Senate Doc. #15
		      GENERAL EDUCATION
			DOCUMENT #2


General Education Course Proposal for Mathematics

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Math 155  Nature of Mathematics (4)

Number patterns and inductive reasoning; sets, logic and deductive 
reasoning; introduction to mathematical modeling using concepts of 
algebra, geometry, counting, and probability.  Prerequisite:  
departmental placement examination.  This examination may require 
certain students to take Math 103 or 304.

EXEMPTION FROM COURSE:

It is recommended that students who successfully complete Math 163, 
164, 191, 192 or any 200 level course be exempt from the general 
education course (Math 155), but that, because of its unusual 
content, a student be permitted to take Math 155 for college credit 
even if one or more of these higher level courses were taken 
earlier.

RATIONALE OF THE COURSE:

The purpose of this course is to create a positive attitude toward 
mathematics and to provide insight into what mathematics is, what it 
can accomplish, and how it can be used to solve problems of varying 
difficulty and scope.  This course would be designed to give ample 
time for students to develop their own ideas about how to use the 
mathematics they are learning to solve practical problems in the 
world about them and other interesting problems which may have no 
utilitarian value (e.g., puzzles or thought exercises).  Allowing 
adequate time for students to think about problems and their 
solutions will be an important aspect of the course, and this will 
help to eliminate "math anxiety".

At first, these goals would be accomplished through a series of 
topics rather than a central theme, although, as the course evolves, 
it may be desirable to alter this approach.  Specifically, the 
course would cover the following ideas:

	(1)  Inductive reasoning (via numerical curiosities, magic 
	     squares, mathematical patterns, problem solving).

	(2)  Sets and deductive reasoning (including the 
	     conditional, connectives, and the nature of proof in 
             problem solving).

	(3)  Skills in algebra (mathematical operations, linear 
             equations, prime numbers and prime factorization, 
             ratio, proportion, and problem solving).


	(4)  Geometry (measuring length, area, and volume, metric 
             system, angles, triangles and circles, coordinate 
             geometry, and introduction to graph theory, the 
	     Konigsberg Bridge Problem and traveling salesman 
             problem).

	(5)  Nature of counting (permutations, combinations, pattern 
             recognition).

	(6)  Probability theory (some experiments in probability, 
             the and/or rules for independent events, conditional 
             probabilty models).

	(7)  Modeling (applications from algebra, geometry, 
             probability).





MATH PROPOSAL:

Renumber MATH 162 as MATH 105.

RATIONALE:

Math 162 is less advanced than College Algebra (MATH 163) and 
neither the APC nor the Math Department feel that it should count 
for the General Education math requirement.  By giving it a lower 
number there is no question of its doing so, since it will clearly 
be lower than MATH 155, the General Education Course.