3+1 Program,
Major,
Minor
Mathematics
Programs
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Mathematics,
Courses
MATH 115: Essentials of Mathematics
Credits 4This course is an overview of foundations in mathematics for the Earlham curriculum. The topics include overviews of number theory, geometry, modular arithmetic, probability, statistics and personal finance. The topics will strengthen the students' knowledge of the quantitative components of most Natural Science and Social Science entry level courses. Common student motivations have been preparation for later coursework with quantitative components or academic adviser's recommendation.
MATH 120: Fundamentals of Statistics
Credits 3Topics include exploratory data analysis; measures of central tendency, dispersion and correlation; nonparametric methods; confidence intervals; hypothesis tests; and the design of statistical studies.
MATH 130: Symbolic Logic
Credits 3The study of formal, deductive logic emphasizing the methods for demonstrating the validity of arguments. Includes truth functional propositional logic and quantification theory through the logic of relations.
MATH 141: Diversity of the World's Mathematics
Credits 3This course explores mathematical history across diverse cultures, including African, Middle Eastern, Indian, Chinese,
and Greek contributions. In particular, students will explore fractals, tessellations, the abacus, compass and
straightedge, along with their historical contexts.
MATH 151: Functions
Credits 3This course is an overview of the foundational functions in mathematics. The topics include linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, trigonometric and periodic functions as well as an introduction to probability and statistics. The topics will strengthen the students' quantitative literacy for most Natural Science and Social Science entry courses. Common motivations for students have been preparation for later coursework with quantitative components or academic advisor's recommendation.
MATH 180: Calculus A
Credits 4Calculus is the mathematical study of quantities that change with time and of areas and volumes. The development of calculus is one of the great discoveries of humanity, and the resulting discipline is of fundamental importance not only for students of the natural sciences, but also graduate work in the social sciences. Introduces major issues in calculus: functions, limits, derivatives and integrals. Concludes with the fundamental theorem of calculus, which relates areas to rates of change.
MATH 190: Discrete Mathematics
Credits 3An introduction to the principal topics in mathematics needed by a Computer Science major, and intended for students of computer science. Topics include writing numbers in various bases, set theory, proof by induction, relations and functions, logic, matrices, complex numbers, recursion and recurrences, and rates of growth of various functions.
MATH 195: Math Toolkit
Credits 2An introduction to the principal topics in mathematics needed by a Computer Science major, and intended for students of computer science. Topics include writing numbers in various bases, set theory, proof by induction, relations and functions, logic, matrices, complex numbers, recursion and recurrences, and rates of growth of various functions.
MATH 251: Number Theory
Credits 3Number theory is the study of numbers and their properties. In this course, you'll explore topics such as prime numbers, modular arithmetic, Diophantine equations, and cryptography. Along the way, you'll develop problem-solving skills, get introduced to mathematical proof, and develop some computational proficiency with Sage Math. This course is ideal for students interested in abstract reasoning and its applications in computer science, cryptography, and other fields.
MATH 280: Calculus B
Credits 4A continuation of MATH 180, including techniques of integration, applications of the definite integral, infinite sequences and series and elementary differential equations.
MATH 287: Elements of Data Science
Credits 3This course provides students with a fundamental introduction and applications of tools and techniques needed for successfully making effective conclusions from data. Tools such as excel, R and tableau and techniques including linear regression, correlation matrix, and algorithms such as Bayesian methods, decision trees, dimension reduction will be discussed.
MATH 288: Introduction to Proof
Credits 2A transition into the upper-level study of mathematics. Strong emphasis on how to read mathematics at a variety of levels, and on how to write proofs and present mathematics clearly and correctly. Specific topics vary; set theory is a regular part of the seminar.
MATH 300: Mathematical Statistics
Credits 3Topics include exploratory data analysis; measures of central tendency, dispersion and correlation; nonparametric methods; confidence intervals; inference testing; probability distributions; and the design of statistical studies.
MATH 301: Euclidean & Non-Euclidean Geometry
Credits 3This course explores Euclid's world of planar geometry and compares his work both to that of modern geometers and other mathematicians who did Euclidean geometry in a manner very far from Euclid's. This course also will look at non-Euclidean geometries, where parallel lines behave in unexpected ways, and finite geometries where restrictive worlds stretch the imagination.
MATH 310: Linear Algebra
Credits 3Topics include matrices, vector spaces, linear transformations and their applications.
MATH 320: Differential Equations
Credits 4Topics include the standard exact and approximate methods for solving ordinary differential equations.
MATH 330: The Art and Science of Math Modeling
Credits 3The Art & Science of Mathematical Modeling (3 credits)This course will introduce students to fundamental concepts and methods of mathematical modeling, with emphasis on interdisciplinary problem-solving. Math models are used to describe and analyze a wide variety of real-world phenomena, ranging from common everyday events (synchronizing traffic-light timings), to highly complex systems (ocean-atmosphere-landmass interactions for climate modeling), to hypothetical scenarios (tumor growth & treatment strategies). A key goal of the course is to help students integrate and extend familiar mathematical tools and techniques in new and creative ways, resulting in a powerful framework for design and analysis applicable to a wide range of disciplines. topics include discrete and continuous dynamical systems; proportionality and geometric similarity models; fitting models to data; simulations; probabilistic modeling; discrete optimization and linear programming.
MATH 350: Multivariate Calculus
Credits 4An extension of the methods of calculus to functions of more than one variable, or functions returning vectors. Issues addressed include the theory and application of partial derivatives and multiple integrals, as well as the theorems of Green, Gauss and Stokes which represent multivariate analogues of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
MATH 360: Mathematical Methods and Physics
Credits 3Applies mathematical techniques to the study of physical systems. Examines topics such as vector analysis, complex variables, Fourier series and boundary value problems. These topics are studied in the context of modeling and understanding physical systems. Students will see how individual techniques, once developed, can be applied to very broad classes of problems. This course develops skills in communicating scientific results in written form as well as in an oral presentation.
MATH 420: Abstract Algebra A
Credits 3An introduction to modern algebra. Focuses on groups and homomorphisms; also covers rings and fields. Prerequisites: MATH 190, 288 and 310.
MATH 425: Abstract Algebra B
Credits 3A continuation of MATH 420 and treatment of a more advanced algebraic topic. Typical themes include ring theory, finite fields, Galois theory and group representations.
MATH 430: Analysis A
Credits 3A careful and theoretical study of the real numbers and their functions including all the details you might have asked for in Calculus A, but probably did not. Topics include the construction and topology of the real numbers, sequences of reals, limits of sequences and of functions, and (uniform) convergence and continuity.
MATH 435: Analysis B
Credits 3A continuation of MATH 430 and treatment of a more advanced analytic topic. Commonly this has been a careful treatment of differentiation and Riemann integration, including results like the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, the termwise integrability and differentiability of power series, and perhaps the theorem that a function on a closed, bounded interval is Riemann integrable if and only if it is bounded and almost everywhere continuous.
MATH 486: Comprehensive Independent Study
Credits 1A student-led seminar in which students prepare to take their comprehensive examination. Meets several times with the supervising faculty member, but students are responsible for directing the preparation's focus. The grade for the course is the grade on the comprehensive exam. Offered Spring Semester.
MATH 488: Seminar
Credits 1Individual and collective investigations into topics of common mathematical interest not covered in the department's regular course offerings. A significant part of this course is students' reading new mathematics and presenting it to one another. Offered Fall Semester.