NCSU DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
MA 114 Course Outline Spring 2010
(Amassa Fauntleroy – Course Coordinator)
Matrix Tools: The best matrix tools I’ve been able to find for the current version of MA 114 were developed by two professors at Hofstra University. You can find links to these two tools at
fancymatrixalg2.html
NOTE: The 2nd link above is new. The link listed in previous syllabi is dead. And note that the link spans two lines which should be joined in order to work.
You are welcome to use these tools with your classes.
The present WebAssignments occasionally refer to the row operation tool or the matrix algebra tool. So be aware if you use these WebAssignments that references to these tools will be encountered in the assignments.
Please announce to your class at the beginning of the semester that the +/- grading system is now in effect and is being used in MA 114.
TEXT:Topics in Finite Mathematics by Page and Paur (available at NCSU Bookstore ). Pearson Custom Publishing prints the current edition. Used copies are okay, as the book has not been changed in several years.
There are many resources available at which have been produced for online instruction. These resources include movies covering all the course content. (No textbook is used in the online version of the course.)
Electronic Homework
The address for WebAssign is Jennifer Burt () is now handling WebAssign issues for MA 114. She will create a generic set of WebAssignments for your optional use. Check with Jennifer regarding any special requests or changes in the use of WebAssign that you want to make. In half an hour or so Jennifer can show you what you need to know about WebAssign.
You will need to decide which of the available assignments you want to use. Any assignment you do not want to use or any individual question on an assignment can be removed for your section but must be removed before students start work on the assignment. If you do not want to use WebAssign at all, that too is an option. The caveat to this is that WebAssign is the only type of homework grading available for MA 114, so any other type of homework submission you choose to use will have to be handled by you.
In particular, you will need to explain to your students exactly how WebAssignments will enter into your grading policy. How you treat it gradewise will be dependent on how much you use it. If you use WebAssign heavily, I suggest counting WebAssign as 10% to 15% of your grade.
While none of the WebAssignments require Maple, some do require the tools mentioned at the beginning. Links to these tools are provided in the WebAssignments where the tools are useful.
Complete setup of your WebAssignments can be handled by Jennifer, and all grading and record keeping is automatic. Any student who is officially enrolled in your section will automatically have access to any assignments you choose to use. This is all managed through the NCSU system of Unity IDs.
Most problems in the assignments use random numbers so that different students receive different versions of the problem. This is all handled automatically, and the grading scheme is consistent with this.
At the end of the semester Jennifer can help you to download all WebAssign grades for your class in spreadsheet format. Or alternatively you can set up the gradebook feature in WebAssign.
Summary: Your most important initial task is to look at the WebAssignments and decide what you want to use (if any). Contact Jennifer Burt () in SAS 2103A for help with this. Once this has been decided, all you need to do is to direct your students to WebAssign and to tell them to monitor WebAssign regularly so that they always know what the current assignments are and when they are due.
No assignments require use of NCSU facilities. All assignments can be done on any computer running a modern web browser and having an Internet connection.
The default WebAssign schedule of due dates for assignments assumes that you will be teaching the chapters in the order they appear in the text. If you wish to change due dates for your class, contact Jennifer for help.
Grading
There is no policy on number of tests or whether a test grade is dropped. If you use WebAssign as a required part of your course, explain how it will figure into the grades. Make sure your students understand your policy. (With my online sections I am now using WebAssign for tests, and I have cut back to three tests. Previously I have been giving four tests. My policy for the past several years has been not to drop a test grade.)
Day-by-Day Schedule
The course schedule below allocates only 30–34 lectures. These are based on 50-minute periods, so if teaching summer school you will need to adjust accordingly. The schedule leaves ample time for reviewing for tests, giving tests, and handing back and discussing tests.
Chap. / Sec. / No. of50-min. lectures / Comments
1 / all / 5 / 5 days allotted for 4 sections. You may find that Section 1.3 requires 2 days.
2 / all / 3 / A review of graphing straight lines is included in Section 2.1. Use this to the extent you think it necessary.
3 / 3.1 and 3.2
(3.3 is optional) / 3–6 / You will need about 3 lectures for Section 3.1 and about 3 lectures for Section 3.2. My preference is to omit Section 3.3 since all these problems can be done using the methods of Section 3.2.
For teachers who aren’t familiar with the simplex method: All linear programming problems in this text can be solved using the methods of Section 3.1 and 3.2. However, Section 3.3 demonstrates a technique which is often quicker for certain kinds of minimization problems than the method for non-standard problems taught in Section 3.2.
These sections are long, but much of the material provides an explanation of why and how the techniques work.
4 / all / 6 / You may wish to cover Sections 4.1 and 4.2 together in one day. However, Sections 4.4 and 4.5 may well require 2 days each.
5 / all / 8–9 / Sections 5.1 and 5.2 are elementary. It is usually a good idea to spend two days each on sections 5.3, 5.4, and 5.5. This is where the toughest problems are encountered.
6 / all / 5 / The notation used in treating Markov Chains varies from one text to another. The notation and language used in our text is fairly standard but don’t count on it being the same as any other text you may happen to consult.