Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Math in Society is a rigorous mathematics course designed for students in Liberal Arts and Humanities majors.  The course provides a solid foundation in quantitative reasoning, symbolic reasoning, and problem solving techniques needed to be a productive, contributing citizen in the 21st century.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Use formulas and perform relevant calculations pertaining to personal finance in order to make informed financial decisions.
2. Make and interpret calculations and graphical displays of numerical data in order to perceive and infer patterns within data sets.
3. Calculate and interpret theoretical and empirical probabilities in support of making predictions and decisions in the presence of uncertainty.
4. Use logical reasoning to describe and critique arguments and recognize common logical fallacies.
5. Support conclusions using logical thought, reflection, explanation and justification.
6. Use appropriate representations to effectively communicate, orally and in writing, quantitative results and mathematical processes.

All activities will follow the premise that formal definitions and procedures evolve from the investigation of practical problems. It is the goal of this class that the investigation of practical problems will drive a desire to learn the mathematics necessary to understand and explain the practical application.   In-class time is primarily activity/discussion emphasizing problem solving techniques. Activities will include group work.

1. At least one individual or group project culminating in a written report and/or an oral presentation. 
2. In-class exam: proctored, closed book examination
3. At least two of the following additional measures:
   1. Take-home examinations
   2. In-class exams
   3. Graded homework
   4. Quizzes
   5. In-class activities
   6. Portfolios
4. Optional Additional Assessment Strategies
   1. Individual student conference
   2. Attendance

COURSE CONTENT:

1. Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving (roughly 10-20% of the course)
   1. Describing and Critiquing Arguments
   2. Understanding the Language and Rules of Logic
   3. Recognizing Common Logical Fallacies
   4. Non-Algebraic Problem Solving Strategies
2. Probability and Statistics (roughly 30% of the course)
   1. Counting Rules
   2. Calculating and Interpreting Basic Probabilities
   3. Expected Value (e.g., Lotteries, Raffles)
   4. Measures of Central Tendencies and Spread
   5. Interpreting Graphical Displays of Data
   6. Understanding Margin of Error and Polls
   7. Interpreting Distributions
   8. Recognizing the Misuse of Data
3. Financial Literacy (roughly 20% of the course)
   1. Percent Sales and Income Tax
   2. Simple and Compound Interest
   3. Annuities
   4. Loans and Credit Cards
4. Additional Math Topics - At least one of the following topics should be covered in some depth (roughly 30% of the course)
   1. Apportionment
   2. Fair Division
   3. Voting Theory
   4. Exponential Growth/Decay Models
   5. Logistic Growth Models
   6. Game Theory
   7. Queuing Theory
   8. Coding/ Code Checking (Error coding)/ Code Breaking/Cryptography
   9. Set Theory
   10. Counting techniques – Combinations, Permutations
   11. Boolean Algebra
   12. Graph Theory
   13. Fractal Geometry
   14. Non-Euclidian Geometry
   15. Tilings
   16. Symmetry and Shapes in Nature
   17. Math in Art
   18. Math in Music
   19. Cryptography
   20. Sequences and Series
   21. Fermi Approximations
   22. Historical Numbers
   23. Proportional Reasoning
   24. Scheduling