Transcript First-Year-Wkshp

Mathematical Applications for
the Biological Sciences
Calculus 1201
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The Course
• Applied Mathematics
• Winter term course intended for students in
the biological sciences
• Pre-reqs: Calculus 1000, 1100, or Math 1225
• Terminal math course
Course Objective
• Provide the student with exposure to the
tools that will be needed throughout the
rest of his/her undergraduate career
It is widely assumed – particularly by
statisticians – that the only branch of
mathematics necessary for a biologist is
statistics. I do not share this view.
Statistics is necessary to biologists
because no two organisms are identical.
But I have the feeling that statistics …
has been over-sold
– John Maynard Smith
Course Content
• Linear Algebra
– up to eigenvalues and eigenvectors (real)
• Differential and Difference Equations
– systems too
– graphical qualitative methods
– solutions for linear equations
• Probability
– conditional probability and Markov chains
Format
• Three 50-min lectures per week given
by instructor
– 200 students, 50-80% attendance
• One 50-min tutorial per week run by a
graduate-student TA
– 50 students, attendance dismal
Evaluation
• Quizzes 30%
– In class or during tutorial
– 8-10 of these evenly spaced over the term
• Mid-term Exam 30 %
– 3 hours
• Final Exam 40 %
– 3 hours
Performance
• Avg grade 65-70%
• Range: single digits to mid/high nineties
• Reasonable distribution of grades
Misconceptions
1. Calculus 1201 is mainly about
calculus*.
2. Success in Calculus 1201 can be
achieved by memorizing calculations
on past-year’s exams.
3. Calculus 1201 is easy.
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*Professional school requirements
Challenges
• Common to many courses
– students often poorly prepared
– students often “grade focused” rather than
“learning focused”
• Common to many math courses
– students too timid to take ownership of their
learning
– students resistant to non-standard activities in
lectures and tutorials
Opportunities
• Coordinated effort (in some sense)
– Interests of Calc 1201 students not as
disparate as in other courses
• Biology offers a diverse set of rich
examples
– E.g. Standard courses on diff eqns