BS AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS

ENGINEERING
 AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

PRELIMINARIES

Module Title: Module in Mathematics in the Modern World

Course Title: Mathematics in the Modern World

Course Number: GE 104

Course Description: This course deals with nature of mathematics, appreciation of its
practical, intellectual and aesthetic dimensions, and application of
mathematical tools in daily life. The course begins with an introduction
to the nature of mathematics as an exploration of patterns, (in nature
and the environment) and as an application of inductive and deductive
reasoning. By exploring these topics, students are encouraged to go
beyond the typical understanding of mathematics as merely a set of
formulas but as a source of aesthetics in patterns of nature, for
example, and a rich language in itself (and of science) governed by
logic and reasoning. The course then proceeds to survey ways in which
mathematics provides a tool for understanding and dealing with
various aspects of present-day living such as managing personal
finances, making social choices, appreciating geometric designs,
understanding codes used in data transmission and security, and diving
limited resources fairly. These aspects will provide opportunities for
actually doing mathematics in a broad range of exercises that bring out
the various dimensions of mathematics as a way of knowing, and test
the students’ understanding and capacity.

Total Learning Time: 3 hours/week (2 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory) - 54 hours total

Pre-requisite(s): none

OVERVIEW
This course deals with the nature of mathematics, appreciation of its practical,
intellectual and aesthetic dimensions and applications of mathematical tools in daily life.
The course begins with an introduction to the nature of mathematics as an exploration of
patterns (in nature and in the environment) and as an application of inductive and deductive
reasoning. By exploring these topics, students are encouraged to go beyond the typical
understanding of mathematics as merely a set of formulas but as a source of aesthetics in
patterns of nature, for example, and a rich language in itself (and of science) governed by
logic and reasoning.

The course then proceeds to survey ways in which mathematics provides a tool for
understanding and dealing with various aspects of present-day living, such as managing
personal finances, making social choices, appreciating geometric designs, understanding
codes used in data transmission and security, and dividing limited resources fairly. These
aspects will provide opportunities for actually doing mathematics in a broad range of
exercises that bring out various dimensions of mathematics as a way of knowing, and test
the students’ understanding and capacity. (CMO No. 20, series of 2013).

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

1. Discuss and argue about the nature of mathematics, what it is, how it is expressed,
represented and used.
2. Gain understanding of the concepts of algebra and their applications in the modern
world ;
3. Use different types of reasoning to justify statements and arguments made about
mathematics and mathematical concepts;
4. Discuss the symbols and language of mathematics;
5. Use a variety of statistical tools to process and manage numerical data;
6. Analyze codes and coding schemes used for identification, privacy and security
purposes;
7. Use mathematics in other areas such as finance, voting, health and medicine,
business, environment, arts and design, and recreation;
8. Appreciate the nature and uses of mathematics in everyday life; and
9. Affirm honesty and integrity in the application of mathematics to various human
endeavors.

INDICATIVE CONTENT
1. Nature of Mathematics
1.1. Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World
1.2. The Fibonacci Sequence
1.3. Mathematics for our World
2. Speaking Mathematically
2.1. Variables
2.2. The Language of Sets
2.3. The Language of Relations and Functions
2.4. Graphs of Functions

3. Selected Topics in Algebra

3.1. Real Number Systems
3.2. Polynomials-Sums and Products, Division, Special Products, Factoring
3.3. Fractions
3.4. Rational Exponents and Radicals
3.5. Complex Numbers
3.6. Linear equations
3.7. Equalities and inequalities
3.8. Quadratic equations

4. Problem Solving
4.1. Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
4.2. Problem Solving with Patterns
4.3. Problem Solving Strategies

5. Statistics
5.1. Measures of Central Tendency
5.2. Measures of Dispersion
5.3. Measures of Relative Position
5.4. Normal Distributions
5.5. Linear Regression and Correlation

6. Geometric Designs
6.1. Recognizing and Analyzing Geometric Shapes
6.1.1. Polygons
6.1.2. Solids
6.1.3. Non-polyhedra
6.1.4. Transformations

7. Codes
7.1. Binary Codes
7.2. Bits
7.3. The Decimal Number System
7.4. Conversion of Binary Numbers to Decimal Numbers
7.5. Decimal to Binary
7.6. Operation of Binary Numbers
8. Linear Programming
8.1. Graphical Method
8.2. System of Linear Inequalities
8.3. Graphical Solution of a Linear Programming Problem

9. The Mathematics of Finance

9.1. Interest
9.2. Compound Interest
9.3. Credit Cards and Consumer Loans
9.4. Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds

10. Apportionment and Voting

10.1. Introduction to Apportionment
10.1.1. Flaws of Apportionment
10.1.2. Introduction to Voting
10.1.3. Flaws of Voting Systems
10.1.4. Weighted Voting Systems

11. The Mathematics of Graphs

11.1. Graphs and Euler Circuits
11.2. Weighted Graphs
11.3. Planarity and Euler’s Formula
11.4. Graph Coloring

12. Mathematical Systems

12.1. Modular Arithmetic
12.2. Applications of Modular Arithmetic
12.3. Introduction to Group Theory