[these slides will be posted on Math 1LS3 web page]
Life Science
is a systematic study of living organisms
Botany
Zoology
Microbiology
Biochemistry
Biophysics
Molecular and
Cellular Biology
Ecology
Physiology
Agricultural Science
Biotechnology
Biology
Marine Biology
etc.
To understand things better, we need to learn
math… so 1LS3/1LT3 is math in context
Math 1LS3/1LT3
There are three sections of 1LS3 this term … ALL
SECTIONS COVER EXACTLY SAME MATERIAL,
WRITE SAME TESTS AND SAME FINAL EXAM
One section of 1LS3 in Winter 2013
One section of 1LS3 in Spring 2013 (to be confirmed)
Math 1LT3 will be taught in Winter 2013
Math 1LT3 in Summer 2013 (to be confirmed)
Math 1LS3
No tutorials this week; tutorials start in the week of
September 10
Attend the lecture and tutorial section you have been
assigned to!
Math Help Centre: individual help in HH104; will open
around September 17 (will be announced on the web
page)
Math 1LS3 Fall 2012
Same web page for all sections:
http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/lovric/1LS3.html
(search by Math 1LS3)
also … we’re on facebook
Check web page 2-3 times a week
What’s on Math 1LS3 web page
* course outline (how your final mark will be calculated)
* frequently asked questions (calculator policy, policy
on missed tests, etc.)
* solutions to all assignments and tests
* updates of marks
* information about tests, exam, announcements
What do I need for 1LS3?
… it’s all in the main bookstore
Textbook "Calculus for the Life Sciences: Modelling the
Dynamics of Life", by F. A. Adler and M.Lovric [same as last
year]
Coursepack [not the same as last year]
Calculator McMaster standard calculator – Casio fx991
Optional materials
* Students’ solutions manual
* Calculus: Fear No More [helps you review high
school math]
Expectations
* come to classes and tutorials … class notes will not
be posted on internet (exception: powerpoint slides,
and what’s not in the textbook)
* do homework as assigned on the webpage, practice
on your own… homework is not collected for credit
* for every hour of lecturing you need to spend 2-3
extra hours reviewing your notes, doing assigned
reading, solving exercises, drill, etc.
Most important things
* study regularly, don’t get behind or recover quickly if
you do … also, eat, sleep, exercise, socialize – the
key is balance!
* math (at this level) is lots of drill/practice … boring
but very useful … background strongly correlated to
your success in this course (so review now if needed)
* plan your time … daily, weekly
* your life is your responsibility … reflect
on things, identify problems and deal with
them immediately
If you do not change things,
things will not change !
This course …
* standard calculus stuff: limit, continuity, derivative,
integral
* calculus objects in context: for instance a function
(abstract math object) could represent a population of
bacteria (application)
* modeling: using math to study problems arising in
life sciences
* approaches to math: algebraic, numeric, geometric,
verbal (descriptive)
Lectures and tutorials…
* Lectures cover important things, but cannot cover
everything
* You will be using your textbook regularly
* You will work on assignments regularly
* Questions? ask in class; send an email to your
instructor (email contacts are on the course web
page) and she/he will discuss it in a lecture or tutorial
What questions can 1LS3 help us answer ?
* How do we know that dinosaurs died about 65 million years
ago?
* How does our body process drugs (Tylenol, alcohol,
recreational drugs)?
* How does math help forensic pathologists find a location of
impact (say from a bullet) from blood splatters?
* An x-ray shows that a blood vessel branches off the right
coronary artery at an angle of 78 degrees. Is there a reason
for concern?
What questions can 1LS3 help us answer ?
* How can we calculate the area or the volume of a lake (we
need this need when we study pollutants and their effect on
underwater fauna and flora)?
* How many people will live in Canada in 2022?
* My body mass index is 27 (above normal range). How much
weight should I lose to make it 24 (healthy weight)?
* Which animal has more skin, a mouse or an elephant?
* How fast does the blood flow in our bodies?
What questions can 1LT3 help us answer ?
* How can math help us understand the behaviour or two
species sharing the same ecosystem (such as bacteria and
amoeba, or foxes and rabbits)?
* How does a pollutant (in the air, or in a lake) spread from its
source?
* A person tests positive for a certain medical condition (such
as flu, cancer, or HIV). How likely is it that he/she actually has
it?
What questions can 1LT3 help us answer ?
* The average efficacy of an oral contraceptive is 97.5% per
year. What is the probability that a sexually active woman
who takes birth control pills will get pregnant at least once in
a 5-year period?
* On average, there are 17.6 cases of bacterial meningitis per
year in Hamilton. In February 2011, eight cases were
diagnosed. How likely is that this occurred by chance? Or, is
it a sign of an emerging epidemic?
Why Math Matters
Students’ scores on GMAT and LSAT in relation to their
undergraduate major [more information in your coursepack]
(+ means above average, - means below average of all tests)
Major
LSAT
Math
GMAT
Major
LSAT
GMAT
+12.8% +13.3%
Biology
+4.0%
+3.3%
Philosophy
+8.7%
+11.0%
Psychology
+0.9%
+0.8%
Economics
+9.6%
+7.3%
Political Sci.
-1.6%
+0.1%
Chemistry
+7.6%
+7.5%
Arts & Music
-.05%
-1.2%
English
+5.6%
+4.1%
Business
-4.5%
-0.8%
Composite MCAT versus undergraduate major
math
Even if you just take a course in math
(rather than minor or major)
the benefits will be there
What to expect?
energy, hours of sleep, enthusiasm, money, time
spent with friends, variety of food, general living
standard
What to expect?
stress, amount of work to do, number of deadlines, time
you can survive without food or clean clothes
Where do I start?…
* Visit and bookmark Math 1LS3 web page, get
familiar with it
* To warm up: work on questions from assignment 0
in your coursepack (compare with solutions on the
course web page)
* Buy your textbooks, get organized
* Organize your time (attending classes, studying,
exercising, sleeping, socializing, etc.)