This is not a regular class! The format of the class will be a year long seminar (2-credits each semester) which meets once a week for 90 minutes. The students will play an integral part in the presentation and understanding of the material. You may take either semester or both (or neither!)

Pre-requisites are Math 212 (Multivariable Calculus) and Math 214 (Linear Algebra) or Permission of Instructor.

 The Spring 2009 edition is Math 395, the first Special Topics course to be offered by the Mathematics Department in decades. It will cover mathematical methods commonly found in classical Applied Mathematics such as dimensional analysis and perturbation methods. The text is Applied Mathematics (1997, 2nd Edition, Wiley-Interscience) by J. David Logan. The class will meet on Tuesdays from 3:00-4:25pm.

The Fall 2008 edition is Math 396, Mathematical Modeling, which is an introduction to the art of applying mathematics to real world problems. The text will be A First Course in Mathematical Modeling  (3rd edition, 2003, Brooks/Cole) by Giordano, Fox & Weir. The class will meet on Thursdays from 3:00-4:25pm.

The goals of the Mathematical Modeling course are to:

• provide students with an opportunity to apply mathematics to (an) actual real world problem(s);
• present a different mode of classroom instruction and student involvement where students see themselves as equal participants in the education process;
• prepare students for participation in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling; and
• encourage students to find projects that they could investigate further during Summer Undergraduate Research.

The goals of the Applied Mathematics course are to:

• expose students to important techniques widely used in applied mathematics;
• present a different mode of classroom instruction and student involvement where students see themselves as equal participants in the education process;
• provide students with an opportunities to practice and hone oral presentation skills; and
• become more familiar with using modern computational tools to solve mathematical problems;

Last Updated July 23, 2008