Objectives

Many people think ``mathematics = arithmetic,'' and that mathematicians sit around all day adding large numbers together or computing square roots. Suprise - that's not true! This course is designed to show you some different areas of modern mathematics, particularly those which are not covered in the standard ``algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus'' sequence of courses. The course aims to expose you to mathematical thinking, applied concretely to the modern world. You will learn about mathematical approaches to various real-world problems, and will demonstrate your understanding by implementing the approaches in specific cases.