{"id":11,"date":"2012-09-05T11:20:44","date_gmt":"2012-09-05T15:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/template\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2026-03-19T08:46:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T12:46:11","slug":"mgf-1107","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/courses\/mgf-1107\/","title":{"rendered":"MGF 1107"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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MGF 1107<\/h1>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Course Summary<\/strong>
\nMGF 1107, Mathematics for Liberal Arts 2 is a general education\/math course which is not intended to prepare you for Precalculus or Calculus. Instead, this course\u00a0 emphasizes mathematical reasoning and the connections between mathematics and the liberal arts. This course qualifies for both GenEd and Gordon Rule credits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Instructor Name: Austin Jacobs
\nOffice: LIT 461
\nOffice Hours: TBD
\nEmail: asirjcb@ufl.edu<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Prerequisites:<\/strong> None (No, not even MGF1106. The courses are independent.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Credits:<\/strong> 3<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Textbook:<\/strong> There is no textbook from this class. All of the essential information will be provided in-class through notes and embedded in classwork assignments. In addition, there is a minor research component to the course where students will be encouraged to go beyond the basics presented in the notes using freely available resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Goformative:<\/strong> Goformative (www.goformative.com) is a free service which we will use for both homework assignments and in-class groupwork. Every student will make an account on the first day of class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Ziteboard:<\/strong> When this class is taught live, each group does its work on a whiteboard. With the switch to distance learning this summer we are going to try to use Ziteboard as a free online collaborative whiteboard. Ziteboard requires the Chrome browser to run, so please download Google Chrome\u00a0and Ziteboard.\u00a0 We\u2019ll spend the first day of class practicing a bit with the technology we\u2019re using for the course. Course Content: This course will revolve around three major questions What is math? There is a great difference between what is done in high school and lower division undergraduate math courses and what is done by professional mathematicians. In this class, we will try as much as possible to function like mathematicians. How are things true in math? Every discipline has different standards for establishing truth. Mathematical truth is is established through rigorous logical arguments called proofs. We will devote some time to writing informal proofs with every topic covered. How can mathematical truth be applied outside of math? If mathematical truth is so different, how can it possibly be applicable to other fields? We will model problems from other disciplines with mathematics and understand the limitations of our models.\u00a0 These questions are the thrust of the course, and covering particular material is of secondary importance. That said, we will cover topics from game theory, graph theory, counting principles, topology, elementary number theory, and if time permits probability and statistics. Course material is flexible and will be guided to some extent by student interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Course Format<\/strong>
\nThere will be very little traditional lecture in this course. Most classes will have the class form small groups to work on challenging problems. Following some initial time to work on the problem, groups will present their (partial) solutions to the class. Followup activities will be given for homework and weekly quizzes will be given to reinforce the topics from the group activities. Finally, there will be a major project at the end of the term. All course communication will be through Canvas or your ufl email. Course announcements will be posted on Canvas, so it is highly recommended to have notifications from canvas sent to your email (Click on \u201dAccount\u201d in the side bar of Canvas, then go to \u201dNotifications\u201d and set announcements to email). This should be the default setting. It is your responsibility to be checking Canvas and your email for course correspondence, especially if you miss a class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Assignments<\/strong>
\nAssignments are graded either based on mastery or numerically. In short, mastery grades must meet some minimum threshold to earn any points at all, but they have a chance for resubmission while numerical grades are graded once for points. Will either give (almost) all points or none. Details can be found below in the \u201dGrading Procedures\u201d section.\u00a0 In-Class Groupwork: Most days will begin by dividing into groups of 3-5 and working on a problem or a continuation of a previous day\u2019s problem. Group work will be assessed as a participation grade, but the material covered in groupwork will feature prominently on homework so it will need to be completed accurately.\u00a0 There may be a bellringer given as an attendance check prior to the group work. In this case, the day\u2019s participation grade will be split 50-50 between the bellringer and the group participation. Three days can be missed without penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Homework:<\/strong>\u00a0Homework assignments build on the material in the classwork and come in three levels based on difficulty. The levels must be completed in order. Level 1 and level 2 assignments are graded numerically while the level 3 assignment is graded for mastery. If a submission does not meet a certain threshold, zero points will be given. This threshold is up to the instructor\u2019s discretion but usually amounts to getting everything right except for a few details. Typically, homework assignments are individual, but there may be some exceptions, especially on level 1 assignments. There are always more homework assignments than required for full credit. Students are encouraged to pick the assignments that seem most interesting, especially with level 2 and 3 assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Quizzes:<\/strong> We will have a quiz every week which will be graded numerically.\u00a0 These are open notes (that you personally have taken). Quizzes are individual assignments which cover topics from that week\u2019s group work.\u00a0 Documentaries: Throughout the semester you will be provided with documentaries that deal with the history and application of mathematics. Questions about the documentaries will appear on the quizzes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Final Project:<\/strong> There will be a final project due on the last day of class.\u00a0 In short, the project is to write a short paper about a famous result from mathematics and to provide an appropriate graphical aid. Full specifications can be found on Canvas. Projects will be given a numerical grade rather than a mastery grade. With few exceptions, these will have the same conditions as homework. All final work must be original work. The bibliography must include at least one non-encyclopedia source. Plagiarism gets an immediate zero for the assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The course is divided into three units (see tentative schedule at the bottom). Each unit will have 3 homework assignments each with three levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Grading Procedures:<\/strong> Every assignment in this course is either given a numerical grade or a mastery-based grade. Numerical grades are the kind of grades
\nyou are familiar with. An assignment that is graded based on mastery will be given a 0 if they do not meet a threshold. This is entirely at the instructor\u2019s discretion. However, assignments given a mastery grade may be resubmitted up until the final deadline. The mastery assignments should be treated as a dialog between student and teacher where we go back and forth with the material until it is clear that the material has been mastered. It is very rare for a student to earn points on a mastery assignment without any discussion with the instructor. Some assignments are group assignments, but all submitted answers should be individual work. Any answer copying or plagiarism will result in an immediate zero for that assignment. In the case of a mastery assignment, it will result in an zero and an inability to resubmit the assignment. Your final papers will be tested for plagiarism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Attendance\/Groupwork 80 points
\nQuizzes 50 points (5 x 10 points, 6 total w\/ 1 dropped)
\nLevel 1 HW 80 points (8 x 10 points)
\nLevel 2 HW 120 points (6 x 20 points)
\nLevel 3 HW (mastery) 120 points (4 x 30 points)
\nFinal Project 150 points
\nTotal 600 points<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Final grades are assigned on a 75 point scale
\n525 to 600 points gives an A
\n450 to 521 points gives a B
\n375 to 449 points gives a C
\n350 to 374 points gives a D<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Fewer than 350 points gives an E<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Plus and minus grades are given at the instructor\u2019s discretion, typically on the strength of the final project and incomplete level 3 homework assignments. In this way, the dialog that goes on around level 3 assignments is directly useful to the student\u2019s grade even if the assignment does not end up as mastered. Otherwise, this\u00a0 grading scale will be strictly adhered to. The University\u2019s grade point policy can be found here: https:\/\/catalog.ufl.edu\/ugrad\/current\/regulations\/info\/grades.aspx<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Grade Disputes:<\/strong>
\nStudents are strongly encouraged to ask questions about potential mistakes in graded assignments. However, they are encouraged to do so as assignments are graded, not at the end of the term. End of term point scrounging will be penalized with a minus grade. For example a student with 519 points (in the B range) who asks for grade leniency at the end of the term will receive a B instead of what would certainly have been a B+. Woe unto the student who is scrounging for points with a C. If you think an assignment has a mistake in it, bring it to my attention. If you think your answer should have been accepted, bring it to my attention, but please do not haggle for every individual point and, moreover, don\u2019t do it on the last day of the semester well after the assignment has been returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Makeup Policy<\/strong>
\nRequirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found at:
\nhttps:\/\/catalog.ufl.edu\/ugrad\/current\/regulations\/info\/attendance.aspx. Any makeup request must be made prior to the deadline of the assignment unless an emergency prevents communication. Makeups are only approved in the case of official UF business, religious observances, or personal emergency. Makeups may be denied if the reason for absence was known about well before it being communicated. Classwork points cannot be made up. Working in groups is an essential part of the course that cannot be completed individually at a later date. Three days are dropped to make up for the reasonable absences that do occur. If an approved absence causes you to exceed three days, I can work with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Special Accommodations<\/strong>
\nStudents with disabilities requesting accommodations on homework, quizzes, and exams must first register with the Dean of Students Office (352-392-8565, http:\/\/www.dso.ufl.edu\/drc\/ (Links to an external site.)). The Dean will provide the student with documentation, which must be turned in as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Academic Honesty<\/strong>
\nThe University of Florida expects students to be honest in all of their university class work. Please remember to commit yourself to academic honesty
\nwith the pledge:
\n\u201cWe, the members of the University of Florida Community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.\u201d
\nThe Math Department expects you to follow the academic honesty guidelines. Matters of violations of academic honesty are adjudicated by the Student Honor Code.
\nIn this course, it is especially important that students do their own work.\u00a0 Since the bulk of the class is about mathematical reasoning, the use of a tutor is strongly discouraged. In general, if a student cannot adequately explain their reasoning to the point that the instructor does not believe that it is the student\u2019s work, it will be treated as though the student copied the answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Evaluations<\/strong> Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at https:\/\/gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu\/students\/ . Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https:\/\/ufl.bluera.com\/ufl\/ . Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https:\/\/gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu\/public-results\/ .<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Tentative Weekly Schedule<\/strong>
\nWeek 1: Intro and Graph Theory – Intro to proofs, graphs, basic properties
\nof graphs, proofs on graphs
\nWeek 2: Graph Theory and Topology – Trees, intro to topology, surfaces
\nWeek 3: Topology and Combinatorial Game Theory – Euler characteristic,
\nprojections, fold and cut intro to combinatorial games,
\nWeek 4: Combinatorial Game Theory – game trees, symmetry, N and P
\npositions
\nWeek 5: (Combinatorial) Game Theory – Nonconstructive proofs, solutions
\nof various games, strategic games
\nWeek 6: Nash Equilibrium, Clean up.<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"featured_post":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-11","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":166,"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11\/revisions\/166"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.clas.ufl.edu\/asirjcb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}