Math 190
First-Year Seminar in Mathematics
Fall 1998

Instructors:

Randall Pruim
North Hall-284, phone (616) 957-7113

E-mail: rpruim@calvin.edu

George Van Zwalenberg
North Hall-286, phone (616) 957-6406

E-mail: vzwa@calvin.edu

The course announcement has been distributed in many math classes and is hanging around in the mathematics department. Just in case you have some additional questions, here is a list of

Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions

1. If I show up at the organizational meeting am I required to register and attend the seminar?

   No. Consider the first meeting your official welcome to the department. In addition to giving you some more information about the seminar (and free pizza) we will also describe some other activities and events of the department (problem of the week, math competitions, fall picnic, etc.).

2. I didn't come to the organizational meeting, can I still come to the seminar?

   Yes! If you could, please send email to rpruim@calvin.edu (or stop by my office) and tell me your your name, your student id, your email address and whether you want to take it for credit or not (see below). See you next Wednesday.

3. Do I have to be a Math major to attend?

   No. Any student interested in mathematics is welcome to participate, regardless of intended major or profession.

4. How long does the seminar last?

   The seminar meets each Wednesday for about 1 hour (7 - 8 pm, give or take 5 or 10 minutes) throughout the semester.

5. Do students get credit for participating?

   Yes (usually). The seminar is a 1-hour course (Math 190).

6. Is there a charge for participating?

   No (usually). As long as students are full-time and under the 17-hour limit, there will be no increase in tuition for taking Math 190. Students with 17 hours already can choose between getting credit (and paying for it), auditting (and paying a reduced amount) or participating with out credit (and no increase in tuition). Students with 16 or fewer credits should register normally for the course.

7. Will there be homework or exams?

   There will not be an exam. There may be a limited amount of homework assigned at some meetings, but it should not involve a great deal of time outside of class.

8. Do we get pizza every week?

   Unfortunately not. Perhaps we can occassionally arrange for some sort of snack though. On the other hand, if the students spontaneously arranged for pizza on their own ... :-)

9. What sorts of topics will we cover?

   There will be quite a variety of topics. Each topic will be covered in one or two (perhaps at most three) weeks. We will begin with a couple of Professor Pruim's favorite problems. Later we will develop some interesting mathematical tools that you may not encounter in your other mathematics courses. In addition to strictly mathematical topics, we may also discuss such things as job opportunities for people with mathematics majors (or just an interest in mathematics), math on the internet, etc. We may also have a few "guests". Below is a tentative schedule for the semester. More will get filled in as we go along.

Page Created: 02 September 98
Last Modified: 
Thu Jul 29 19:58:57 1999
Maintained by: Randall Pruim