Zoom instructions will be posted before Saturday March 28 in a separate tab.
Lectures
We will hold lectures by Zoom at the usual class time. Lectures will be recorded for students who cannot join.
Office hours
You can reach me by making an appointment by email to talk by Zoom, or also by Zoom in my usual office hours (Tu 11:30 t0 12:30, Th 9 to 10 and 11:30 to 12:30).
Grading policy:
- 4 Weekly quizzes: 15% (Each quiz 15/4% of the grade)
- 6 Weekly homework problem sets 15% (Each problem set 15/6% of the grade)
- Presentation (15 minutes): 20 %
- Term paper (minimum 2500 words): 45 %
- Class participation 5%. (Class participation includes:
- filling up the form about the presentations,
- participating in the Blackboard discussion board)
Note that there will be no final examination. (Zoom) attendance and participation are expected.
Homeowork, Blackboard discussion board and Reading Assignments
Check the schedule for the week's reading and homework assignments. To guide your reading, concentrate on understanding the details of the points mentioned in class.
Homework will be collected from now on. Studends must scan the homework and submit through this Google form. Any issue witht the submission, contact our grader James Seiner (email address James.Seiner “at” stonybrook.edu. )
Homework problems will be posted in the course schedule Friday before 10am and will be due the following Friday before 10am.
Zoom presentations
Each student will present to the instructor by Zoom, at a time agreed by the instructor and the student, on the day posted in this table or before. (If you have a problem with this date, we can arrange another one)
Each presentation played to the class, there will be a 5 minute class discussion, in which the other students can ask questions, or make comments about the presentation. Students must fill up the presenation forms as usual.
The schedule for student in-class presentations is subject to change, and any changes will be announced in class
You can use PowerPoint or other presentation software, but the slides cannot contain more than 100 words in total. (If you really need to put more than 100 words, discuss this issue with your instructor)
Notes to help your memory are fine. (Of course your presentation cannot consist only of reading)
Your presentation will be judged on the clarity of expression, the extent to which your presentation is well organized, the quality of information conveyed, including mathematical correctness, the extent to which you've added new information (information not already covered in class), the extent to which you've considered the important issues and are able to answer the group's questions about them, and the extent to which you've help spark new questions from other students.
Your presentation will be graded out of 100 points, according to the following rubric (approximately):
- (10 points) Outline Content (due the week before the presentation)
- (10 points) Outline Bibliography (due the week before the presentation)
- (5 points) Time Management (no less than 10 mins, no more than 15)
- (5 points) Speaking in a Clear, Easily-Audible Voice
- (5 points) Creativity/Originality of Presentation
- (5 points) New information and/or important issues are considered and/or sparks questions
- (20 points) Historical context
- (40 points) Mathematical Content
It is encouraged to bring handouts to your classmates to help their understanding.
Submit the outline, bibliography and (if needed) slides in this google form.
Speaking in front of a group can be scary (..that's an understatement..), but the atmosphere will be supportive and encouraging. During your talk the rest of us will be working hard to understand your material. Since you're the speaker we'll be asking questions so that you can help us understand. When we ask a question you don't need to think quickly, just clearly. If some of your answers are "I didn't think about that; I'll answer it next time," that's perfectly fine… if you indeed try to answer in the nearby future.
Keep in mind: Your presentation should contain a brief historic frame of the topic you are discussing, a brief mathematical frame and a very clear discussion of a particular math point. This math point can be, for instantce, the solution of a problem, or the proof of a statement. Your “math point” has to be something you understand very well.
Information about the paper
Each student will write a term paper on a topic of their choice that must be approved by the instructor, different from that of the class presentation. The content should be mathematical and historical, with appropriate mathematics arguments and the historical setting clearly established. Lengthy biographical sketches are not needed -they are easily available. But historical antecedents of the points you are explaining, and their historical consequences, are worth exploring.
The term paper will be graded on it's content, as well as on how well it is written
The target length of the paper should contain at least 2500 words (excluding the bibliography), in an easily readable font (possibly Times New Roman or Cambria), in 12pt size, double spaced.
Relevant diagrams, figures and/or tables are required. They should be clearly captioned and refered to.
The term paper should be submitted on Blackoard, before Tuesday May 7th.
Late papers cannot be accepted.
To receive full credit you have to submit topic, bibliography, and draft on time. The dates and links to submit are in course schedule (each on the corresponding week).
Keep in mind: As in the presentation, the paper should give a brief historic frame of the topic you are discussing, a brief mathematical frame and a very clear discussion of a particular math point. This math point can be, for instantce, the solution of a problem, or the proof of a statement. Your “math point” has to be something you understand very well.
Here is a sample outline.
The approximate rubrik for grading the paper is below.
- (5 points) Topic
- (10 points) Bibliography, including at least two sources beyond our textbook. Since access to libraries is not possible, you can use websites. However, if possible, one of the sources must be an original document (for instance, if you topic is Euclid’s, you can use a version of Euclid’s Elements.)
- (10 points) Outline Content.
- (10 points) Draft
- (10 points) References are relevant and correctly cited.
- (10 points) Illustrations are relevant and, if necessary, correctly attributed.
- (10 points) Ideas are arranged logically and flow smoothly.
- (10 points) Writing is clear, with no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors .
- (10 points) There are relevant and consistent connections with the content of the course.
- (10 points) Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding and careful, critical analysis
- (10 points) Creativity/Originality, personal point of view.
- (10 points) New information and/or important issues are considered.
- (40 points) Historical context is clear and relelvant.
- (40 points) Mathematical general content is clear an relelvant.
- (40 points) Mathematical specific point is well understood and explained.
A good test for your paper: read it in loud voice. How does it sound? Is it telling a good story? Also, be careful with the excess of formulae.
Plagiarism:
- Do not even think about doing it.
- Any student who plagiarizes material will receive zero for the course, and will be reported to Academic Judiciary.
- All the work you submit be your own work. If you cheat or aid someone in cheating, you will automatically fail this course and be brought up on charges of academic dishonesty without warning.
- Cheating includes: presenting work of other as your own, copying other student work, facilitate that other student copies your work, cut and paste from websites without the appropriate acknowledgment, use of notes, calculators and/or electronic devices during examinations.
- The term paper will be checked with SafeAssign and if cheating is detected, it will be reported to the Academic Judiciary.
Techonlogy
We may use cellphone or tables to do in-class polls (depending on the availability of for the students)
We will discuss other uses of technology of the first day of classes.
Stony Brook Curriculum requirements
Successful completion of MAT 336 with a C or better satisfies DEC H and the expository portion of the upper-division writing requirement for the mathematics major, as well as the STAS, WRTD, and SPK objectives in the Stony Brook Curriculum (see below).
Learning Outcomes for "Understand relationships between Science or Technology and the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences (STAS)":
- Apply concepts and tools drawn from any field of study in order to understand the links between science or technology and the arts, humanities or social sciences.
- Synthesize quantitative and/or technical information and qualitative information to make informed judgments about the reciprocal relationship between science or technology and the arts, humanities or social sciences.
Learning Outcomes for “Speak Effectively before an Audience (SPK)”
- Research a topic, develop an oral argument and organize supporting details.
- Deliver a proficient and substantial oral presentation for the intended audience using appropriate media.
- Evaluate oral presentations of others according to specific criteria.
Learning Outcomes for “Write Effectively within One’s Discipline (WRTD)
- Collect the most pertinent evidence, draw appropriate disciplinary inferences, organize effectively for one's intended audience, and write in a confident voice using correct grammar and punctuation.
Student Accessibility Support Center:
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, 128 ECC Building, (631) 632-6748, or at sasc@Stonybrook.edu. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.
Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and the Student Accessibility Support Center. For procedures and information go to the following website: https://ehs.stonybrook.edu/programs/fire-safety/emergency-evacuation/evacuation-guide-people-physical-disabilities and search Fire Safety and Evacuation and Disabilities.
Academic Integrity:
Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Technology & Management, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html
Critical Incident Management
Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn.