Math 396
Communications in Math
Fall 2012

Course description
This one-credit course covers oral, written, and electronic communication of mathematics.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, you should be able to
  • give an effective oral mathematical presentation;
  • write a persuasive exposition of a mathematical topic; and
  • demonstrate how to communicate mathematics on the internet.
Textbook
There is no required textbook.
Prerequisites
The official prerequisites for this course are Math 220 (Foundations of Mathematics), junior or senior classification, and a mathematics major.
Venue
The course meets 10:20–11:10 on Wednesdays in room 122 of the Blocker building.
Exams and grades
There are no examinations in this course; in particular, there is no final examination.
Grades will be based on the following ten items, each worth ten points (for a total of 100 points):
  • preparation of a résumé;
  • preparation of a sample LaTeX document;
  • mock job interview;
  • first draft of a technical paper;
  • final draft of a technical paper;
  • slides for oral presentation of the technical paper;
  • oral presentation of the technical paper;
  • first draft of a short expository paper;
  • final draft of a short expository paper;
  • class participation.
Course letter grades are based on the standard scale (60% is passing, 70% or higher earns a C, 80% or higher earns a B, 90% or higher earns an A).
Course schedule
Due dates of assignments are available.
Course website
http://www.math.tamu.edu/~boas/courses/396-2012c/
Office hours
During the Fall 2012 semester, my office hour in Milner 202 is 2:00–3:00 in the afternoon on Monday and Wednesday; I am available also by appointment. The best way to contact me is via email to boas@tamu.edu. Telephone messages can be left at the Milner office of the Department of Mathematics, 979-845-7554.