Mathematical Problem Solving

Permission of the instructor required for students outside the Lynch School of Education. This course is designed to deepen students' mathematical knowledge through solving, explaining, and extending challenging and interesting problems. Students will work both individually and in groups on problems chosen from polynomials, trigonometry, analytic geometry, pre-calculus, one-variable calculus, probability, and numerical algorithms. The course will emphasize explanations and generalizations rather than formal proofs and abstract properties. Some pedagogical issues, such as composing good problems and expected points of confusion in explaining various topics, will come up, but the primary goal is mathematical insight. The course will be of particular use to future secondary math teachers.