Math 268: Perspectives on Mathematics Spring 2006

Contents

• Contact information
• Course description
• Visitors
• The book

Rather than covering a new mathematical subject, this course focuses on helping students see the ever elusive Big Picture. That is, we are designing this course to help you understand what you do with mathematics and where it fits into your life, your career, our society, other societies, other planets, other geometries, other universes and so on. The course is flexible in nature and we hope those who enroll will participate actively. Perspective on Mathematics is supposed to benefit all students rather than burden them, so it only meets on Thursday mornings for a single unit. Meeting content will vary, but all meetings will include time for student discussion. Most of all, I am looking forward to learning from you to make this the best course possible. The course material will evolve with emerging student interests.

The major components in this course are regular class visitors, participation both in class and via email, and your journals. Half of your grade is based on your participation in the class and half is based on your journal. You should write in your journal at least once per week on thursday evening as a means of reflecting on the class. I will collect journals from time to time.

Most weeks, our class will feature special guest visitors who are people that exemplify professionals using mathematics in interesting ways.

This class does not have a textbook, but I am requiring everyone to read portions of Sir Roger Penrose's book ``The Road to Reality.'' Penrose is one of the greatest living mathematicians of our time, and his knowledge of mathematics is both deep and broad. His book starts with the basics marches boldly on to twistor theory and consciousness. For this class, we are going to stick to the basics, and I think you will enjoy his unique views on mathematics.