Professor Rickey's MA 383 Page

Foundations of Mathematics

During the fall 2009 semester I am teaching MA383, Foundations of Mathematics, during the C and D  hours in Thayer 468 and Analysis II during K hour. My office is 251Thayer. I will be happy to talk to you when I am not in class (or a meeting)  about any issue. My office is 251 Thayer. Send an email to
    Fred-Rickey@usma.edu
or talk to me in class about an appointment. You can also just stop in to see me, but I won't guarantee to be there.

Here is the day by day syllabus for MA383. Be sure to check this every day.

The catalog description of Mathematics 383 states that

This course introduces the student to the methods and language of upper division mathematics. It presents formal set theory, and introduces the student to the methods of formulating and writing proofs. Finally, it provides the student a rigorous introduction to the theory of relations, functions, and infinite sets.

This may be confusing as perhaps you don't yet know all these terms, but, simply put, this course is an introduction to proof; so this is the primary goal of this course. Here are other goals of the course: 

• Master some interesting mathematics that will be useful in other courses. 
• Develop the ability and confidence to read mathematics and to evaluate mathematical arguments. 
• Learn how to do mathematics.
• Learn how to create proofs and how to communicate them both orally and in writing. 
• To be creative and curious and to develop an experimental disposition.
• See mathematics in a historical perspective and to understand the role it plays in the modern world. 
• To develop a passion for mathematics and a lifelong commitment to learning.

Here are your duties as related to this course:

• Be responsible for your own learning.
• Read the textbook carefully.
• Come to class prepared.
• Complete assignments to the best of your ability and on time.

Textbook:  Ted Sunderstrom, Mathematical Reasoning Writing and Proof, second edition, 2007.

This is a good text. I have used it before and so have others here at West Point. Both cadets and instructors liked it. Our goal is to work through chapters 1-6, 9 and parts of 7. My plan is to go as fast as possible, but as slow as necessary.

You are expected to read the book carefully before class and to make an attempt to answer all of the questions asked in the text. Classroom time will be devoted to discussing the text and the questions you have. The way to learn mathematics is by doing problems and we will do lots of them. 

Grading: 

Homework is an essential part of this course. It is imperative that you do problems every day. Some days a problem or two will be assigned out of the book. Other times a problem set will be distributed to be returned later. 

The first project will be to learn about a mathematician connected with this course and to prepare a web page about him. The second project will be to read and present a mathematical paper with a partner. More specific instructions and lots of suggestions on project two are to follow. 

 We will use Mathematica from time to time in this class for it is a very nice way to do numerical computations and to make conjectures.

Here are a few things that I think you might find interesting and useful:

• Read your book
• Hints For Success that I have encouraged students to follow for many years.
• To learn something about my background you may wish to consult my automathography, which was written in August of 1998 when I joined the USMA faculty.
• Why officers need to know mathematics
• An anecdote about exams
• A Sonnet to "Analytical," being a piece of cadet doggerel written before an exam.
• My Teaching Philosophy.
• A note On Standards in the MA205 FSE.
• Section Marcher Duties.
•  My primary research interest is in the history of mathematics, especially the history of the calculus. One of my research plans is to write a history of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at West Point. So far I have collected some information about the  Mathematics Teachers at USMA.

Each spring there are several conferences designed specifically for undergraduates:

• Hudson Valley Undergraduate Mathematics Conference.
• Spuyten Duyvel
• Joint Service Academies Mathematics conference.

I attended several of these with cadets and had a wonderful time. The date of the next meetings have not been announced, but it is a good place to present your firstie projects. Going early is a good opportunity to find out what these are all about.

The easiest way to contact me is via email at  Fred-Rickey@usma.edu . You can also reach me by phone at 845-938-4010 or stop in my office in room 251 Thayer Hall.