PBIS 187: Great Mathematical Questions and Ideas, Fall 2007
Sections 1, Swart Hall, Room 303, 8-9 MWF
Sections 2 and 6, Swart Hall, Room 126, 10:20-11:20, 11:30-12:30 MWF
Instructor: Dr. Grady Bullington, bullingt@uwosh.edu, 424-7351
Office Hours: Swart Hall 121, 9:10-10:10 MWF or by appointment
The math that you know and can do is profound. You possess a canon of our
civilization. Through the ages, humankind has formed mathematics; math in
return has formed the way we view the world and our lives. The great ideas that
are present in math are comparable to works of art, philosophy and literature, and
they can enrich our lives with the same type of texture and beauty if we look.
The objective of this course is to apply your knowledge in new directions and see
how to render deep and amazing results.
Text: The heart of mathematics: an invitation to effective thinking, 2nd ed., E.
Burger and M. Starbird, Key publishing. In addition, you will need a copy of
PBIS 187 Supplementary Materials, Instructor: Grady Bullington, Fall 2007Spring 2008 which is available at the bookstore in Reeve Union.
Calculator: You will need a scientific calculator. (I suggest the TI-83 Plus.)
Usually, it is not okay to use a mobile phone or laptop computer. In special
circumstances, check with the instructor.
Connection to the Liberal Arts: Today, few people have a career doing the
same tasks for a long time. Most people have to change often and adapt their
techniques to situations of the day. A person’s ability to apply math should be
flexible as well since math is intrinsic to many problems. The content of this
class emphasizes how the known (or at least recalled) can be revisited and used
to address new, challenging problems. Three of the most useful habits that
students can develop along the way are diligence, care and reflection.
Activities:
 Problems might not be assigned daily, but there will always be some to be
solved. Some problems may take several days to understand, attempt and
solve. Some will be taken up and graded, and others may be seen on exams
or quizzes. No matter what, all of the assigned problems should be
attempted.

Some problems are to be submitted by groups, and others are to be written up
individually. Note: Collaboration on problems with other members of the
class is allowed, but solutions to problems submitted individually must be
written up individually, in the author’s own words, and collaborators are to be
acknowledged (cf. the UW-O student discipline code). In any situation,
everyone should strive to submit well-written, polished solutions. Refer to
the Write-up guidelines and rubric on D2L.

Sporadically, by email or in-class, you will be prompted to give your
response to assigned reading. To do so, go to the Quizzes tab on D2L and
submit your answers by the given deadline.

The two lowest activity grades will be dropped. (Any submission that counts
for more than a usual activity cannot be dropped.)
Quizzes: There will be three quizzes during the term. A study sheet for each quiz will
be provided on D2L. Quiz dates are as follows: Test 1: Oct. 3 (Wednesday); Test 2:
Nov. 7 (Wednesday); Test 3: Dec. 12 (Wednesday).
Attendance and Participation are will affect your grade since this course is
more an experience than a set of material to be learned. A lot of what I hope will
happen for you in Math 187 will take place inside the classroom, working in
groups and talking with others. It is in your interest to participate in the group
problem solving sessions since active learning is better than passive learning.
Make ups: There are no make-ups for any form of assessment (e.g. quizzes, activities,
participation). If there is an emergency or school-sponsored time conflict, let the
instructor know as soon as possible, earlier rather than later.
Attendance policy: Everyone is allowed three unexcused absences. One (1) point
will be deducted from the final grade for every unexcused absence thereafter.
Example: Eight (8) unexcused absences results in a five (5) point deduction to the
final grade.
Be aware: More than ten (10) unexcused absences results in a failing grade.
Grade Breakdown:
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Activities
Total
25%
25
25
25
100
[90-100% is an A, 80-89% is a B, 70-79% is a C, 60-69% a D, and 0-59% an F.]
Intermediate grades (e.g., AB) will be assigned when a student is sufficiently
close to the cutoff for the next highest grade.
[From the Dean of Students]
Academic Integrity at UW-Oshkosh [Don’t Cheat!]
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is committed to a standard of academic
integrity for all students. The system guidelines state: “Students are responsible
for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate
citation of sources, and for respect of others’ academic endeavors.” (UWS 14.01,
Wisconsin Administrative Code)
Students are subject to disciplinary action for academic misconduct, which is
defined in UWS 14.03, Wisconsin Administrative Code. Students on the UW
Oshkosh campus have been suspended from the University for academic
misconduct.
Students are encouraged to review the procedures related to violations of
academic honesty as outlined in Chapter UWS 14, Wisconsin Administrative
Code. The system guidelines and local procedures are printed in the University
of Wisconsin Oshkosh Student Discipline Code. The student discipline code can
be viewed on the web at http://www.uwosh.edu/dean/studentdisciplinecode.html
Specific questions regarding the provisions in Chapter UWS 14 (and institutional
procedures approved to implement Chapter UWS 14) should be directed to the
Dean of Students Office.
Here is a tentative list of the questions that can be found in your text.
Section 1.4 # 1-5, 7, 9, 14
Section 2.1 # 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 19, 21
Section 2.2 # 2, 6, 7, 17, 28, 30, 37
Section 2.3 # 2, 7, 14, 15, 19, 24, 32, 35, 36
Section 2.4 # 4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 21, 26, 32, 37
Section 2.6 # 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 30, 40
Section 2.7 # 2, 3, 7, 10, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 36
Section 3.1 # 2, 4, 8, 9, 14, 16, 17, 20
Section 3.2 # 2, 3, 14, 16, 19, 30, 32, 36
Section 3.3 # 2, 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 21
Section 4.3 # 3, 5, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20
Section 4.5 # 1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 18, 19
Section 5.1 # 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 31
Section 5.2 # 3, 8, 9, 14, 25, 36
Section 5.3 # 2, 7, 9, 13, 26, 40
Section 5.4 # 1, 6, 13, 14, 16, 27, 37
Section 6.2 # 1-5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13-19, 24, 26
Section 6.5 # 1-10, 22, 23, 24
Section 7.1 # 4, 8
Section 7.2 # 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 31, 33, 40
Section 7.3 # 2, 5, 23, 26, 29, 32
Section 7.4 # 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 18, 28, 31
Section 8.1 # 1, 3, 7, 13, 15, 16, 22, 27, 34, 40
Section 8.2 # 3, 9, 11, 13
Section 8.4 # 2, 6