The Mathematics Curriculum
The Department offers majors in computer science and in mathematics.
In addition, the mathematics major can be designed to include a concentration
in statistics; elementary and advanced statistics courses are regular offerings
of the Department. The Department also offers the Computing Science 3-2
Option major for those students planning to pursue a combined-degree
pre-engineering program.
The Department provides courses for students anticipating graduate work
in computer science, mathematics, and statistics, and for those wishing to
use the mathematical sciences as a tool, those wishing to teach,
and those
who simply would like to know something about computer sciences, mathematics, or statistics.
Majors often take advanced courses in other departments directly complementing
their studies in mathematics or computer science. Double majors with mathematics or computer science and a
related area, such as economics or physics, are often undertaken. Upon
graduation, recent majors have entered business, management science, statistical
research, computing, actuarial work, environmental research, teaching, and
graduate school in computer science, mathematics, philosophy, physics, economics,
business, law, and medicine. Programs are tailored to the interests of the
student with a minimum of courses specified. Potential majors and others
interested should consult with any member of the Department in planning their
course work.
Students wishing to concentrate in computing science should contact
Professors Nunemacher, Wiebe or Zaring. Those wishing to concentrate in
statistics should see Professor Linder. Those wishing to concentrate in
secondary education should contact Professor Radloff, and those wishing to
prepare for graduate study in mathematics should contact Professors Nunemacher,
Radloff, or Linder.
Students may also take advantage of special
learning opportunities, such as the mathematics seminar,
independent study and the departmental honors program. These are
described in more detail below.
Majors and Minors
Mathematics Major: 111, 210, 250, 270, 340 or 370, and a minimum
of four additional Mathematics courses numbered 250 or above. Also, CS 110 or
equivalent knowledge of programming.
It is possible to do a concentration in statistics within
the Mathematics major.
Mathematics Minor: 110, 111, 210, 250, 270, and any two courses numbered
above 250. The student who plans to minor in mathematics is advised to plan a coherent
program with a departmental faculty member.
Computing Science Major: MATH 110, 111, 250; CS 110, 250, 255, 270, 360, 380;
and any three CS courses numbered 250 or above. (CS 110, 250, and MATH 250 must be
completed by the end of the sophomore year).
Computing Science Minor: MATH 110, 111, 250; CS 110, 250, 255 and any course
numbered 250 or above.
Combined Computing Science/Mathematics Major: Students double majoring in
mathematics and computing science are limited to 17 courses within the Department
among those counted toward the 34 units required for graduation.
See below for the Computing Science 3-2 Option Major.
Department majors or minors may not take mathematics or computer science courses credit/no entry
except with permission of the Department.
The Initial Courses in Mathematics
- MATH 110 - Calculus I
- This is the first course for students with limited or no
background in calculus. The course covers limits, derivatives,
applications of derivatives, basic ideas of integrals and the
Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Students are introduced to the
software package Derive which is used to plot graphs and simplify
calculations.
- MATH 111 - Calculus II
- This course is a continuation of Calculus I. The development of
one-variable calculus is completed. Topics include techniques of
integration, applications of integrals, polar coordinates, parametric
curves, Taylor's Theorem and infinite series. The software package
Derive is used. Entering students who have done well in a full-year
calculus course in high school usually begin with this course.
- MATH 210 - Multivariable Calculus
- Building on the foundation of Calculus I and II, this course
develops the tools of multivariable calculus. Topics include vectors,
partial derivatives, multiple integrals, line and surface integrals
and introductory vector analysis. This course is appropriate for
entering students with high scores on the BC exam in Advanced
Placement calculus or superior performance in (English) A-level
examinations.
- MATH 250 - Discrete Mathematics
- This course is fundamental to both mathematics and computer
science and is a prerequisite for many other courses. Students are
given an introduction to basic mathematical language and techniques,
including sets, logic, methods of proof and induction. These ideas
are used in elementary number theory, combinatorics and graph theory.
A major goal of the course is for students to become accustomed to
doing proofs and developing simple mathematical theories.
A complete listing of all Mathematics
courses offered by the department is also available.
The Computer Science Curriculum
The course offerings in computer science prepare students for
professional employment or continued study in graduate school.
Students normally begin with the introductory course in computer
science and programming, in which the basic ideas in the field are
presented. For computer science majors, this is followed by three
required intermediate courses in data structures, computer
organization and paradigms of computation. These cover the basic issues
of hardware and software. Students learn a variety of high-level programming
languages (including C/C++ and Scheme), assembly language, the UNIX operating
system, object-oriented programming and gain familiarity with the university
and departmental computer hardware.
Majors are also required to take calculus (two courses) and discrete
mathematics to acquire the necessary mathematics background for
advanced study of computer science. Many areas of theoretical and
applied computer science are covered in the advanced courses. Majors
must take courses in the theory of computation and analysis of
algorithms.
The department offers applied courses in database theory, operating
systems and artificial intelligence. For students interested in
computer languages, course offerings include compiler design and the
theory of programming languages. Several advanced mathematics courses
which complement the computer science curriculum are available. These
include numerical analysis, mathematical logic, probability and
abstract algebra.
Finally, students may also take advantage of
special learning opportunities, including
advanced special topics courses, directed reading, independent study
and the departmental honors program. These are described in more
detail below.
The Initial Courses in Computer Science
- CS 110 - Introduction to Computer Science and Programming
- This is the first course in computer science for all students
except those who have taken an AP course in computer science or its
equivalent. The course develops the techniques of programming and
provides an introduction to the fundamental ideas of the discipline
including algorithms, data structures, data types, modularity and
programming design. At present, all programming in the course is done
on microcomputers using the C++ language.
- CS 250 - Intermediate Computer Science and Data Structures
- Building on CS 110, this course continues the study of
programming. The course considers pointers, recursion and introduces
the standard data structures of stacks, queues, lists, trees and
graphs. Standard algorithms for searching, sorting and traversal are
studied. Attention is also given to elementary analysis of algorithms
and program verification. This course is appropriate for entering
students who have performed well in a high school AP course. At
present, the course assumes a working knowledge of C++.
- CS 255 - Computer Organization
- The goal of this course is to understand, in the abstract, how
computer hardware works. In particular, students learn how the
statements of a high-level programming language like Pascal or C/C++ are
actually carried out by a computer. Assembly languages for a variety of
machines are studied. This course puts to use much of the material
from CS 250.
A complete listing of all Computer
Science courses offered by the department is also available.
Courses for Non-Majors
The Department offers a number of courses specifically as a service to non-majors
who seek training in mathematics and computer Science. These include
MATH 105, a course in
elementary probability and statistics that includes computer experience, and which
prepares students to read increasingly quantitative journals of the social and life
sciences. Problem Solving with Computers (CS 102) offers
a broad, applications-oriented
introduction to computing for students having no prior computing experience.
Topics in Finite Mathematics (MATH 103) provides a gentle introduction to mathematics
and applications for students with little previous mathematical training.
Precalculus (MATH 108) is for students who have a moderate mathematical background
but not one sufficient to begin calculus immediately. The calculus courses
(MATH 110, 111,
and 210) are recommended for students who
wish to continue the
study of mathematics in college after a strong high school background. They are
particularly important for any of the sciences and economics. Introduction to
Computer Science and Programming (CS 110) provides a careful entry into the
discipline of computer science and teaches programming in a high level language.
Special Learning Opportunities
Each year a special topic in mathematics and computer science is offered
through a seminar course (MATH 499
or CS 499). The topic is not among
those in the regular curriculum and typically, the students, other
faculty members and the instructor learn together. The exact topic,
instructor and prerequisites change each year, and are described in
the schedule of courses. Interested students may get additional
information from the department chair and the instructor. Titles of
recent seminars include Curves and Singularities, Applied
Combinatorics, The Mathematics of Chaotic Phenomena, Computer
Networks, Scheme and Functional Programming, Stochastic Processes,
Experimental Design and Number Theory.
The department encourages creativity, initiative and discipline by
offering credit to students who wish to do independent work with a
faculty member (MATH 490 or
CS 490). This is an excellent way to
investigate a subject of personal choosing, and to pursue a topic in
greater depth than would be possible in the classroom setting.
Interested students should consult with the department chair or the
supervising faculty member to get approval for an independent study.
Almost any topic outside the regular curriculum would be considered.
Recent topics of independent studies include operations research,
computer graphics, neural networks, quality control, design of
experiments, multivariate statistical analysis, object-oriented
programming languages, calculus of variations, partial differential
equations and advanced linear algebra.
Especially strong students are invited to participate in the
departmental honors program. Students work for a year on an
independent study, write and present a paper and take a comprehensive
examination. This experience is appropriate for students preparing to
enter graduate school. Recent honors graduates are attending Cornell
University, University of Wisconsin and Rice University. Further
details about the program are available from the department chair, the
Honors Committee and the course catalogue.
Recent honors projects include:
- Eknath Belbase '92 - Stochastic Processes, Card-Shuffling and
Ergodic Theory
- Shriram Krishnamurthi '93 - Partial Evaluation and the Isomorphism
Problem
- Joni Baker '94 - Gambler's Ruin: A Problem in Enumerative
Combinatorics
- Rajesh Raman '95 - An Algebra for Protocol Verification
The department is pleased to reward students who wish to do extra work
in their courses. A student may earn course honors by completing a
project under the supervision of the course instructor. This may
involve additional reading, consulting library materials, writing
computer programs or writing a report in the area of interest.
Students wishing to earn course honors should seek permission from the
instructor of the course. Additional information about the program is
available in the course catalog.
Statistics Concentration
The department offers a concentration in statistics within the regular
mathematics program. This prepares students for careers in any one of
several professional disciplines. The statistics concentration is
also beneficial to students who intend to pursue advanced degrees in
fields complementary to Mathematics and Computer Science, such as business,
economics and statistics itself. In addition to regular departmental
courses in applied statistics, probability and mathematical
statistics, students complete the concentration by taking seminars,
special topics courses and independent studies. Recent special
offerings include design of experiments, measuring quality,
multivariate statistical analysis and stochastic processes.
Mathematics Major (Statistics Concentration): One must complete
a mathematics major and have taken 260, 340, 350, and either 360 or 365.
Computer Science Pre-Engineering Option
Computer science students interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree in
engineering may choose to participate in Ohio Wesleyan's 3-2 engineering
program. Under this option, a student completes a specially-designed computer
science major in three years and then transfers to one of several participating
engineering schools for two additional years of study. Upon successfully
completing this five-year course of study, the student receives a computer
science degree from Ohio Wesleyan and an engineering degree from the chosen
engineering school. Participating engineering schools currently include
(among others) Case Western Reserve University, Rensselaer
Polytechnic University, and Washington University (St. Louis). Interested
students are urged to check the course catalog for complete information on this
program.
Mathematics Education
Students interested in secondary mathematics education (grades 7 - 12)
may receive teaching certification. In addition to a regular Ohio
Wesleyan major, students must complete seven required mathematics
courses, one elective mathematics course, selected courses in the
Education department and student teaching during the spring semester
of the senior year. Owing to the number of mathematics courses
required for teaching certification, students generally major in
mathematics though this isn't specifically required. For additional
information, students should contact the faculty advisor of the
mathematics education program or the department chair.
The minimum recommended courses for secondary education are 260, 320, and 370.
Allied Disciplines
The department encourages mathematics and computer science majors to
take courses in allied disciplines which use or complement the
mathematical sciences. In fact, many students complete minors or
second majors in such areas as physics, chemistry, economics, business
management, pre-med, the biological sciences and psychology.
Conversely, many students with majors in allied disciplines complete
concentrated study (minor or second major) in mathematics and/or computer science.
This is particularly true of students intending to do
graduate work in physics, chemistry or economics.
|
