MATH-101-B/C — Contemporary Mathematics

Spring,2007

Course Contract

Instructor: Dr. Mark Grinshpon

Office: Trexler 161C / Phone: 375-2013 / E-mail:

Office Hours:Monday, Wednesday, Friday11:00am – 1:00pm,

or by appointment.

Text: Excursions in Modern Mathematics, custom edition for RoanokeCollege, by P.Tannenbaum.

Course Objectives: To give the students understanding of the basic theory and application of the contemporary mathematical topics such as graph theory, modeling of social choice, and game theory.

Pre-requisites and Restrictions: There are no pre-requisites for this course. However, this course is not open to students who have received credit for MATH-112 or higher.

Grading:The following percentages will be used in calculating final grades:

Weekly Quizzes10%

Four Projects5% each

Colloquium Report5%

Three Tests15% each

Final Exam20%

Your final grades will be assigned using this scale:

A 93-100 / C 73-76
A- 90-92 / C- 70-72
B+ 87-89 / D+ 67-69
B 83-86 / D 63-66
B- 80-82 / D- 60-62
C+ 77-79 / F 0-59

Attendance: Attendance will be taken each class period,but it does not count towards your final grade. However, if you miss six class meetings after the add date, you will be involuntarily dropped from the course with a grade of DF.It is each student’s responsibility to make sure that his/her presence is recorded on the attendance sheet each class period. If a student is absent from class, he/she is responsible for all material, announcements and assignments missed.

Text Homework: There are practice problems shown in the Course Syllabus for each section. These are not homework assignments; you are not required to do them, and you will not be turning them in. However, working these problems out at your own time is strongly recommended for mastering course material and acquiring practical skills, as well as a method of preparation for tests and final exam.

Weekly Quizzes: Every week there will be at most one quiz, in-class or take-home, based on all material covered that week. These quizzes will never be announced in advance, so you must expect it and be ready to take it at any class period. Two lowest quiz grades will be dropped.

Projects: There will be four projects on the four major parts of the class. More details will be provided later as they are assigned.

Colloquium Reports: One of your assignments will be to attend one of the MCSP colloquia and write a paper about what you learned from the talk. The schedule of talks is available online at (The schedule is subject to change, so you may want to check it regularly for latest updates.) You will have until one week after the talk to submit your paper. If you miss that deadline, you must attend another lecture.

Tests: There will be three in-class tests. Make-up testswill not be given.

Final Exam: The Final Exam is scheduled for Monday, April30th, 2:00pm to 5:00pm (Section C) and Tuesday, May 1st , 2:00pm to 5:00pm (Section B).

Communication: I will be using the Blackboard extensively to communicate with you. Assignments, announcements, and other course materials will be posted there. Check the Blackboard regularly! Other means of communications include email and walk-in.

Academic Integrity: You are expected to be familiar with the Academic Integrity Code outlined in the booklet “Academic Integrity at RoanokeCollege” and abide by it. In this class, you shall not cheat.

Use of Electronic Devices: You will need a basic calculator for this course. However, the use of calculator is discouraged except for the specifically calculator-type problems. On a test or an exam, calculators may be used only if permitted by the instructor. The use of any other electronic devices during tests or exams is strictly prohibited. This includes PalmPilots, Pocket PCs, Blackberrys, etc. Any use of such devices during a test or an exam will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Classroom Courtesy: All students are entitled to learn in an atmosphere free from unnecessary disruptions. I will expect you to arrive for class on time and stay until class is dismissed. If for any unusual reason you know you will need to leave early, please notify me before class begins, sit as close to the exit as possible, and leave quietly when you must. All cell phones and pagers should be turned off before you enter the room. Talking or private conversation while I am teaching is disrespectful of me and unfair to your classmates. Please save such discussions for after class.

Special Requests: Any student with disabilities or special needs or circumstances should schedule a time to come see me as soon as possible.

Note: Material, content, scheduling, and evaluation method may be changed if instructor deems it necessary.