Line #:56936
Meets: W 1-1:50, 152 Snow Hall
Instructor:
Dr. Jila Niknejad
Office:
Email:
Office hours: (Either in my office or in Snow 651)
Also by appointment.
Phone: 864-5292
Syllabus: http://www.math.ku.edu/~jnik/Math409-410/Syllabus410-sp16.html
Homework: http://www.math.ku.edu/~jnik/Math409-410/Homework410.html
Prerequisite: Math 126 or Math 146 or equivalent.Students in Math 410 should also be enrolled simultaneously in Math 409 (Geometry for Secondary and Middle School Teachers).
Textbook: A variety of online resources.
The following notes are authored by Professor Martin for Math 410 in Spring 2013.
Ancient Egyptian geometry (1/20/16)
Some Greek math: Thales and Pythagoras (1/27/16)
Prime numbers (2/3/16)
Measuring the circumference of the earth (2/10/16) (Figure only)
Supplement on the sunset method
The three classic problems of geometry (2/17/16)
Conic sections (2/24/16)
Infinity I: Bijections (3/2/16)
Infinity II: Cantor's diagonal argument (3/9/16)
The origins of graph theory (3/23/16)
The Four-Color Theorem (3/30/16)
Samples from the history of probability and statistics (4/6/16)
The birthday problem (4/13/16)
Sources for the material in these notes include:
David Burton, Burton's History of Mathematics: An Introduction, 3rd edn., Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1991.
John Stillwell, Mathematics and Its History, Springer, 1989.
The extensive online MacTutor History of Mathematics
Prof. Judy Roitman's notes from previous incarnations of Math 410
Additional links:
(apropos of the extra credit problem on Homework #1)
Changes: Please note that everything on the syllabus and associated web pages are subject to change.
Grading:
Grading Scale: It is expected that grades will be awarded on a percentage basis with 90% and above an A; 80% - 89% a B; 70% - 79% a C; 60% - 69% a D, 0% - 59% an F.
Important Dates:
Final Exam
In lieu of an in-class final exam, there will be a take-home project due at 1:00 PM on Friday, April 29 (the ending time of the scheduled final).
The Rules: Write up your answers and e-mail a copy to Dr. Niknejad (e-mail address at bottom of page) as a Microsoft Word or PDF file. Answer each question briefly - two or three sentences at most. You may refer to any notes, text, or reliable Web source. Cite the source for every answer you give. Do not copy and paste text (which would be plagiarism), but read the source you find and write a short answer in your own words. You may not ask any person any question.
Class Participation: You may have 2 days of excused absent/tardy. Any unexcused, unengaged or 2 or more excused absent days will cause you to lose a percentage of your class participation. Examples of unengaged: using your phone, laptop and other devices instead of participating in the discussions.
Exams: If you have a valid reason for missing an in-class exam, you should discuss alternate arrangements with me before the exam. If you miss an exam due to an emergency, contact me as soon as possible.
Homework: Doing homework is an important part of learning mathematics. Assignments will generally be due every Wednesday. Assignments will be posted online. I encourage you to work with each other, but you must hand in your own work. Homework is due at the beginning of class. Out of fairness to other students and the grader, I don't accept late work. I will curve your total Homework grade so that if you had 95% or more, you would receive 100% and if you had less that 95%, your grade would be divided by 95%.
All homework assignments are listed here: Homework
Quizzes and Worksheets: Quizzes and worksheets will be held as announced in class or on the homework page. They will cover a particular recent concept.
Attendance: You're expected to be in class every day and take notes. You are responsible for all material covered and any announcements made each day in class, whether you are present or not. To find out how it affects your grade, please refer to class participation and grading.
Grade Dispute: Graded exams are returned during class to the student. If a student wishes to discuss the exam grade, it must be done within two weeks following the date of the exam. Under some circumstances you may be asked to explain your complaint in writing.
Drop Policy: The University Drop Policy can be found at http://www.registrar.ku.edu/adddrop-class
Computer and Email Access: All students will need internet access to get to the assignments and read course announcements. KU will provide you with an account and there are labs on campus with computers available. Class related materials will be updated regularly. You also need to have an email address registered with the University so that you can receive course information. At the very least, you will be receiving important reminders and updates about the Gateway Exam at your registered email address. Register an email address or check to see that your registered one is one that you check regularly by visiting https://technology.ku.edu/services.
Students With Disabilities: The Office of Disability Resources (DR), 22 Strong Hall, 785-864-2620 (v/tty), coordinates accommodations and services for KU students with disabilities. If you have a disability for which you may request accommodation in KU classes and have not contacted Disability Resources, please do so as soon as possible. Please also contact the coordinator privately in regard to the common exams. It is your responsibility to request accommodations in a timely manner well before needing them.
Religious Holidays: Any student in this course who plans to observe a religious holiday which conflicts in any way with the course schedule or requirements should contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to discuss alternative accommodations.
Academic Misconduct: According to University Senate Rules and Regulations, Section 6: "2.6.1 Academic misconduct by a student shall include, but not be limited to, disruption of classes; threatening an instructor or fellow student in an academic setting; giving or receiving of unauthorized aid on examinations or in the preparation of notebooks, themes, reports or other assignments; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work; unauthorized changing of grades; unauthorized use of University approvals or forging of signatures; falsification of research results; plagiarizing of another's work; violation of regulations or ethical codes for the treatment of human and animal subjects; or otherwise acting dishonestly in research."
Homework Assignments, Working in Groups, Tutors: Students may discuss the homework problems in groups, but each student is responsible for doing his/her own work and in turning in his/her individual solutions. When a student works with a tutor, it is the responsibility of both the student and the tutor to ensure that it is the student who works to arrive at the solutions of the problems. Tutors should not do students' homework for them or provide them the solutions for their instructors' assignments.
Intellectual Property: Course materials prepared by the instructors, together with the content of all lectures and review sessions presented by the instructors are the property of the instructors. Video and audio recording of lectures and review sessions without the consent of the instructor is prohibited. Permission to make such recordings may be granted by the instructor on a case by case basis, on the condition that these recordings are used only as a study aid by the individual making the recording. Unless explicit permission is obtained from the instructor, recordings of lectures and review sessions may not be modified and must not be transferred or transmitted to any other person, whether or not that individual is enrolled in the course.
Flu Threat: Please familiarize yourself with the KU Pandemic Response Plan and the Personal Guide to Protect Against Flu. In the event of a pandemic requiring institutional measures, announcements concerning departmental and course-specific responses will be available at KU Math Department Web Page and the homework page.