Dr. Carol J.V. Fisher's Homepage
Finite Mathematics Table of Contents

Finite Mathematics (MAT 119) Daily Syllabus (with homework)

JUMP TO CURRENT WEEK
The Tuesday/Thursday class will follow the same order, and have the same assignments.
However, the ‘Wednesday’ class material will be split: part put into Tuesday, part put into Thursday.
WEB EXERCISE QUIZZES are on FRIDAY for MWF class, and on THURSDAY for TTh class.
WEEK #1
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
1 M, Aug 29
  • Welcome! I'll introduce myself.
  • go over highlights of the "First Day Handout"
  • sign class roster; get your number
  • take your first "Quick Quiz" (use your number!)
  • talk about first BBLearn assignments;
    show how to get into BBLearn
  • quickly show my web site; using web exercises
  • fun math: creatively sharing a pizza with only one person
2 W, Aug 31
  • talk about WebWorks assignments
  • Section 1.2   Straight Lines
    Do a few problems like those on the two WebWorks assignments.
  • as time permits, go through review web exercises, doing lots of sample problems
  • Note: no index cards this week, to give you time to get your notebook, cards, etc.
    However, you are encouraged to make up your own review cards as needed (please ‘number’ them   P1, P2, P3,...   or   a, b, c,...)
3 F, Sept 2
  • Section 1.3   Linear Functions and Mathematical Models
    linear depreciation; cost, revenue, and profit functions
  • WEB EXERCISE QUIZ
  • Have a wonderful long weekend!


WEEK #2
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
4 W, Sept 7
  • Note: no class on Monday (Labor Day)
  • pass back quizzes; get and update grade sheets
  • note: WebWorks line homework, due end of Tuesday
  • quick look at function web exercises for this week's quiz
  • All INDEX CARDS open in a new window:
    • 1ab, Section 1.4:
      finding intersection pts; cost, revenue, and profit functions
      find intersection points using wolframalpha.com
    • 2ab, Sections 1.4, 2.1:
      supply and demand; systems of equations
    • 3ab, Section 2.1:
      linear systems (2 equations, 2 unknowns): exactly one solution, no solutions, infinitely many solutions; substitution and elimination methods
    • if time, quick look at systems of equations web exercises (this week's quiz)
5 F, Sept 9
  • 4ab, Section 2.2:
    Gauss-Jordan elimination method
    ($3\times 3$ systems, unique solutions only)
  • 5ab, Section 2.2:
    Example: Gauss-Jordan elimination method
  • WEB EXERCISE QUIZ


WEEK #3
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
6 M, Sept 12
  • go over matrices web exercises (quiz Friday)
  • Economics word problems (text, page 87, even numbers);
    you'll do odd-numbered for homework;
    at least one problem like this will be on the first exam
text, page 87:   51, 53, 55, 57, 59 (not passed in)
7 W, Sept 14
  • 6ab, Section 3.1:
    linear inequalities in two variables;
    graphing very simple linear inequalities
  • 7ab, Section 3.1:
    graphing more complicated linear inequalities;
    the Test Point Method
  • 8ab, Section 3.1:
    graphing systems of linear inequalities;
    bounded and unbounded sets in the plane
  • WebWorks: Systems of Linear Inequalities
    (3 problems, 2 pts each, 6 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Sept 16, end of day
  • There are many great problems to practice on in your text, Section 3.1:
    the self-check exercises, and the end-of-section exercises!
8 F, Sept 16
  • 9ab, Section 3.2:
    linear programming: an introductory example
short WEB EXERCISE QUIZ (15 pts);
also, a 10-point Gauss-Jordan Elimination Method problem; it will be one of the problems from page 87 of your text (41, 43, 45, 47, or 49)
  • WebWorks: Linear Programming
    (12 problems, 2 pts each, 24 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Sept 23, end of day


WEEK #4
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
9 M, Sept 19
  • 10ab, Section 3.3:
    linear programming problem description and notation;
    solutions to linear programming problems
  • 11ab, Section 3.3:
    solving a linear programming problem
  • 12ab, Section 3.3:
    intuition: Why must a solution occur at a corner?
(continue with prior assignment; due Friday, Sept 23)

Be sure to do many of the 3.3 Exercises to firm up your understanding and procedures:
at least numbers 1,3,5,7,9,13,21,27,31,39
10 W, Sept 21 Practice: linear programming problems  
11 F, Sept 23
  • 13ab, Section 5.1:
    simple interest and accumulated amount;
    simple interest problems
  • 14ab, Section 5.1:
    more simple interest problems
  • WebWorks: Interest Problems
    (14 problems, 2 pts each, 28 pts)
    The first FOUR problems are simple interest (today);
    the remaining problems involve compound interest (next week)
    DUE: Friday, Sept 30, end of day


WEEK #5
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
12 M, Sept 26
  • 15ab, Section 5.1:
    derivation of the compound interest formula;
    using the compound interest formula
  • 16ab, Section 5.1:
    unknown length of time; unknown interest rate
  • 17ab, Section 5.1:
    which is the better investment; present value
  • 18ab, Section 5.1:
    the irrational number  e ; continuous compounding
13 W, Sept 28 catch-up; review for exam Study for exam!
14 F, Sept 30 EXAM #1: Thursday, September 29 (TTh)
EXAM #1: Friday, September 30 (MWF) 		 


WEEK #6
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
15 M, Oct 3
  • 19ab, Section 5.2:
    annuities; an example to illustrate a pattern
  • 20ab, Section 5.2:
    continuing the annuity pattern;
    summation formula for a geometric series
  • 21ab, Section 5.2:
    future value of an annuity;
    example (future value; how to key into a calculator)
  • WebWorks: Annuity Problems
    (5 problems, 3 pts each, 15 pts)
    You will only be able to do some of these problems with the information from this week—figure out which are which!
    DUE: Friday, Oct 14, end of day
  • Additional Practice:
    textbook, section 5.2, page 283, 1–7 odd, 15–21 odd
16 W, Oct 5
  • 22ab, Section 5.2:
    example (future value);
    example (future value, solving for $R$)
  • 23ab, Section 5.2:
    example (future value, solving for $N$);
    unknown in an exponent—use logs
 
17 F, Oct 7
  • 24ab, Section 5.2:
    present value of an annuity;
    solving for $P$; the Present Value Formula
  • 24cd, Section 5.2:
    converting decimal years to years + months + weeks + days; an example
textbook, section 5.2, page 283, 9–13 odd, 23, 25


WEEK #7
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
18 M, Oct 10
  • 25ab, Section 5.3:
    amortization; an amortization schedule
textbook, section 5.3, page 294, 1–7 odd;
re-create the amortization schedule on card 25b, without looking!
19 W, Oct 12
  • 26ab, Section 5.3:
    sinking funds; an example
textbook, section 5.3, page 294, 9–13 odd
20 F, Oct 14 Chapter 5 practice; catch-up textbook, section 5.3, page 294, 15–29 odd


WEEK #8
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
21 M, Oct 17
  • Pass out finance project (buy a car; analyze associated financing); 10 minutes to look over project, choose group members (if desired), ask questions
    • LOTS OF CARDS TODAY (all section 6.1), but all easy (mostly notation):
  • 27ab, expressions; numbers have lots of different names
  • 28ab, mathematical sentences; distinguishing between expressions and sentences
  • handout: sample skill web exercise; sample concept question exercise
  • 29ab, sets; more on sets (elements/members, finite/infinite)
  • 30ab, symbols you must know: braces, parentheses, brackets;
    list notation for sets
  • 31ab, a special sentence: ‘Let $S = \{1,2,3\}$’;
    the ‘is a member of’ verb:   $\in$
  • 32ab, the empty set; symbols for the empty set;
    interval notation
  • 33ab, subsets (the idea); proper subsets;
    precise definition of subset; notation for subsets and proper subsets
22 W, Oct 19 LOTS OF CARDS TODAY (all section 6.1), but all easy:
  • pass out sample web exercise quiz
  • 34ab, set-builder notation; sets can have different names; dummy variable used in set-builder notation
  • 35ab, connectives; the mathematical words ‘and’ and ‘or’; truth tables
  • 36ab, union of sets; intersection of sets
  • 37ab, Venn diagrams; basic Venn diagram examples
  • 38ab, the complement of a set; examples
  • 39ab, Commutative, Associative, and Distributive Properties for Sets; Properties of Set Complementation
  • 40ab, De Morgan's Laws; a typical truth table proof
  • web exercise: Advanced Set Concepts
  • QUIZ NEXT MONDAY/TUESDAY OVER ALL WEB EXERCISES ASSIGNED THIS WEEK
  • WebWorks: Basic Set Operations
    (6 problems, 2 pts each, 12 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Oct 28, end of day
23 F, Oct 21
  • 41ab, section 6.2, counting the elements in a finite set; notation; disjoint sets;
    formula for the number of elements in a union of two sets
  • 42ab, section 6.2, Venn diagram counting problems (2 sets; 3 sets)
  • 43ab, section 6.3, the Multiplication Counting Principle
  • 44ab, section 6.4, choosing things: does order matter?
    permutations (order matters, $P(n,k)$) versus combinations (order doesn't matter, $C(n,k)$)
  • 45ab, section 6.4, factorial notation; an important factorial pattern


WEEK #9
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
24 M, Oct 24
  • 46ab, section 6.4, formulas for $C(n,k)$ and $P(n,k)$
  • 30 minutes: COMPUTER LAB;
    quiz over all web exercises assigned last week;
    you will have access to the online web exercises while taking the quiz;
    some students will need to share computers
  • web exercise: Combinations and Permutations
    (Just read for additional explanation; no need to do exercises yet; they rely on some basic probability concepts from the next chapter.)
  • WebWorks: Permutations and Combinations
    (11 problems, 2 pts each, 22 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Nov 4, end of day
25 W, Oct 26
  • 47ab, section 6.4, basic counting problem;
    ‘block’ method for counting
  • 48ab, section 6.4, a basic ‘committee’ counting problem;
    a more advanced committee problem (using ‘or’)
  • review for test
  • WebWorks: Mixed Counting Problems
    (8 problems, 2 pts each, 16 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Nov 4, end of day
26 F, Oct 28 FINANCE PROJECT DUE
EXAM #2 		Get your two WebWorks assignments done this weekend, because there will be lots more homework next week!


WEEK #10
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
27 M, Oct 31
  • 49ab, section 7.1,
    probability; a simple probability example
  • worksheet to accompany card 49
    Work in pairs on this worksheet (about 7 minutes);
    try them, check your answers;
    mark questions for us to go over together
  • 50ab, section 7.1,
    definitions: experiment, outcome, sample space, event;
    examples
  • 51ab, section 7.1,
    equally likely outcomes;
    examples
  • web exercise: Basic Probability Concepts
    web exercise quiz at beginning of next class;
    randomly-generated worksheet, 24 problems, 24 points
  • WebWorks: Introduction to Probability
    (10 problems, 2 pts each, 20 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Nov 4, end of day
28 W, Nov 2
  • web exercise quiz, Basic Probability Concepts
  • 52ab, sections 7.2 and 7.3,
    more properties of probabilities;
    mutually exclusive events
  • 53ab, sections 7.2 and 7.3,
    two important formulas;
    example
  • web exercise: More Probability Concepts
    web exercise quiz at beginning of next class;
    randomly-generated worksheet, 14 problems, 14 points
  • WebWorks: More on Probability
    (8 problems, 3 pts each, 24 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Nov 11, end of day
29 F, Nov 4
  • web exercise quiz, More Probability Concepts
  • 54ab,
    probability tree diagrams;
    2 flips of a fair coin
  • 55ab,
    2 flips of an unfair coin
  • 56ab,
    balls in an urn, with replacement
  • 57ab,
    balls in an urn, without replacement
  • 58ab,
    Pascal's Triangle gives combinations


WEEK #11
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
30 M, Nov 7
  • web exercise quiz, Probability Tree Diagrams
  • 59ab, section 7.4,
    example: coin tossing
  • 60ab, section 7.4,
    example: choosing cards from a deck
  • 61ab, section 7.4,
    example: quality control
  • 62ab, section 7.4,
    example: the birthday problem;
    compare with class results
keep working on:
WebWorks: More on Probability
(8 problems, 3 pts each, 24 pts)
DUE: Friday, Nov 11, end of day
31 W, Nov 9
  • 63ab, section 7.5,
    conditional probability; example
  • 64ab, section 7.5,
    a formula for $P(A\cap B)$ involving conditional probabilities;
    example (probabilities as areas)
  • 65ab,
    independent events; checking for independent events
Note: no class on Friday (Veteran's Day)
Have a wonderful long weekend!
  • WebWorks: Conditional Probabilities
    (7 problems, 2 pts each, 14 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Nov 18, end of day
  • WebWorks: Independent Events
    (6 problems, 2 pts each, 12 pts)
    DUE: Friday, Nov 18, end of day


WEEK #12
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
32 M, Nov 14
  • 66ab, section 7.6,
    partition of a set; examples
  • 67ab, section 7.6,
    Baye's Theorem; example
  • 68ab, section 7.6,
    an example that uses Baye's Theorem
WebWorks: Baye's Theorem
(4 problems, 4 pts each, 16 pts)
DUE: Friday, Nov 18, end of day
33 W, Nov 16 practice problems, chapter 7  
34 F, Nov 18 practice problems, chapter 7  


WEEK #13
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
35 M, Nov 21
  • 69ab, section 8.1,
    statistics; random variable
  • 70ab, section 8.1,
    probability distribution for a random variable; example
  • 71ab, section 8.2,
    average (mean); computing the mean when some numbers occur more than once
  • 72ab, section 8.2,
    motivation for expected value of a random variable;
    expected value of a random variable
  • 73ab, section 8.2,
    expected value examples
WebWorks: Expected Value
(3 problems, 3 pts each, 9 pts)
DUE: Friday, Nov 25, end of day
36 W, Nov 23 expected value problems
Note: no class on Friday (Thanksgiving) 		 


 
WEEK #14
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
37 M, Nov 28
  • 74ab, section 8.4,
    binomial experiments; example
  • 75ab, section 8.4,
    computing the probability of $3$ successes in $7$ trials of a binomial experiment; generalize to $x$ successes in $n$ trials
  • 76ab, section 8.4,
    binomial theorem examples
  • 77ab, section 8.4,
    more binomial theorem examples
WebWorks: the Binomial Distribution
(7 problems, 2 pts each, 14 pts)
DUE: Friday, Dec 2, end of day
38 W, Nov 30 review for Exam #3  
39 F, Dec 2 EXAM #3 (Thursday, Dec. 1 and Friday, December 2)  


WEEK #15 (end-of-term week)
CLASS # DATE CLASS CONTENT HOMEWORK
40 M, Dec 5
  • 78ab, section 8.5,
    continuous probability distributions; probability density function
  • 79ab, section 8.5,
    the area under a ‘point’ is zero; finding areas under curves is hard
  • 80ab, section 8.5,
    normal distributions; normal curves
  • 81ab, section 8.5,
    areas under normal curves that you should know; the standard normal curve
  • 82ab, section 8.5,
    any normal curve can be transformed to the standard normal curve; example
  • 83ab, section 8.5,
    examples
Use this Wolfram-Alpha widget to find areas under normal curves. 		WebWorks: the Normal Distribution
(7 problems, 2 pts each, 14 pts)
DUE: Friday, Dec 9, end of day

Study for final exam!
41 W, Dec 7 review for final: first and second exams Study for final exam!
42 F, Dec 9 Last day of classes!
review for final: third exam;
BRING INDEX CARDS TO FINAL EXAM TO BE GRADED!
-- they MUST have a rubber-band around them, or be in a plastic bag or zippered pouch
-- your name and number must clearly appear on the top of the pile 		Study for final exam!