MAT 110 - Math for Liberal Arts

Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
Practicum Hours: 0
Work Experience: 0
Course Type: Core

The student will begin to think critically by studying logic, sets and statistical reasoning. The student will examine problem-solving and decision-making by studying probability, application of statistical data, modeling, and financial mathematics. The student will become aware of possible abuses of mathematics. Finally the student will understand the broad usefulness of mathematics by studying history of mathematics and application of mathematics in art, music, business and/or politics.
Prerequisite: Minimum ALEKS score of 30% or MAT 064 with a C- or better
Competencies

Begin to think critically with mathematics
1. Become familiar with logic symbols, statements and truth tables
2. Use basic logic to determine the validity of arguments
3. Use Venn Diagrams to picture logic statements
4. Describe sets using correct notation
5. Perform basic set operations
6. Understand the basic terms and ideas of statistics
7. Create and use statistical tables and graphs
8. Discuss deductive and inductive reasoning
Use mathematics to solve problems
1. Know and use methods of estimation.
2. Recognize patterns and use them to solve problems
3. Become familiar with Poly?s problem solving framework
4. Be able to define probability, sample spaces, odds, and expectation
5. Make tree diagrams to determine probability
6. Use the rules of probability to compute probabilities
7. Discuss the Law of Large Numbers
8. Use geometric concepts to solve problems
9. Use mathematics to make decisions
  1. Discuss sampling methods and experiments
  2. Understand and use measures of central tendency, dispersion, and position to describe a data set
  3. Use a visual methods to describe a data set
  4. Become familiar with the concept of the normal curve
  5. Define and apply the concept of function
  6. Examine relationships with data
  7. Model problem situations with linear functions
  8. Explore exponential functions
Be aware of ways mathematics can be abused
1. Recognize logical fallacies
2. Understand misuses of percentages
3. Explore misuses of statistical graphs
4. Discuss correlation and causality
5. Put very large and very small numbers in perspective
Recognize mathematics impact on society
1. Briefly overview the history of math
2. Discuss early number systems
3. Understand and use place value
4. Examine systems of measurement
5. Examine the relationship of mathematics and computers
Explore the application of mathematics to other disciplines
1. Understand and use percent, ratio, simple and compound interest
2. Define the effective interest rate
3. Apply percent to markups and markdowns
4. Discuss mortgages, installment payments and annuities
5. Explore perspective and symmetry in art
6. Apply mathematics to business (i.e. network analysis, scheduling problems, cryptography, economics of resources).
7. Discuss theories of voting