MATH 2 - Finite Mathematics

Approval Status

Approved

Date Reviewed

December 2014
2. Finite Mathematics. (4)Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Preparation: three years of high school mathematics. Finite mathematics consisting of matrices, Gauss/Jordan method, combinatorics, probability, Bayes theorem, and Markov chains. P/NP or letter grading. Review Exams: The following schedule, with textbook sections and topics, is based on 23 lectures. The remaining classroom meetings are for leeway, reviews, and midterm exams. These are scheduled by the individual instructor. Often there are reviews and two midterm exams about the beginning of the fourth and eighth weeks of instruction, plus reviews for the final exam. Math 2 may be used to satisfy the quantitative reasoning requirement of the College of Letters and Science. The main topic of Math 2 is the theory of probability. This subject is important for many of the applications of mathematics to other areas. Many facets of everyday life involve probabilities, as TV program ratings, insurance rates, freethrow shooting percentages, birthrates, inherited traits, and the California lottery. Probability furnishes the mathematical foundations for statistics. Consequently, Math 2 complements the courses in statistics taken by many of the students majoring in the social and biological sciences. Math 2 may be taken either before or after an introductory course in statistics.

Course Type

Lower Division