0821. Digital Mapping: From Mercator to Mashups (3 s.h.) Core: QB.

(Formerly: GE-QUAN 1055.)

From web-based applications like Google Maps, to automobile navigation systems, to satellite pictures of hurricanes, digital maps are widely used to display information about the Earth. This course unmasks the underlying technologies used for computer-based mapping, including Global Positioning Systems (GPS), satellite remote sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). We will investigate how computers store and analyze digital maps, and see how mapping technologies can be used to address a variety of societal problems, such as analyzing the environmental impacts of urban growth, tracking the spread of a deadly disease, and planning for earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Note: This General Education `Quantitative Literacy` pilot course fulfills the Core Quantitative Reasoning second level (QB) requirement. This course is offered by the Geography & Urban Studies department.

0822. Investing for the Future (4 s.h.) Core: QB.

(Formerly: GE-QUAN 1054 (0063).)

Learn about the challenges of personal financial management in an ownership society. The idea that you should be thinking about retirement today when you`re just in college may seem premature. But if you are responsible for accumulating around $2.0 million by the time you retire, shouldn`t you understand the effect of delaying your investments until well after graduation when your career is established? In this course you will learn how to determine your retirement needs, how to think about managing risk in your investments, the issues involved in structuring a retirement portfolio, the role of the economy as it affects your investment performance, and the tradeoffs between active and passive investing. If you want to avoid being forced to wear an orange (blue or red) vest when you should be enjoying retirement, then this course should be of interest to you.

Note: This General Education `Quantitative Literacy` pilot course fulfills the Core Quantitative Reasoning second level (QB) requirement. This course is offered by the Electrical Engineering department.

0823. Math for a Digital World (3 s.h.) Core: QB.

(Formerly: GE-QUAN 1051 (0060).)

Databases and the Internet present both amazing opportunities and new vulnerabilities to fraud and theft. We will focus on how mathematics is used to digitize information, to compress it, and to transmit it securely. In a term project, students will investigate a socially significant question, using tools and concepts developed in the course. Some of these questions are: Does it make sense to draw for an inside straight? How can polling results differ so much from the election --- or do they? How can the winner of an election in the U.S. get much less than 50% of the vote? How long will the world`s oil last, assuming that we use more each year? How long will a million dollars last you, assuming it earns interest until you spend it? If you bought your text online, could someone tap into the Internet and get your credit card number when it`s transmitted? Why does the VIN on your car have so many digits?

Note: This General Education `Quantitative Literacy` pilot course fulfills the Core Quantitative Reasoning second level (QB) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: Computer & Information Science, Mathematics.

0824. Mathematical Patterns (3 s.h.) Core: QB.

(Formerly: GE-QUAN 1052 (0061).)

News stories, everyday situations, and puzzling vignettes will be used to illuminate basic math concepts. Learn probability, for example, by discussing the gambler`s fallacy and gambler`s ruin, the drunkard`s random walks, the Monty Hall problem, the St. Petersburg paradox, the hot hand, monkeys randomly typing on a typewriter, and many others. A similar approach involving estimation problems and puzzles will be taken in the units on basic numeracy and logic. Throughout the course, lectures and readings will examine the mathematical angles of stories in the news, suggesting fresh perspectives, questions, and ideas on current issues from Google searches to the randomness of the iPod shuffle.

Note: This General Education `Quantitative Literacy` pilot course fulfills the Core Quantitative Reasoning second level (QB) requirement. This course is offered by the Mathematics department.

0825. Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (4 s.h.) Core: QB.

(Formerly: GE-QUAN 1056.)

Psychological, political, social, and economic arguments and knowledge frequently depend on the use of numerical data. A psychologist might hypothesize that I.Q. is attributable to environmental or genetic factors; a politician might claim that hand gun control legislation will reduce crime; a sociologist might assert that social mobility is more limited in the United States than in other countries, and an economist might declare that globalization lowers the incomes of U.S. workers. How can we evaluate these arguments? Using examples from psychology, sociology, political science, and economics, students will examine how social science methods and statistics help us understand the social world. The goal is to become critical consumers of quantitative material that appears in scholarship, the media, and everyday life.

Note: This General Education `Quantitative Literacy` pilot course fulfills the Core Quantitative Reasoning second level (QB) requirement. This course is offered by the following departments: Anthropology, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology.

0826. Statistics & the News (3 s.h.) Core: QB.

(Formerly: GE-QUAN 1053 (0062).)

Through discussion of approximately 50 news articles, learn basic principles of statistics. This course focuses on the relevance, interpretation and usage of statistics in the news media. It has no quantitative prerequisites and involves more reading than math aptitude. Statistics deals with the study of variability, uncertainty, and decision-making, and has applicability to most other disciplines and everyday life.

Note: This General Education `Quantitative Literacy` pilot course fulfills the Core Quantitative Reasoning second level (QB) requirement. This course is offered by the Statistics department.

0923. Honors Math for a Digital World (3 s.h.) Core: QB.

(Formerly: GE-QUAN 1951.)

Databases and the Internet present both amazing opportunities and new vulnerabilities to fraud and theft. In this Honors course, we will focus on how mathematics is used to digitize information, to compress it, and to transmit it securely. In a term project, students will investigate a socially significant question, using tools and concepts developed in the course. Some of these questions are: Does it make sense to draw for an inside straight? How can polling results differ so much from the election --- or do they? How can the winner of an election in the U.S. get much less than 50% of the vote? How long will the world`s oil last, assuming that we use more each year? How long will a million dollars last you, assuming it earns interest until you spend it? If you bought your text online, could someone tap into the Internet and get your credit card number when it`s transmitted? Why does the VIN on your car have so many digits? (This is an Honors course.)

Note: This General Education `Quantitative Literacy` pilot course fulfills the Core Quantitative Reasoning second level (QB) requirement. This course is offered by the Mathematics department.

0924. Honors Mathematical Patterns (3 s.h.) Core: QB.

(Formerly: GE-QUAN 1952.)

News stories, everyday situations, and puzzling vignettes will be used to illuminate basic math concepts in this Honors course. Learn probability, for example, by discussing the gambler`s fallacy and gambler`s ruin, the drunkard`s random walks, the Monty Hall problem, the St. Petersburg paradox, the hot hand, monkeys randomly typing on a typewriter, and many others. A similar approach involving estimation problems and puzzles will be taken in the units on basic numeracy and logic. Throughout the course, lectures and readings will examine the mathematical angles of stories in the news, suggesting fresh perspectives, questions, and ideas on current issues from Google searches to the randomness of the iPod shuffle. (This is an Honors course.)

Note: This General Education `Quantitative Literacy` pilot course fulfills the Core Quantitative Reasoning second level (QB) requirement. This course is offered by the Mathematics department.
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