Topics in Finite Mathematics

University credit, 14 assignments, 3 exams, $684 tuition, $75 administration fee, Prerequisites: Knowledge of algebra at the level of Math 112, College Algebra. This is course U600-210.

Math 210 covers a selection of topics from finite mathematics, with a focus on applications. Topics include sets, counting procedures, probability and random variables, systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, formulation and solution of linear programming problems, Markov chains, and mathematics of finance.

Prerequisite: Knowledge of algebra at the level of Math 112, College Algebra. See the prerequisite page for more details.

Course Materials

• Finite Mathematics, 5 ^th edition, by Daniel Maki and Maynard Thompson, McGraw Hill, 2005. Available through MBS (see link below) or click to search for book.
• Course Guide for Mathematics U600-210, Wilson, UW-Extension Independent Learning, available through MBS at direct.mbsbooks.com/uwlearning.htm (choose "Buy Materials", then "Independent Learning") or 800-325-3252. A PDF of the course guide is available free to registered students. Email the course instructor, Sharad Chandarana if you are interested.
• Student Handbook, available at learn.wisconsin.edu/il/studenthandbook/studenthandbook.pdf, or on paper by request to Learner Services, toll-free 1-877-UW-LEARN (877-895-3276).

Format of Course

The course consists of 14 lessons and 3 exams. Each lesson consists of:

• A reading assignment from the text.
• Exercises to test your understanding of the material. (Solutions to these self-test problems are provided in the course guide.)
• A written assignment, from the text, to submit for grading and feedback.

Each exam is preceded by a sample exam, with solutions provided. The actual exams will be mailed to a proctor selected by the student in accordance with Independent Learning's guidelines. Students may request a retake of any exam within two weeks of receiving the graded exam back. If an exam is taken twice, only the higher score will be used in computing the course grade.

Grading

Score	Letter Grade
NOTE: The grading scale was revised on Nov 13, 2003. This grading scale applies to all students who complete the course after that date.
93-100	A
90-92	AB
83-89	B
80-82	BC
73-79	C
65-72	D
0-64	F

Each lesson and each exam is graded on a 100-point scale. The final score is computed as a weighted average, with the average of the lessons counting for 40%, and the average of the exams counting 60%. The exam average must be at least 65 for a passing grade. Assuming this is the case, the average of all your work is converted to a letter grade as shown in the table.

Course Outline

Part I: Counting and Probability

• Lesson 1: Counting
• Lesson 2: Assigning Probabilities
• Lesson 3: Computing Probabilities
• Lesson 4: More Probability Computations
• Lesson 5: Bayes and Bernoulli
• Lesson 6: Random Variables
• First Exam

Part II: Matrices and Linear Programming

• Lesson 7: Systems of Equations
• Lesson 8: Matrix Operations
• Lesson 9: Formulating Linear Programming Problems
• Lesson 10: Solving Linear Programming Problems
• Second Exam

Part III: Markov Chains and Mathematics of Finance

• Lesson 11: Markov Chains: Introduction
• Lesson 12: Predicting with Markov Chains
• Lesson 13: Interest and Present Value
• Lesson 14: Amortization and Sinking Funds
• Final Exam