Spring 2009
Math 125 Seminar in Mathematics:
Mathematical Thinking in the Real World
Infinity, the Fourth Dimension, Primes and Chaos
Homework and In-class Assignments
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Assigned work is listed here with most recent work listed first:
- For Friday May 1 (you will give brief presentations that day): Creative project on Fractals and/or Chaos is due. This can be any creative work. You must also turn in a 300-word essay explaining your work, how it relates to fractals and/or chaos, and why you chose to create your particular project.
- Section 6.6
- I: 1-5; II: 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14; III: 17, 18, 20; IV: 21
- no work due for this section
- Section 6.5
- I: 1-5; II: 6-8, 22-24, 25; III: 26-31
- no work due for this section
- Section 6.4
- I: 1-5; II: 6, 8, 10, 12-15, 20-23, 25; III: 26-30; IV: 36, 38, 40 V: 41, 43 or 44 (due Friday April 24)
- Section 6.3
- I: 1-5; II: 6, (9), 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25; III: 27, 28, 32; IV: 37-39 V: 41, 43 or 44 (due Wednesday April 22)
- Section 6.2
- I: 1-5; II: 6, 7, 9, 12-15, 20-22, 24; III: 26, 30-32; IV: 36, 38, 39
- Turn in a reading response
- Due Wednesday April 15: Find online a favorite starting pattern for the Game of Life and also create your own interesting starting pattern. Write a paragraph explaining why you chose these patterns
- Section 6.1
- I: 1-6, 9
- Turn in a reading response
- Section 5.5
- I: 1-5; II: 6-12, 15; III: 16, 17, 19, 20; IV: 21, 23; V: 24 (due Friday April 3)
- Turn in a reading response
- Section 5.4
- I: 1-5; II: 6, 10, 11, 13, 19; III: 26-28, 35; IV: 36, 38
- Turn in a reading response
- Section 5.3
- I: 1-5; II: 7-9, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, 24; III: 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35; IV: 36, 37, 39, 40
- Turn in a reading response
- turn in a solution to 40 (due Monday March 30)
- Section 5.2
- I: 1-5; II: 6-8, 14, 24; III: 26-28; IV: 39; V: one of 41, 43, 44 (due Friday March 27)
- Section 5.1
- I: 1-5; II: 6, 7, 9, 10-12, 12, 24; III: 26-28, 31; IV: 38, 39
- Turn in a reading response
- Section 4.7
- I: 1-5; II: 6-8, 10, 11, 13; III: 16, 17, 19; IV: 21, 22
- Turn in a reading response
- For Monday March 16, read at least the first 30 pages (the first 9 sections) of "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions" by Edwin A. Abbott');
- For Wednesday March 18, read "... And He Built a Crooked House --" by Robert A. Heinlein
- Write a page or so on each of the two readings on other dimensions:
- describe life in Flatland (the inhabitants, their customs, episodes in their history), due Wednesday March 18; and
- outline the plot of the short story "-- And He Built a Crooked House ---" by Robert A. Heinlein; make connections with our study of the fourth dimension, due Friday March 20.
- For Monday March 23 (you will give brief presentations that day): Creative project on the fourth dimension is due. This can be any creative work.
You must also turn in a 300-word essay explaining your work, how it relates to the fourth dimension, and why you chose to create your particular project.
- Section 4.5
- I: 1-5; II: 9, 11, 14 (use CD-ROM), 15; III: 16, 17; IV: 21
- Turn in a reading response
- Section 4.4
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15; III: 16, 18; IV: 21
- Turn in a reading response
- Turn in a solution to 8 (due Monday March 2)
- Section 4.3
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 7, 8, 13; III: 16, 20; IV: 22; V: one of 23, 25 or 26 (due Friday February 27)
- Section 4.2
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15; III: 16, 19; IV: 21, 22
- Turn in a reading response
- Turn in a solution to 10; also color the vertices and show the positions of cameras needed to view the entire gallery (due Wednesday February 25
- Section 4.1
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15; III: 16, 20; IV: 21, 22
- Turn in a reading response
- Turn in one of 13, 15, 20 or 21
- Turn in a carefully explained proof of the Pythagorean Theorem (due Monday February 23)
- Section 3.3
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14; III: 16, 20; IV: 22
- Turn in a reading response
- Read the questions about infinity on page 174. Write a 300 word reflection on infinity - what are the most interesting or surprising discoveries of this chapter? (Due Friday February 20)
- Section 3.2
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, (16-17), 20, 21, 24; III: 26, 27, 28, 31, 32; IV: 36, 39; V: one of 41, 43 or 44 (due Monday February 16)
- Section 3.1
- Mindscapes: think about all of I - IV
- Turn in a reading response
- Section 2.6
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 8, 9, 12, 16; III: 26, 29; IV: 36, 40
- Turn in a reading response
- Turn in a proof that the square root of three is irrational, due Wednesday February 11
- Section 2.5
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6-15; III: 16-18; IV: 22; V: 23, 25 or 26 (due Monday February 9)
- Section 2.4
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 10, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24; III: 26, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35; IV: 38, 39, 40
- Turn in a reading response
- Section 2.3
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then one of II: 6-10, one of II: 11-15, one of II: 16-20, and one of II:21-25
- In class, do: Mindscapes III: 26, 27, 28, (30, 31), (35, 36), IV: 39
- Turn in a reading response
- Turn in a proof that there are an infinite number of primes on Wednesday January 28
- Write a paper of 300 words or more on one of the open problems on primes. Discuss its history and any related interesting information. Be sure to list all sources. First draft due Friday January 30; final draft due Wednesday February 4.
- Section 2.2
- Mindscapes: do all of I, then II: 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 18-23; III: 26, 29, 31-33; V: one of 41, 43 or 44
- Turn in 8 and one of 41, 43 or 44 on Monday January 26
- Section 2.1
- Mindscapes: do all of I, choose one from II:6 - 10, one from II:11 - 15, one from III, IV.21, IV.22. Add the following sequences to problem IV.21: (b) OTTFFSSEN... and (c) JFMAMJ...
- Turn in a reading response
- Section 1.4
- Due Wednesday January 21: Write a solution to your favorite puzzle in section 1.4. Explain why you chose this puzzle.
- Section 1.1
- Work on the stories not discussed in class (omit Story 7). You will takes turns presenting your solutions and ideas.
- Due on Friday January 16: Please write a paragraph or two about yourself. What is your major? What is your mathematical background? Why are you taking this class? What are you hoping to get out of this class? How do you intend to ensure a successful experience in this class? Visit the web site for this class - tell me something about it that you like, and something that could be improved. Write anything else you wish.
Where is New Zealand?
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