MA1515: MATHEMATICS FOR SCIENCES (2018-2019)

This is a maths course for all science students. It aims at providing the students with a good set of working mathematical knowledge needed in nearly all science subjects including Biology, Chemistry and others. The main emphasis is on gaining practical skills togther with understanding the mathematics behind them. The topics discussed in the course will include: Manipulations with numbers, Algebraic manipulations and applications; Area and Volume; Graphs and relationships; Rate of change; Formulae for derivatives; Recurrences, Exponentials, Powers and Logarithms; Trigonometry; Differential equations; Average, Mean, Median.

Course Aims

The course is aimed at any student not undertaking a degree in Mathematics or in Engineering. The course is designed to give students some elementary (and some quite advanced) tools and methods they will need throughout their university years, and throughout their life. Whenever possible, examples will be drawn from various disciplines (biology, physics, chemistry…). Topics covered will likely include:

• Algebraic manipulations

• Change of units, rule of three (dilutions, concentrations ...)

• Surfaces and Volumes (Surface/Volume ratio, Isometric Growth ...)

• Linear, Affine and Polynomial Relationships.

• Rate of change, Derivatives (Velocity ...)

• Exponentials, Powers and Logarithms (Population growth, rates of change, Q10, log-log scales ...)

• Differential Equations (Lotka-Volterra models for competition and for predator/prey systems)

• Trigonometry?

• Averages, Means and Medians?

• Elementary Statistics?

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course the student should:

• Be able to solve simple linear equations.

• Be able to apply a rule of three to solve dilution and concentration problems

• Be able to compute the perimeter, surface area and volume of simple objects (cuboid, sphere, pyramid, cone …), and apply these to study more complicated objects.

• Be able to compute the equation of a straight line given two points, or one point and the slope, and be able to compute the coordinates of the intersection of two straight lines.

• Be able to manipulate and multiply integral and rational powers, as well as polynomials.

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

More Information about Week Numbers

1st Attempt

• One 2-hour written exam (60%)
• Continuous assessments (two online tests) (20%)
• Class Test (20%)

Resit

• One 2-hour written exam (maximum of (100%) resit and (60%) resit with (40%) in-course assessment)

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback on formative assessment will be offered throughout the course during the example classes and individually to students.

Feedback on summative assessment will be given both in writing and by means of one-to-one discussions with students.