Syllabus
Last updated
.Purpose of this Page
This page serves as the syllabus for math100-e23, Logic: The Mathematics of Puzzles and Games, taught by Chris Eppolito in the Easter semester. I may change any portion of this document at any time. In the event this is necessary, I will contact enrolled students by email.
Read this document carefully. This is a contract between us concerning how our course will run.
Course Information
Instructor | Chris Eppolito (he/him/his) | <- christopher-dot-eppolito-at-sewanee-dot-edu |
Section A | TR 08:00-09:15 | Woods Lab 121 |
Section B | TR 11:00-12:15 | Woods Lab 121 |
Office Hours | W 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–16:00 in Woods Lab 127 | <- Also by appointment (you propose a time to meet). |
Webpage | Logic: The Mathematics of Puzzles and Games Homepage |
Content
Many students leave high school believing that mathematics is some combination of the following.
- a collection of formulas for rote memorization
- a collection of strategies for computation
- a necessary evil for doing "real" science
- a sequence of classes needed to graduate
- difficult or boring
Each notion above does have a grain of truth to it (exception: mathematics is NOT boring). However, even in tandem, these miss something about what mathematics truly is.
Most high school mathematics courses are designed with the intention of building up memorization and computation skills. This course will stress a few aspects of mathematics that are often missed in a high school education. Mathematics is about logical reasoning and answering questions with deductive reasoning. Moreover, mathematics can be a fun and practical part of everyone's life, as long as they are willing to keep an open mind!
In many ways, mathematics is both an art and a science. The true goal of this course is two-fold: (1) to expand the student's viewpoint on what constitutes mathematics, and (2) to help students see how mathematics relates to their academic, social, and personal lives.
Topics
We will cover some the following (given in no particular order):
- Symbolic logic
- Valid arguments
- Logic puzzles
- Mathematical games
Note that the list above is vague on purpose: portions of the course are tailored to the interests of enrolled students, and vary semester-by-semester. See the schedule of topics for our day-to-day schedule.
Textbook
This course has no required textbook: I never require students to purchase anything to succeed in my class (though paper and a good pen will help with that). A good education should always be play-to-win, and never pay-to-win.
Course Objectives
The official description of this course from the course catalogue is…
Intended for prospective majors outside of mathematics, computer science, and the physical sciences, this course focuses on one or more important areas of mathematics with emphasis on the creativity and power of abstract representation, mathematical inquiry, and logical reasoning. Specific past topics have included calculus, probability, number theory, group theory, and encryption. Current topics vary by instructor.
At the end of this course, you should…
- have a stronger command of logic,
- be able to model many deductive arguments to check for logical flaws,
- be familiar with some common mathematical puzzles and games, and
- have some strategies for analyzing said puzzles and games.
General Education Requirement
This course has a general education component, namely…
,* Learning Objective 5. Observing, Experimenting, and Modeling: The Scientific and Quantitative View.
The study of the natural world through careful observation, construction and testing of hypotheses, and the design and implementation of reproducible experiments is a key aspect of human experience. Scientific literacy and the ability to assess the validity of scientific claims are critical components of an educated and informed life. Scientific and quantitative courses develop students’ ability to use close observation and interpret empirical data to understand processes in the natural world better. As they create models to explain observable phenomena, students develop their abilities to reason both deductively and inductively.
This course will fulfil these goals by leading students through…
- a mathematical understanding of logical reasoning,
- making valid deductive inferences,
- detecting valid (and invalid) deductive arguments,
- communicating logical and mathematical arguments clearly and rigorously, and
- applications of this framework to solving puzzles and playing mathematical games.
Expectations
Here is what I expect from you at a minimum.
- Submit your own work, and adhere to the Honor Code (more below).
- Be mindful and courteous during ALL interactions with me and your peers (including emails).
- Communicate with me if you have any concerns—I can help you, but I need to know that I should! As communication is a two-way street, you also need to read the emails I send and pay attention to what is said during lectures.
- Participation in class discussions and assignments.
- You must check the website for updates daily. I will not remind you of deadlines: you are responsible for knowing when assignments are due and planning accordingly so that they are submitted on time.
Your work must clearly demonstrate the logic you used, and may only use methods and notations discussed in my lectures (or OK'd by me in advance). Everything you turn in must be legible AND well-organized, with clear logic describing your solution.
A few thoughts on how I do this:
- Write a first draft which addresses the assignment.
- REWRITE that draft, remembering that other people have to understand it without me there to explain it.
- Take some time to do other things (e.g., get a coffee or have a nap).
- Return to the work, and check that it still makes sense.
- Repeat 2–4 as necessary until my work makes me and my audience proud.
Remember: if your work would be too messy or unclear for an English class, it's too messy for my class.
The Honor Code and Academic Honesty
You agreed to follow the Honor Code when you matriculated. All forms of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, are violations of the Honor Code and will be treated as such. If you ever have a question about an assignment or need additional help, please ask for assistance rather than jeopardize your academic career.
Collaboration
I encourage collaboration between students on practice problems and problem sets; if you work with another student on a graded assignment, you MUST CITE THEM as a collaborator on each problem you did together.
Collaboration on Quizzes and Exams is FORBIDDEN.
Collaboration means that all parties contribute ideas to produce a solution. Copying or allowing another student to copy solutions is never collaboration—that is cheating and will be treated as such. If you have any doubts as to whether what you did (or plan to do) is collaboration, just ask me.
To summarise, if you do collaborate, remember:
- Cite your collaborators.
- You must write the solution in your own words.
Electronic Resources
Answers taken from an electronic source are FORBIDDEN on problem sets. This includes, but is not limited to, the following.
- Calculators of any kind (unless expressly permitted).
- Internet search of any kind.
On essay-type assignments, you must cite all sources you used. This includes all websites you used in the course of your preparation.
Academic Accommodation
The University of the South is committed to fostering respect for the diversity of the University community and the individual rights of each member of that community. In this spirit, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the University seeks to provide students with disabilities with the reasonable accommodations needed to ensure equal access to the programs and activities of the University.
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) as early in the semester as possible. If approved for accommodations, the student has the responsibility to present their instructors with a copy of the official letter of academic accommodations. Please note: Accommodation letters should be dated for the current term; accommodations will not be provided without a current accommodation letter; and accommodations cannot be applied retroactively.
SAS is located in the Office of the Dean of Students (931.598.1229). Additional information about accommodations can be found on the Student Accessibility Services website.
Students who have questions about physical accessibility should inform their instructors so that we can ensure an accessible, safe, and effective environment.
Grades
YOU are responsible for obtaining the final grade you want in this course. If you want an A, make sure your grades are in the A range.
There is NO EXTRA CREDIT, so please don't ask for it. If you need help, I can provide it as long as I know you want it! When all is said and done, you will get the grade you earn.
Score Ledger
Your course grade will be decided by the following components: homeworks and quizzes (15%), reflection assignments (25%), a midterm exam (30%), and a final exam (30%).
The last day to turn in written work is
.Grades are decided on the following APPROXIMATE distribution (subject to change):
Grade | F | D | C | B | A |
Minimum Score | \( -\infty \) | 60 | 65 | 80 | 90 |
Assignment Types
The following is a short description of each of the assignment types employed in this course. See the assignments page for more complete information on assignments.
Homeworks
Homeworks are problems assigned during lecture, to be turned in by the end of the following lecture.
Quizzes
Quizzes are timed problems assigned during lecture, to be turned in by the end of the allotted time.
Reflection Assignment
A reflection assignment is a short (one-or-two page) written response to a prompt. These will be assigned biweekly.
Midterm Exam
The midterm is a pencil-and-paper exam to occur during one of the usual lecture periods.
Final Exam
The final is a pencil-and-paper exam to occur during the scheduled final exam period.