Holy Cross Mathematics and Computer Science
MONT 105N -- Analyzing Environmental Data
Note:
I will make every attempt to keep the information on this page current.
Any changes after the start of the semester will also be announced in class.
Syllabus and Schedule
-
Course syllabus (.pdf)
- Detailed course schedule, updated
2/7
- Natural World Cluster Common Events:
- Worcester Art Museum visit, Sunday February 24.
- Follow-up from Engage Summit, tentatively scheduled for evening of March 20 at 7:00pm
Note slightly earler starting time
- Joyce Contemplative Center visit, 4:30 - 8:00pm (one of) April 7,8,9 (details still being worked out)
Information and Announcements
- Please be thinking about when you want to come for your final project
progress report meetings -- April 10 - 17.
Examples, Class Notes, Etc.
- Why is it called the Montserrat program?
- Photos from Purgatory Chasm, 9/15/2018.
- The main mathematical textbook for the course:
- ``Modeling and Data Analysis: An Introduction with Environmental Applications''
is posted on the Moodle page for our course in .pdf format.
- Excerpt from Thinking in Systems, by Donella Meadows
- Excerpt from Looking at the Overlooked, by Norman Bryson
- Excerpt from Living Through the End of Nature, by Paul Wapner
- Thermostat example for class on 1/28
- Spreadsheet
for class on 2/11
- Study questions for reading from Bryson, Looking at the Overlooked,
for class on 2/22.
- A Roman xenia painting, early 1st century CE (Pompeii)
- History painting, an example of what Bryson means by "megalography": "The Oath of the Horatii," Jacques-Louis David, 1786 (Toledo Museum of Art), class on 2/22.
- Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, John Singer Sargent, 1903 (White House), class on 2/22.
- Las Meninas, Diego Velázquez, 1656 (Museo del Prado, Madrid), class on 2/22.
- An example of what Bryson means by "rhopography":
Bodegón with Quince, Cabbage, Melon, and Cucumber, Juan Sánchez
Cótan (Spanish, 1560 - 1627) (San Diego Museum of Art), class on 2/22.
- Another bodegón, Juan Sánchez Cótan (Chicago Art Institute), class on 2/22.
- A Dutch still life, Joris van Son, 1658 (Worcester Art Museum), class on 2/22.
- Distribution of summer temperatures over time, class on 3/13 (source:
The New York Times December 6, 2017)
- Solutions for midterm exam given 3/22.
- Plaque honoring W.S.Gosset, of "Student's t-distribution" fame.
Assignments
- As one of the continuing assignments for the class, you will maintain
a notebook or journal where you will record summaries and comments about news articles
you have read. These should connect in some way with the main themes of this course and
the Montserrat Natural World Cluster. I will be collecting these once or twice
during the semester and returning them with comments--first collection on Friday, March 15.
Some sources to consult for these:
- Environmental News Network (www.enn.com)
- National Geographic (www.nationalgeographic.com)
- BBC News (www.bbc.com/news/science_and_environment)
- Science (www.sciencemag.org) -- more technical, original research (access through HC library page)
- Nature (www.nature.com) -- more technical, original research (access through HC library page)
- New York Times (www.nytimes.com) -- requires a subscription (or search through HC library page)
- Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) -- requires a subscription (or search through HC library page) -- for a very conservative, pro-business slant on things
- Science Daily (www.sciencedaily.com/news/top/environment) -- but be aware that this site just republishes
press releases made by others; no independent content or editorial oversight.
- Problem Set 1, due: Friday, February 1;
spreadsheet for this assignment, and background for the spreadsheet. When you open this, please immediately make
a copy for your individual use (File/Make a copy in Google Sheets).
- Problem Set 2, due: Friday, February 8: Chapter 9 Problems/1, 2a, 5, 7. Problem 8 from the Chapter 9 problems has been postponed to the next problem set.
- Problem Set 3, due: Friday, February 15: Chapter 9 Problems/8, 10; Chapter 2 Problems/11 (this refers to Example 2.13 starting
on page 33 of the text; read through that example and make sure you understand it before trying the problem), Chapter 10
Problems/1.
- Problem Set 4, due: Friday, February 22: Chapter 10 Problems/2, 3, 7, 9 (use Formula (10.8) on page 225).
- Paper 1 assignment, due: Friday, March 1.
- Problem Set 5, due: Friday, March 15: Chapter 10 Problems/11abc, 12, 13, 14abc. Part d of 11 and 14 have
been deleted from this week's problem set
- Problem Set 6, due: Friday, April 5: Chapter 11 Problems/2,5b,6.
- Paper 2 assignment; draft statement
on learning outcomes
- Chapter 12 project and data file
Final Projects
Related Links
- Note: The Greek phrase appearing next to the heading of this page is one traditional rendering of
the reported inscription over the entrance to Plato's Academy in Athens
(founded about 387 BCE). It means (roughly) Let no one ignorant of geometry enter.
This is a reflection of the important role of geometry in Plato's ideas about knowledge and education.
Downloading Information
The links for assignments and other handouts shown above with the notation
(.pdf file) lead to documents in PDF format. To read and print these, you
will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader (or some equivalent document reader
software) installed on your computer.
Last modified: April 11, 2019