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Street-Fighting Mathematics >> Content Detail



Syllabus



Syllabus

A listing of topics by session is given in the calendar below.



Description


This course teaches the art of guessing results and solving problems without doing a proof or an exact calculation. Techniques include extreme-cases reasoning, dimensional analysis, successive approximation, discretization, generalization, and pictorial analysis. Applications include mental calculation, solid geometry, musical intervals, logarithms, integration, infinite series, solitaire, and differential equations. (No epsilons or deltas are harmed by taking this course.)

This course is designed to teach you a flexible attitude toward problem solving. I've divided the attitude into six skills or tools. There are others, and more detail on each, but life is short and these six make a decent toolkit.



Logistics


In lecture, I will introduce you to each skill or tool through a series of examples, often posed as questions. Afterwards, you can read more in the corresponding book chapter (see readings). At the end of each session, you will have the opportunity to submit any questions you may have and give ongoing feedback about the course content. The feedback form is given here: (PDF).



Problem Sets


There will be three problem sets, each covering one week (two tools). Collaboration is fine and encouraged. Write up your own problem set; acknowledge significant help, whether from animate or inanimate sources just as you would in an academic paper.

I'll provide solutions after the lecture where the problem set is turned in. Problem sets will be graded using this scale:

  • P: A decent effort.
  • D: Not a decent effort.
  • F: Did not turn in, or did not make even an indecent effort!


Grading


The course is graded P/D/F based on problem sets and class participation. I expect and hope to pass everyone, so learn, enjoy, and don't stress.


ACTIVITIESPERCENTAGES
Three problem sets (30% each)90%
Class participation10%



Recommended Citation


For any use or distribution of these materials, please cite as follows:

Sanjoy Mahajan, course materials for 18.098 / 6.099 Street-Fighting Mathematics, IAP 2008. MIT OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu/), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Downloaded on [DD Month YYYY].



Calendar



SES #TOPICSKEY DATES
1Dimensions
2Extreme casesProblem set 1 out
3Application: drag
4More on dragProblem set 1 due and problem set 2 out
5Discretization
6Application: pendulum period
7Picture proofsProblem set 2 due and problem set 3 out
8Taking out the big part
9AnalogyProblem set 3 due
10Application: operators
11Application: singing logarithms

 








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