Office: Olin 1280
Office Hours: Thursday, 4:15-5:30 PM, and by appointment.
Phone: 7-9709
Email: "my last name"@hmc.edu
Theme
Change of perspective is a fundamental and unifying theme in mathematics. It is also a powerful creative catalyst in literature, poetry, music, and art. This course will examine the ubiquitous presence of change of perspective in mathematics, why change of perspective is necessary and important in mathematics, and how grappling with change of perspective can make you a better poet, scientist, artist, or engineer.Purpose and Objectives
This course is the first component of a campus-wide effort to develop your writing and critical inquiry abilities. It will provide you with effective college writing strategies, and a solid grounding in broadly applicable writing conventions and practices. After completing this course, you will be able to:- use informal writing to develop your thinking at different stages of inquiry;
- develop an effective writing process that includes repeated revision of writing;
- make use of the feedback process, both as reviewer and as recipient;
- write clear, coherent papers that use appropriate evidence and diction;
- identify passages in your writing that call for citation, attribution, or acknowledgment, and apply appropriate forms of citation where needed;
- demonstrate understanding of some of the main cross-disciplinary similarities and differences in conventions of expression and article formats;
- deploy elements of persuasive and expository writing in formal papers;
- recognize and use rhetorical purpose, voice, and audience analysis.
Expectations
This is a seminar course. We will devote class time to discussions, exercises, peer edits, and other activities that depend on everyone's active and thoughtful participation. You will benefit from others' participation, and you have an obligation to participate in return. Because this is a short but intensive course, I expect you to complete assignments on time, and I will reserve the right to refuse late work.Texts
- William Byers, How Mathematicians Think: Using Ambiguity, Contradiction, and Paradox to Create Mathematics
- Joseph M. Williams, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 9th Ed.