Faculty

MATH-1332 Contemporary Mathematics

Kevin Gately

Credit Spring 2026

Section(s)

MATH-1332-034 (28859)
LEC TuTh 12:00pm - 1:20pm EGN EGN1 1201

Course Requirements

This is a First Day™ class. The cost of required course materials, including an online version of the textbook and software access, has been added to your tuition and fees bill.

Textbook: Using & Understanding Mathematics: A Quantitative Reasoning Approach, 8th Edition by Bennett & Briggs. Pearson Publishing (MyLab software) ISBN-10: 0137575335, ISBN-13: 9780137575336

Calculator: You will need a scientific or business calculator; it should have an x^y or y^x key and a square root key. Graphing calculators are fine but not required. You may be working in a computer lab depending on availability and the instructor's discretion.

Other Technology: none

Readings

Textbook: Using & Understanding Mathematics: A Quantitative Reasoning Approach, 8th Edition by Bennett & Briggs. Pearson Publishing (MyLab software) ISBN-10: 0137575335, ISBN-13: 9780137575336

Course Subjects

1: Jan. 20/22 1C Course Intro, Syllabus, Intro. To Sets

2: Jan. 27/29 1C, 1D Sets and Venn Diagrams, Analyzing Arguments

3: Feb. 3/5 1A, 2A, 2B Logical Fallacies, Unit Analysis, Extending Unit Analysis

4: Feb. 10/12 3B, 3A Putting Numbers in Perspective, Percentages (intro.), EXAM 1

5: Feb. 17/19 3A, 8A Percentage Change/Points/Misuses, Linear vs. Exponential Growth

6: Feb. 24/26 8A, 3E Linear vs. Exponential Growth, Numerical Surprises

7: Mar. 3/5 7A, 7B NC QUIZ 1, Fundamentals of Probability, Combining Probabilities

8: Mar. 10/12 7B, 7C Combining Probabilities, Law of Large Numbers

March 16 - 20 SPRING BREAK

9: Mar. 24/26 12A, 12C Voting: Does the Majority Always Win?, Apportionment: House of Representatives

10: Mar. 31/Apr. 2 12D Gerrymandering, EXAM 2

11: Apr. 7/9 5A, 5B Fundamentals of Statistics, Should You Believe a Statistical Study? (Bias)

12 Apr. 14/16 5C, 5D Statistical Tables/Graphs, Graphics in the Media

13: Apr. 21/23 5E, 6A Correlation and Causality, Characterizing Data

14: Apr. 28/30 6B Measures of Variation, EXAM 3

15: May 5/7 4B, 4C The Power of Compounding, Savings Plans and Investments

16: May 12/14 4D Loan Payments, Credit Cards, Mortgages, NC QUIZ 2

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Course Objectives

1. Increase/improve your quantitative literacy. 2. Provide you with an opportunity to experience mathematics as an intellectual exercise and a way of thinking. 3. Provide you with an opportunity to appreciate the visual and intellectual beauty of mathematics.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, a student should be able to: ● Apply the language and notation of sets. ● Determine the validity of an argument or statement and provide mathematical evidence. ● Solve problems in mathematics of finance. ● Demonstrate fundamental probability/counting techniques and apply those techniques to solve problems. ● Interpret and analyze various representations of data. ● Demonstrate the ability to choose and analyze mathematical models to solve problems from real-world settings, including, but not limited to, personal finance, health literacy, and civic engagement. ● Understand that mathematics is an evolving discipline, interrelated with human culture, and understand its connections to other disciplines.

General Education Competencies

● Communication Skills: Develop, interpret, and express ideas and information through written, oral and visual communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience, and medium. ● Critical Thinking Skills: Gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking. ● Empirical and Quantitative Skills: Apply mathematical, logical and scientific principles and methods through the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.