Spring 2011 Course Syllabus

Course: Mathematics 2196.002.
Course Title: Basic Concepts of Mathematics.
Time: Tuesdays, Thursdays 14:00-15:20.
Place: Barton BB205.
Instructor: Conrad, Bruce P.
Instructor Office: Wachman 616.
Instructor Email:
Instructor Phone: 215-204-2896.
Office Hours: MTWRF 10:00-10:50 or by appointment.
Prerequisites: Calculus 2 (Math 1042) with a grade of at least C-.
Textbook: Mathematical Proofs: A Transition to Advanced Mathematics (2nd Edition) by Gary Chartrand, Albert D. Polimeni, and Ping Zhang. Addison Wesley, ISBN 978-0-321-39053-0.
Course Goals: To teach you to read and write mathematics.
Topics Covered: Writing, logic, equivalence relations, mathematical induction, various number systems.
Course Grading: Class participation, 5%; homework, 10%; writing project 25%; Test 1, 5%; Test 2, 10%; Test 3, 20%; Final Exam 25%.
Exam Dates: Test 1, Thursday, February 10; Test 2, Thursday, March 17; Test 3, Thursday, April 14; Final Exam, Thursday, May 5 (13:00-15:00).
Attendance Policy: Attendance is very important, as is participation in class. Students who do not attend regularly will receive 0 for class participation.
Blackboard: This class is on Blackboard. You should check the site regularly for announcements.
Writing intensive course: Math 2196 has been designated by the Department of Mathematics as a WI-course. To fulfill the requirements that this entails, there will be a writing assignment. I will give assignments to groups of three students (the groups to be designated on February 15). Each group will research the topic of the assignment, and divide the writing responsibility among its members. Class on February 22 will be devoted to discussing with each group individually the planning for the assignment. On March 1, each group is to submit an outline which must include the details of how the writing responsibilities are to be divided. One-fifth of the term paper grade (5 points) will be based on the outline (each group member gets the same score). First drafts are due on March 31. One-fifth (5 points) of the project grade will be awarded on the basis of the first draft (graded individually). The reports are due in final form on April 21. Two-fifths (10 points) of the project grade are based on the final version, which is graded individually. There will oral presentations of the projects scheduled on April 21 and 26. The final one-fifth of the grade will be for the presentation, with all group members receiving the same grade. In the presentation, each group member must speak about his or her part of the project.
Incompletes: As noted in the boiler plate below, the "I" grade is meant for situations beyond the student's control that prevent him or her from finishing the course, although significant progress has been made. A student who has not shown commitment to the course by passing tests 1 and 2, participating in class discussion, handing in all homework due on or before March 28, and participating fully with his/her group on writing assignment up to the preparation of the outline, and by submitting a rough draft of his/her paper (if the "I" grade is requested after March 31) cannot expect to be given an "I" grade, no matter what the circumstances.

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at (215) 204-1280, 100 Ritter Annex, to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here.

Students will be charged for a course unless a withdrawal form is processed by a registration office of the University by the Drop/Add deadline date given below. For this semester, the crucial dates are as follows:

• The first day of classes is Tuesday, January 18.
• The last day to drop/add (tuition refund available) is Monday, January 31.
• Spring recess is the week of Sunday, March 6.
• The last day to withdraw (no refund) is Monday, March 28.
• The last day of classes is Monday, May 2.

During the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester or summer sessions, students may withdraw from a course with no record of the class appearing on the transcript. In weeks three through nine of the fall or spring semester, or during weeks three and four of summer sessions, the student may withdraw with the advisor's permission. The course will be recorded on the transcript with the instructor's notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. After week nine of the fall or spring semester, or week four of summer sessions, students may not withdraw from courses. No student may withdraw from more than five courses during the duration of his/her studies to earn a bachelor's degree. A student may not withdraw from the same course more than once. Students who miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in will be graded F.

The grade I (an "incomplete") is reserved for extreme circumstances. It is necessary to have completed almost all of the course with a passing average and to file an incomplete contract specifying what is left for you to do. To be eligible for an I grade you need a good reason and you should have missed not more than 25% of the first nine weeks of classes. If approved by the Mathematics Department chair and the CST Dean's office, the incomplete contract must include a default grade that will be used in case the I grade is not resolved within 12 months.