Detailed Schedule -- Mathematical Journeys: Unknown to Known

MONT 105Q -- Spring 2016, Prof. Little

This is a tentative, evolving schedule. If necessary, some topics may be added, deleted, or rearranged during the course of the semester. Any major changes will be announced in class and here. The notation [D] refers to Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle, [DH] refers to Davis and Hersh, The Mathematical Experience, [DP] refers to Doxiadis and Papadimitriou, Logicomix, [M] refers to Mumford, ``The Dawning of the Age of Stochasticity," [S] refers to Shakespeare, Hamlet, and [W] refers to Whelan, Naked Statistics .

Date Class Topic Readings/Assignments
1/27 Course Introduction, Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle [D], try to read entire text before first class
1/29 Darwin's growth into a scientist [D], focus on Chapters 5 - 9
2/1 Darwin -- Two key episodes in the journey, Darwin's views about people [D], focus on Chapters 10, 14, 17 - 19
2/3 Logicomix -- Bertrand Russell's search for certainty [DP], p. 1-154
2/5 Background -- how non-Euclidean geometries influenced the philosophy of mathematics [DH], p. 241-247, 356-368
2/8 Logicomix -- An account of Russell's role in the "crisis in foundations" in mathematics [DP], p. 154-315
2/10 Background -- Foundations found and lost [DH], p. 368-382
2/12 "A new way" in the world of mathematics(?) [M], but omit sections 5 and 6 and don't worry too much about the technical details
2/15 Statistics, measures of centrality [W], Chapter 1,2
2/17 Statistics, measures of variability [W], Chapter 2
2/19 Discuss The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Problem set 1 due
2/22 Discuss The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film shown previous week)
2/24 "Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics" [W], Chapter 3
2/26 Spare day Paper 1 due
2/29 Basic probability [W], Chapter 5
3/2 More on probability and random variables [W], Chapter 5
3/4 The infamous "Monty Hall problem" [W], Chapter 5bis -- Problem set 2 due
3/7,9,11 Spring Break -- no class
3/14 Misunderstandings about probabilities; How data is gathered matters [W], Chapters 6 and 7
3/16 "Crash course" on Excel for statistical calculations Handout on course homepage (sample spreadsheets will be emailed)
3/18 The Central Limit Theorem [W], Chapter 8 -- Notify me about Final Project choices
3/21 The Standard Normal Table Handout on course homepage
3/23 Central Limit Theorem, concluded [W], Chapter 8 -- Problem Set 3 due
3/25,28 Easter Break -- no class
3/30 Statistical inference [W], Chapter 9; Handout on course homepage -- Problem set 4 due
4/1 Midterm Exam
4/4 More on statistical inference Handout on course homepage
4/6 Polling and prediction [W], Chapter 10
4/8 Polling, continued [W], Chapter 10 -- Problem set 5 due
4/11 Correlation [W], Chapter 4
4/13 Regression [W], Chapter 11
4/15 More on regression [W], Chapter 11 -- Problem set 6 and Final Project Bibliographies due
4/18 Hamlet [S], please read the whole play prior to this class
4/20 Hamlet, continued [S]
4/22 Hamlet, concluded [S]
4/25 Finish Naked Statistics [W], review
4/27 The age of stochasticity? [M], reread
4/29 Spare day Paper 2 due
5/2 Final project presentations
5/4 Final project presentations
5/6 Final project presentations
5/9 Semester wrap-up Final Project Papers due
There will be no final exam for this course. The final project will effectively replace a final.

Last modified: March 8, 2016