32/PSCD/MathSci/93**

Mathematical Sciences

Mathematical sciences describes a group of courses offered by the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division as an option for satisfying the mathematical sciences requirement of the Common Core. These courses are directed toward students in the humanities and social sciences who do not wish to satisfy their requirement through the more formal structure of a calculus sequence. These courses are open only to first- and second-year students.

Courses

120-121-122. Mathematical Sciences. PQ: Math 102 or 106 or placement into Math 131. Two quarters of this course fulfill the Common Core requirement in mathematical sciences. No experience with computers is expected. Registration open only to first- and second-year students. Courses may be taken out of sequence.

These courses introduce concepts and methods from mathematics, computer science, and statistics, emphasizing interdisciplinary aspects of these subjects. Topics covered in past years have included analysis of literary style, problems of disputed authorship, processes affecting the course of epidemics, logical foundations of arithmetic, object-oriented computer programming, analysis of quantitative arguments, risk assessment, intelligence testing, cryptography, computational approaches to the calculus, and decipherment of ancient languages. When necessary, a laboratory equipped with personal computers is provided, allowing students to investigate various problems drawn from the humanities and social sciences. S. Kurtz, Autumn; Staff, Winter; Staff, Spring.

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