The Real Basics of Mathematics

MATH

150

The Real Basics of Mathematics

In The Real Basics, students engage in mathematics as mathematics truly is a human endeavor that startles us, infuriates us, exasperates us, and thrills us (perhaps all at the same time); and whose products are sometimes inevitable, sometimes ineffable, and frequently both. This course addresses the three fundamental processes at the heart of all mathematics: counting, classifying, and measuring. Emphasis is placed on the relationships among these processes for instance, how measuring grows out of counting; how classifying enables us to create measurement formulas; and how counting, classifying, and measuring collaborate in the invention of the calculus. Connections between arithmetic and geometry are front and center throughout. The course is designed so that students consider both philosophical and practical matters in a fashion strengthening their knowledge of each domain. An underlying theme is the logic of mathematical discovery, particularly the often-differing standards used by mathematicians and laypersons to decide upon mathematical truth.

Fall, Spring

Undergraduate

Yes