Syllabus — MAT 310 / MTE 585 — Geometry

Fall 2005 — TuTh  1:40 – 2:55  PSA 303

Instructor: Dr. Michelle Zandieh

Office: PSA 633 — Office Hours: Tues. & Thurs.11:30 – 12:00 am and 3:30 – 4:00 pm and by appointment

Office Phone: 965-2846 — E-mail: zandieh@asu.edu

Graduate student teachers: Jessica Knapp, knapp@mathpost.asu.edu; Teri Glaess, teri.glaess@asu.edu

Course web page: http://math.asu.edu/~zandieh/MAT_310_Fall_2005.html

 

General comments:

This course may be different than other math courses you have taken.  It will be based on a series of problems given in the book Experiencing Geometry: Euclidean and Non-Euclidean with History by David Henderson and Daina Taimina.  You will be asked to explore concepts of geometry using physical models and to communicate your ideas both in classroom discussions and in your written solutions.  Perhaps for the first time you will be asked to create your own mathematical definitions and theorems and proofs, instead of using those created by others.

 

Supplies:  You may want to have a sphere that you can write on to work on problems at home.  You can buy a clear plastic ball at a hobby shop or use a worn tennis ball.  In class, large clear plastic spheres will be provided, but you may sometimes prefer to use a smaller sphere. 

 

Homework:  Written solutions to problems from the Henderson book will be turned in weekly, due on Tuesdays.  Occasionally homework may be assigned from other sources (including a short math autobiography the first week and probably a reflection on a reading late in the term).  Homework should be typed if possible, but diagrams can be added by hand if you are unable to do them on the computer.  Homework write-ups may be in paragraph form or you may use bullets and numbering to help make the reading easier for the graders.  In general, each homework assignment will be graded from 0-10 points.  Rewrites will usually be allowed within a week after the graded assignment has been returned and with high grade now only 8.5.  This grade will replace your previous lower score.  Your score on all homework will be added and then scaled out of 150 points.

 

Exams: There will be three exams including the final.  The first exam will take place during class on September 29th.  The second exam will take place during class on November 10th.  The third exam will be the final which is scheduled on Thursday December 8th from 12:20 – 2:10 pm.  The location(s) will be announced in class.  Each of the exams will be graded out of 100 points, with the final exam being worth 100 points for a total of 300 points.

 

Grades:  In total there are 450 points possible for the course.  Grades will be calculated using the A+, A, A-, B+, etc. grading scale using percentages out of the 450 points. 

 

Points

Percentage

Grade

437-450

97-100

A+

419-436

93-96.9

A

405-418

90-92.9

A-

392-404

87-89.9

B+

374-391

83-86.9

B

360-373

80-82.9

B-

347-359

77-79.9

C+

315-346

70-76.9

C

270-314

60-69.9

D

< 270

<60

E

 

MTE 585:  The graduate students taking this class as MTE 585 will need to complete several additional assignments.  I will work with each graduate student on an individual basis.  Please see me to make arrangements for this extra work.

 

Academic Honesty:  Anyone found cheating will not be permitted to withdraw and will receive a grade of E for the course.  Discussing solutions to homework problems with others is strongly encouraged, but submitting work as your own which is copied or paraphrased from someone else is not permitted.  If you are doing things right, your written work will sometimes contain an idea from another source (person, book, other).  When this happens, make sure that you have reflected on the idea so that you understand it for yourself.  Then write the idea in your own words and give your source due credit.  Less than this will be considered cheating.