Course Syllabus

MATH D117 – Finite Mathematics II

Instructor: Vinicius Ambrosi

E-mail: vambrosi@indiana.edu

 

Prerequisite:

Two years of high school algebra or a preparatory math course such as M014 or M018.

 

Course Description:

Topics include linear systems, matrices, the Leontif Economic Model, linear optimization, and Markov Chains. The sequence D116-D117 carries IUB GenEd Math Modeling credit, IUB GenEd Natural and Mathematical credit, and the College of Arts and Sciences Mathematics Fundamental Skills requirement credit.

 

Textbook:

Finite Mathematics, 6th edition by D. P. Maki and M. Thompson. The textbook is available through the IU and TIS bookstores. Some webworks problems refer to the 6th edition. If you use an older edition you will not have all the information you need for some of the homework problems.

 

Calculator Policy:

Calculators of any type are NOT permitted on exams or quizzes. As much as possible, you should strive to complete the homework without the assistance of a calculator.

 

Attendance Policy:

Most students find the material in D117 to be significantly more difficult than their high school math classes. Attending and participating in every class is crucial to success in this course. A student absent from class bears full responsibility for all material covered and announcements made in class. Missed homework assignments and quizzes, regardless of the circumstances, will not be accepted late and can not be made up. Only for extenuating circumstances with appropriate documentation, are students permitted to take exams at an alternate time. See the Homework, Quiz and Exam sections below for more detail.

 

No Class:

Labor Day - Monday, September 3

Fall Break – Friday, October 5

Thanksgiving Break – Sunday, November 18 through Sunday, November 25

Withdraw Deadlines:   

Withdraw with an automatic grade of W – Sunday, October 21

Last day to petition for deans to approve a course drop – Thursday, November 29, 4:00 pm.

Further information regarding schedule adjustment fees, refunds and deadlines can be found on the website of the Office of the Registrar: http://enrollmentbulletin.indiana.edu/pages/offcal.php?Term=1&s=f16w

Academic Integrity:

The IU Department of Mathematics takes academic integrity very seriously. As a student at IU, you are expected to adhere to the standards and policies detailed in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (Code), concerning academic misconduct or personal misconduct.  Procedures for imposing academic and disciplinary sanctions are outlined in the Code, which can be found at http://www.iu.edu/~code/code/index.shtml

When you submit an assignment with your name on it, you are signifying that the work contained therein is yours, unless otherwise cited or referenced. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged. All suspected violations of the Code will be reported to the Dean of Students and handled according to University policies. Sanctions for academic misconduct may include a failing grade on the assignment, reduction in your final course grade, and a failing grade in the course, among other possibilities. If you are unsure about the expectations for completing an assignment or taking a test or exam, be sure to seek clarification beforehand.

 

Note Selling:

Several commercial services have approached students regarding selling class notes/study guides to their classmates. Selling the instructor’s notes/study guides in this course is not permitted. Violations of this policy will be reported to the Dean of Students as academic misconduct (violation of course rules). Sanctions for academic misconduct may include a failing grade on the assignment for which the notes/study guides are being sold, a reduction in your final course grade, or a failing grade in the course, among other possibilities.

Additionally, you should know that selling a faculty member’s notes/study guides individually or on behalf of one of these services using IU email, or via Canvas may also constitute a violation of IU information technology and IU intellectual property policies and additional consequences may result.

 

WebPages:

The IU Department of Mathematics web page offers quick access to information about their courses and programs at http://www.math.indiana.edu

Useful past exams and notes can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~gofinite

Communication:  

Preferred means of communication will vary by instructor. Email, office phone, office hours, in class, and canvas messaging are all common. Be sure you know the most effective way and time to speak with your instructor.

Whatever online means of communication your instructor uses, you are expected to check it regularly, preferably daily. You are responsible for the information sent to you individually and to the class.

To protect confidentiality, students are strongly encouraged to use canvas or the IU email system, rather than another server mail system. Furthermore, given the prevalence of spam and viruses, your instructor may not always open email messages with unrecognizable addresses and/or subject headings.

Cell Phones & Pagers:

Please turn these off or set them on silent mode. The material is difficult enough without unnecessary interruptions.

Help Outsides of Class:  

There will not be enough time to answer all questions from the homework assignments, tests, and D117 material. Several options for help outside of class are available:

• Come to class a few minutes early. Your instructor might be available for a few questions.
• Visit your instructor during office hours or make an appointment to meet with them.
• Math help is available in the Math Learning Center (MLC). The MLC is located in Swain East 340 and starting Monday, August 27, will be open 9 am – 4 pm, Monday through Friday.  To find out more about the MLC tutoring schedule and other general information, please visit the MLC web page at https://math.indiana.edu/student-portal/undergraduate/academic-support/math-learning-center.html
• Math Departmental Help Sessions for Finite. Beginning Monday, August 27, these will be held Monday through Thursday at 4:00-6:00 pm in Swain East 340.
• The Finite Show: See the Tools page of your D117 Canvas page for this highly informative and entertaining resource.
• Math help is available in the Academic Support Centers located in Briscoe, Teter, and Forest dormitories. The ASC is open Sunday through Thursday 7-11 pm. For more information about the ASC please visit https://academicsupport.indiana.edu/index.html

 

Homework:

Starting this semester, in all sections of D116 and D117, in order to receive a passing grade in the class, students will be required to have an average of at least 70% for their homework. Any student at the end of the semester with a homework average below 70% will receive a course grade of F. For most of the homework problems unlimited attempts will be permitted. There will also be a bonus homework assignment at the end of the semester which can be used to makeup some missed homework problems. Any student who is serious about doing well in the class, should not have a problem satisfying this requirement.

To do well in this class, you should expect to spend at least three hours for each class working problems and reading the sections as they are discussed in class. For each of the 12 sections we cover during the class there will be 1-2 computer-based assignments. In order for the problems to be displayed correctly, you should access the WebWork system from within your class canvas webpage using a current version of a common browser such as Firefox, Safari or Chrome.

Shortly before the final exam, an optional review assignment will be posted. These problems can be done to raise one’s Webworks average up to but not beyond 100%. Besides being good review for the final exam, the review assignment is meant to provide an opportunity to make up missed or incomplete assignments.  

Late homework will not be accepted for any reason. Any assignment not submitted by the deadline will receive a zero. It is your responsibility to find a computer that has the necessary software and a reliable way to access the WebWork System. Homework extensions will only be granted for technical difficulties where the problem is with WebWorks or the IU server. If you have any technical difficulties you should call UITS, 812.855.6789 for assistance. There are computers centers around campus, including the Wells Library and Lindley Hall, which are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As needed, there may also be a few written homework assignments. For full credit on these assignments, work will need to be shown clearly, concisely, and completely. The assignments will be due at the start of class on the specified days. Assignments will not be accepted late.

Quizzes:

The exact quiz policy will depend on the instructor. In general, you should expect to average 1-2 quizzes a week. Some will be announced and some will not. Typically you will only be allowed a short amount of time to complete the quiz. Over the semester you can expect to take at least 12-15 quizzes. A few of the lowest scores will be dropped. The precise number will depend on the total number and difficulty of the quizzes. If you miss a quiz for any reason you will receive a zero. There will be no make-up quizzes.

 

Exams:   

Exam 1              Chapter 5                         Thursday, September 13       

Exam 2              Chapter 6                         Thursday, October 11

Exam 3              Chapter 7                         Thursday, November 1

Final Exam        Chapters 5 through 8       2:45-4:45 pm, Wednesday, December 12

Exams 1, 2 and 3 will be given in class. The Final Exam will be given outside of class at a location to be announced.

Make-up exams are given only in extenuating circumstances such as medical emergencies. If you have a schedule conflict, you must discuss it with your instructor as soon as possible and bring documentation, as appropriate to the situation. No one will be allowed to take any exams earlier, regardless of the circumstances.

 

Assessment:

Grades will be determined using the scores from the following assignments:

        WebWork Assignments          20%

        Quizzes                                    5%

        Exam 1                                     15%

        Exam 2                                     15%

        Exam 3                                     15%

        Final Exam                               30%

Do not rely on a curve to be used on the exams.  Plan to do all assignments to the best of your ability. Grades are determined solely by performance on the assignments and exams, rather than apparent effort and situation.

 

Grade Scale:

Grades are computed using the standard scale:

            97%, 93% and 90%         for grades of A+, A and A-

            87%, 83%, and 80%        for grades of B+, B, and B-

            77%, 73%, and 70%        for grades of C+, C, and C-

            67%, 63%, and 60%        for grades of D+, D, and D-

            Below 60%            is an F

Special Services:  

Students needing special accommodations because of a disability must first register with Disability Services for Students and provide their instructors with the appropriate forms issued by DSS before accommodations may be given. Information regarding DSS can be found at http://studentaffairs.indiana.edu/disability-services-students/index.shtml

The assessment and registration process can be time-consuming, especially near midterms. If you believe you may qualify for accommodations, you should consult with DSS as soon as possible. Students are expected to provide their instructors with at least 1-2 weeks advance notice to arrange appropriate exam accommodations.

Religious Holiday Policy:

Accommodations will be made for university recognized religious holidays provided the student notifies the

instructor in writing using the “Request for Accommodation for Religious Observance Form” by the end of

the second week of class. For more details on this policy and the downloadable form please visit

http://enrollmentbulletin.indiana.edu/pages/relo.php?Term=1

 

Course Coordinator:

Questions and problems relating to this course should be first directed to your instructor, and then, if necessary, to the course coordinator, Chris Parks, by email to cparks@indiana.edu