25, 35, 37
3, 5, 13, 17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 31, 37, 45, 57
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 29, 31, 35
1, 3, 7, 11, 17, 21, 23
3, 5, 15, 23, 25, 29, 31, 35, 39, 45
9, 11, 15, 19, 21, 31, 33, 37, 39, 43, 49, 51, 65, 67, 71, 73, 75
3, 5, 7, 11, 15, 17, 21, 25, 33, 35, 43, 45
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 19, 23, 29, 33, and Counting Handout 1
3, 13, 19, 33, 35, 37, 39, 45, 47, 49, 53, 57, 59, 67, 71, 73, 75, 77, and Counting
Handouts 2 and 3
3, 9, 11, 13, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 37, 39
3, 7, 13, 17, 25, 27, 29, 31
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 19, 21, 23, 25, 41, 45
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 35, 37, 39, 41
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, 19, 21, 23, 37, 41, 43, 45, 51
7, 9, 13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 25, 29, 37, 43, 47, 49
1, 5, 7, 9, 19, 21, 23, 27
1, 3, 7, 13, 15, 17, 35, 39, 45
3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15
1, 3, 5, 17, 19, 23, 25, 35, 37, 45, 51, 57
3, 5, 7, 13, 15, 17, 19
1, 3, 5, 9
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 47, 53, 55
1, 7, 9, 13, 15, 19, 27
1, 7, 9, 15, 19, 23, 25, 29, 47, 49