Introduction:
The information and materials presented here are intended to provide a description of the course goals for current and prospective students as well as others who are interested in our courses. It is not intended to replace the instructional policies and course materials presented in class.
Every effort is made to update this information on a routine basis. However, if you have questions about enrollment, purchasing materials, and prerequisite skills, please check with your advisor or instructor.
Online Catalog Course Description Link: http://primus.nss.udel.edu/CourseDesc/info.action?rml=Y&searchKey=2010|MATH114
Current Sections Link: http://primus.nss.udel.edu/CoursesSearch/search-results.jsp?course_sec=MATH114
Additional Course Description:
Math 114, which fulfills the university mathematics requirement, is designed for liberal arts majors who currently do not intend to take additional courses in mathematics. For several weeks, the course will focus on statistics. Descriptive statistics, the normal distribution, and confidence intervals will be studied. The purpose of this unit is to provide the student with an understanding of some of the tools that are used to analyze data and make informed decisions in the workplace, in research and in everyday situations. The remainder of the course emphasizes algebra, the application of mathematics and mathematical modeling. Students will use various functions to model and analyze data. The connections between algebraic and graphical representations of functions and statistical concepts will be stressed throughout the course.
An important goal of this course is to illustrate the importance of mathematics in a variety of fields. Fields such as art, political science, criminology, psychology and anthropology are just a few examples where mathematics is routinely integrated.. Students should be aware that even though they may currently be studying subjects that are not primarily mathematical or statistical, they may encounter these mathematical procedures and ideas.
For most students, this will be their first experience in a university mathematics course. High school and university courses are very different, especially in mathematics. Some of the differences are:
Appropriate prerequisite skills and understandings for this course are required for success in this course. Details are discussed in the course prerequisites below. Students who need to review algebra should register for M010.
Course Content:
The following list illustrates the topics intended for coverage in a typical semester. Your instructor may cover these topics in a different order or may add topics if necessary. The following statistics topics are from the statistics textbook required for this course:
| Section | Topic |
| 1.1 | Populations, Samples & Data |
| 1.2 | Random Samples |
| 2.1 | Histograms & Frequency Distributions |
| 2.2 | Graphs |
| 2.3 | Stem and Leaf Displays |
| 3.1 | Measures of Central Tendency - Mode, Median, Mean |
| 3.2 | Measures of Variation |
| 3.3 | Box-and-Whisker Plots |
| 7.1 | Graphs of Normal Probability Distributions |
| 7.2 | The Standard Normal Probability Distribution |
| 7.3 | Areas Under Any Normal Curve |
| 7.4 | Sampling Distributions |
| 7.5 | The Central Limit Theorem |
| 8.1 | Estimating when is known Samples |
These topics are from the College Algebra textbook required for this course
| Section | Topic |
| R2.1 | Linear Equations |
| R2.2 | Mathematical Modeling |
| R2.6 | Linear Inequalities |
| 1.2 | Lines in the Plane |
| 1.3 | Linear Modeling and Regression |
| 1.4 | Functions |
| 1.5 | Graphs of Functions |
| R2.3 | Quadratic Equations |
| R2.4 | Quadratic Formula |
| 2.1 | Quadratic Functions & Quadratic Modeling |
| 3.1 | Exponential Functions |
| 3.2 | Logarithmic Functions |
| 3.3 | Properties of Logarithms |
| 3.4 | Solving Exponential & Logarithmic Equations |
| 3.5 | Exponential & Logarithmic Models |
| 4.1 | Systems of Equations |
| 4.2 | Linear Systems |
| 4.4 | Systems of Linear Inequalities |
| 4.5 | Linear Programming |
Minimum Math Placement Test Level: 3
General Syllabus: Math 114 General Syllabus
Additional Prerequisite Discussion:
It is assumed that Math 114 students have a basic knowledge of arithmetic and algebra. This includes operations with signed numbers, operations with fractions, basic factoring, operations with polynomials and rational expressions, radicals, working with linear and quadratic functions (including associated equations), and linear inequalities. Students who lack this background should consider changing their enrollment to Math 010 (Intermediate Algebra).
Experience has shown those students who enroll without these important algebra skills and understandings will not succeed. Several resources are listed below and can help describe these algebraic skills and understandings in more detail.
Math 010 (Intermediate Algebra) information page
Textbooks: The following are the textbooks typically used in this course. Two textbooks – one statistics and one college algebra are required. Students should wait until the first day of class to ensure the appropriate textbook and other course materials are purchased.
Brase and Brase, Understanding Basic Statistics, Houghton Mifflin, Fifth Edition.
Larson, Hostetler, Hodgkins, College Algebra: Concepts and Models, Houghton Mifflin, Fifth Edition.
Calculator Requirement: A TI-83+, TI-83, TI-84 or TI-82 graphing calculator is required for this course. It is an important tool for exploring and understanding the mathematical concepts in this course. The homework assignments and exams contain problems that require its use. It is the student’s responsibility to have access to a calculator at all times during the semester for all classes and during all examinations. It is also the student’s responsibility to ensure that the calculator is in working order.
Course Format:
Fall/Spring semester: In most cases, during the fall and spring semesters, course meets three hours per week in either a MWF or Tues/Thur course format. Course enrollments are usually at most 50 students per class with some very small classes during the spring semester.
Assessment activities generally include exams, quizzes, group work or other course activities as determined by the instructor. Since this is a multi-section class, usually three common exams and a common cumulative final are administered. An example of the types of course activities can be found in the sample or current syllabus.
Winter/Summer semester: This course may be offered during the winter and summer sessions. Depending on the session, it may require daily course meetings or a three hour course session once a week.
Tutorial Resources: There are several campus resources that provide additional assistance.
Math Tutorial Site: Located in 106 EWG, this site provides free drop-in tutorial assistance for students enrolled in this course. It is staffed by qualified math and math education majors. Students are encouraged to use this resource to get assistance on mathematical questions. More information about the Math Tutorial Site can be found at the webpage http://www.math.udel.edu/resources/ugrad/tutorial_site.html.
Academic Enrichment Center: Located at 148-150 South College Avenue, this site provides a number of different course resources for students. Please visit their web site for more information: http://ae.udel.edu/
Satellite Campus Information:
Students enrolled at other campuses should contact the math faculty for the specific campus for additional information about this course.
Dover Campus:
Carla C. Morris - cmorris [at] udel [dot] edu
Georgetown Campus:
Nancy S. Hall - nhall [at] udel [dot] edu
Norman Passmore - passmore [at] udel [dot] edu
Wilmington Campus:
John Anderson - jandersn [at] udel [dot] edu
William Boyer - 06127 [at] udel [dot] edu
