INSTRUCTOR: DR. A LARRY WRIGHT

OFFICE: MATHEMATICS 615

OFFICE HOURS: TUESDAY, THURSDAY: 11:00 - 12:15 AND BY APPOINTMENT

TEXT: THE MATHEMATICS OF MONEY: SAVING AND INVESTING

AUTHORS: LOVELOCK, MENDEL AND WRIGHT

STUDENTS WILL NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.  SIGN UP SHEETS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS FOR A REDUCED RATE.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: THIS IS A UNIQUE COURSE.  IT INTRODUCES MATHEMATICAL TOPICS WHICH THE STUDENT MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IN OTHER COURSES, SUCH AS PROOFS BY INDUCTION AND RECURRENCE RELATIONS, THE CAUCHY-SCHWARZ AND HOLDER'S INEQUALITIES, AND THE ARITHMETIC-GEOMETRIC MEAN INEQUALITY.  THESE ARE APPLIED TO THINGS LIKE STUDENT LOANS, CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS, CAR-LOAN PAYMENTS, AND THE BUYING AND SELLING OF STOCKS AND BONDS.  MANY OF THESE APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE OF LIFE-LONG PRACTICAL USE.

THERE WILL BE AT LEAST TWO TALKS BY EXPERTS IN SOME OF THE TOPICS.  THE TWO TALKS PROVISIONALLY SCHEDULED ARE:

1. LAUREN WRIGHT, VICE PRESENT CITIGROUP.  LAUREN IS AN EXPERT IN FIXED INCOME INVESTING (E.G. BONDS)

2. STEVE KOU, PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.  STEVE IS AN EXPERT IN OPTIONS.

THE TIMES AND PLACES OF THESE TALKS WILL BE GIVEN IN CLASS AND/OR BY E-MAIL.

TESTS:

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 AND TUESDAY, MARCH 29.

LAST DAY TO DROP: MARCH 8.

LAST DAY OF CLASS: TUESDAY, MAY 3.

FINAL EXAMINATION:

9:30 CLASS: THURSDAY, MAY 12, 8:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M.

12:30 CLASS: TUESDAY, MAY 10, 11:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M.

THERE ALSO WILL BE SHORT QUIZZES (ANNOUNCED OR NOT ANNOUNCED) DURING CLASS

A FINAL SCORE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE FOLLOWING:

QUIZZES: 10%

TEST 1: 25%

TEST 2: 25%

FINAL: 40%

YOUR FINAL GRADE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE FOLLOWING

A: 90-100%

B: 80-89%

C: 70-79%

D: 60-69%

E: 0-59%