bolker@mcmaster.ca). Office hours Tues 9:30 (LSB 336), Thurs 14:30 (HH 314); meetings during office hours are preferred but other times may be available by appointment. For more information, see my web page.taitpa@mcmaster.ca) and Alexandra Bushby (bushbya@mcmaster.ca). They will be running labs, marking homework, and assisting with projects. When emailing, please allow at least one full business day for responses. Please note also that the TAs might not respond to emails sent less than 24 hours before any assessment (exam/homework/project). The primary time to get help is during lab but, time permitting, the TAs may be available for extra help outside of that hour.https://bbolker.github.io/mathmb3. In some cases you may prefer to access files via the course repository (https://github.com/bbolker/math3mb).There will be five homework assignments to hand in for marks (4% each). The due dates for these assignments are on the course schedule. Assignments are to be handed in before 11:59 PM on the day they are due. Send your assignment submission to the TA in an email with the following subject: your MacID, followed by an underscore, and then the homework number (hw1, hw2, hw3, hw4, hw5). For example: my own email about homework 1 would be titled bolkerb_hw1. Your submission must contain either: - two files: (1) a formatted text document with graphs and your answers to the assignment questions. The file must be a PDF file named in the same way as the e-mail (e.g. bolkerb_hw1.pdf); if you use Word or another other word processing program, be sure to “print to PDF”. (2) A plain-text file (bolkerb_hw1.py or bolkerb_hw1.R) containing the computer code (R, or Python) you wrote to generate the graphs. - a single “literate programming” document - Rmarkdown (.Rmd), Sweave (.Rnw), or Jupyter notebook (.ipynb) containing your text and code - There will be a 10% per day late penalty. - An example of a homework assignment in acceptable format is given under the HomeworkExample directory on the course repository.
You will be invited to form groups of four to six students. Each group will selects a topic from a list of project topics that will appear on the course website, or request approval for an alternative topic. You will study this topic and write a project proposal and report about it in writing (individually) and orally (as a group, in class). Detailed information about project expectations will be provided during the lectures. Due to the fact that a large number of lectures are dedicated to the group project, attendance may be taken during only those classes. Out of respect to each member of your group, it is important that you attend the sessions and actively participate in the research and writing of the project.
Your proposals (initial and final) should include the following elements:
See here for an example https://github.com/bbolker/mathmb3/tree/master/ProjectProposalExample
Although you may have experienced otherwise in other courses, these marks will not be arbitrary/subjective. Occasionally throughout the semester, you will be asked to write either the instructor or your TA an email (a few sentences to a paragraph) on a particular topic (subject 3MB3 participation). The purpose of these emails is for us to be able to assess your depth of understanding of non-technical material. This will allow us to give you feedback and will hopefully make the preparation of your final report at the end of the term less stressful. If you do not come to lecture you will not hear about these participatory emails. If you do not send these emails you will receive a low participation mark. You can also enhance your participation mark by engaging with in-class exercises and coming to office hours.
You can gain your first participation mark by sending an e-mail to the instructor or the TA whose subject line is “math 3MB:
Objective: To learn to apply mathematical tools to solve open-ended, real-world problems, to understand the benefits and limitations of mathematical modeling, and to critically assess the predictions based on mathematical models, as well as to stimulate interest in studying more advanced topics (e.g. numerical analysis, differential equations, probability and statistics, and optimization.)
Policy on missed work or lectures: You should be aware of the Policy For Absence from School Due to Illness or Compassionate Reasons It is important to know your rights and your responsibilities. If you must miss a presentation or cannot submit assigned work on time for a valid reason (e.g., medical reasons, etc.) you may be able to obtain an excused absence by taking appropriate documentation (e.g. note from physician) to the Faculty/Program office and then discussing this with your instructor. If the Faculty/Program gives its approval, the final examination will then be given the appropriate extra weighting. Otherwise, a grade of zero will be entered for the missed work.
If you must miss a lecture or lab, it is your responsibility to find out what was covered. The best way to do this is to borrow a classmate’s notes, read them over, and then ask your instructor if there is something that you do not understand.
No calculators or other aids will be allowed during examinations unless explicitly indicated.
You will be required to bring your official McMaster University photo identification card to the final examination.
Students’ grades will be returned on Avenue.
Students who require academic accommodation must contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to make arrangements with a Program Coordinator. Academic accommodations must be arranged for each term of study. Student Accessibility Services can be contacted by phone 905-525-9140 ext. 28652 or e-mail sas@mcmaster.ca. For further information, consult McMaster University’s Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities
I reserve the right to change the weightings in the grading scheme. If changes are made, your grade will be calculated using the original weightings and the new weightings, and you will be given the higher of the two grades. At the end of the course the grades may be adjusted but this can only increase your grade and will be done uniformly. I will use the following grade chart to convert between letter grades, grade points and percentages:
| A+ | A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | D- | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 90-100 | 85-89 | 80-84 | 77-79 | 73-76 | 70-72 | 67-69 | 63-66 | 60-62 | 57-59 | 53-56 | 50-52 | 0-49 |
(from p. 29 of the current Undergraduate calendar)
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.
In the event of an absence for medical or other reasons, students should review and follow the Academic Regulation in the Undergraduate Calendar “Requests for Relief for Missed Academic Term Work” (see here). Please note these regulations have changed beginning Fall 2015, in particular:
In most cases, missed work or tests will be addressed by reweighting the remaining work or tests. If you must miss a lecture, it is your responsibility to find out what was covered. The best way to do this is to borrow a classmate’s notes, read them over, and then ask your instructor if there is something that you do not understand.
All assignments are due on Avenue to Learn prior to class, unless otherwise stated. I reserve the right to penalize late work by 10% per day.
We will be using the learning software Avenue to Learn. Students should be aware that private information such as first and last names, user names for the McMaster e-mail accounts, and program affiliation may be visible to other students in the course. By taking this course you consent to this disclosure. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please discuss them with the course instructor. Grades will be posted on AtL.
The expectations for this class are fairly simple: however, if you have any questions or concerns please ask me. See the McMaster Office of Academic Integrity’s web page for general information.
You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behavior in all aspects of the learning process. Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity. Academic dishonesty can result in serious consequences, including a notation on the transcript, or suspension or expulsion from the university. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty; for more information please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy at http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity.
Some common academic dishonesty issues:
This outline will be linked from the course home page. However, it is your responsibility to check the course home page and syllabus regularly for further announcements, course handouts, assigned work and its due dates, information about test dates and locations when this information becomes available, downloadable course related material, etc.. Recorded marks for tests and assignments will be posted on Avenue. You should check these once they become available and bring any discrepancies to the attention of the instructor or the TA as soon as possible.