SCI 199Y: Random Walks and Mathematical Discovery (1996-97)

Instructor: Professor Jeffrey Rosenthal (contact me, phone (416) 978-4594)

Time: Wednesdays, 2:00 to 4:00 pm, Sidney Smith Hall room 539 (basement).

Prerequisites: None. (First-year students only, maximum enrollment 20.)

Random walks are a fun, exciting, and intriguing topic in probability theory. The simplest random walk involves repeatedly making $1 bets, and asking such questions as: Will you eventually go broke? What is the probability that you will get rich first? What is the probability that you can keep playing forever? It also considers philosophical questions such as, what is the difference between "having probability 0" and "impossible"?

This course will use random walks as a backdrop to examining a variety of issues in the learning of new mathematics, such as: How do people learn mathematics? Why do some learn quicker than others? What is "math anxiety"? How is mathematics best taught? Are alternative teaching methods better than standard lectures? Do issues of gender and race come into play? How do mathematical geniuses think about mathematics?

To succeed in this course, it is NOT necessary to be good at mathematics. Rather, it is important to be able to discuss and analyze your experiences (both good and bad) as a mathematics student.

• The official course announcement.
  
  
• The minor paper assignment (due Monday December 2, 1996, 4:00 p.m.).
  
  
• The major paper assignment (due Monday March 31, 1997, 4:00 p.m.).
  
  
  
• The class exercise and reading assignment for week 1.
  
  
• The discussion questions and reading assignment for week 2.
  
  
• The math exercise and discussion question and reading assignment for week 3.
  
  
• The discussion questions and reading assignment for week 4.
  
  
• The discussion questions and reading assignment and math exercise for week 5.
  
  
• The math exercise and discussion questions and reading assignment for week 6.
  
  
• The math exercise and discussion question and reading assignment for week 7.
  
  
• The math exercise and discussion questions and reading assignment for week 8.
  
  
• The math exercise (carried over) and discussion questions and reading assignment for week 9.
  
  
• The math exercise (carried over again) and math reminder and discussion question and reading assignment for week 10.
  
  
• The discussion questions and assignment for week 11.
  
  
• The math exercise and discussion question and assignment for week 12.
  
  
• The mid-year student feedback form and "casino" game (not shown) for week 13.
  
  
  
• The class exercise and reading assignment for week 14.
  
  
• The discussion questions and reading assignment and math exercise for week 15.
  
  
• The math exercise (carried over) and discussion questions and assignment for week 16.
  
  
• The math exercise (carried over again) and discussion question and reading assignment for week 17.
  
  
• The presentation assignment (carried over) and discussion questions and reading assignment for week 18.
  
  
• The math exercise and discussion questions and reading assignment for week 19.
  
  
• The discussion questions and reading assignment and math exercise (carried over) for week 20.
  
  
• The discussion questions and reading assignment and math exercise (carried over again) for week 21.
  
  
• The discussion questions and assignment and math exercise (carried over again) for week 22.
  
  
• The discussion question and assignment and math exercise for week 23.
  
  
• The discussion questions and assignment for week 24.
  
  
• The math exercise (carried over) for week 25.
  
  
• The discussion questions for week 26.