To learn how technology can be used to enhance mathematical exploration.

Although we will spend some time discussing graphing calculators, the majority of our time will be spent investigating the ways in which computers can be used to explore mathematics. We will learn to use the following programs:

• Netscape Composer -- A free, user-friendly web page editor that comes with the latest version of the Netscape web browser (Netscape 7.1). Although you are welcome to use any program you wish, this is the one I will use for class demonstration.


• Geometer's Sketchpad 4.1 (GSP) -- A dynamic geometric construction package with features that include construction, measurement, transformation, graphing and animation tools. The Student Edition is available for download from this website for $39.95 or from the BYU bookstore for 34.95 (while in stock).
  


• Excel Spreadsheet-- a spreadsheet program that allows the dynamic creation, manipulation, and graphical display of data.

• Maple 9--Computer Algebra System that facilitates complex computation, algebraic manipulation and 3-D graphing.
  

• Fathom 1.16--A dynamic statistics program that facilitates the exploration, manipulation and representation of data.
  

You are required to build a personal web page for this class. Although you are welcome to locate this web page anywhere you like, as a student at BYU you were automatically alloted space on the byu server when your email account was created. Create a folder titled "public_html" and save your home page in that folder as "index.html". Your web address is now

http://home.byu.net/~username

Yes, it is that simple.

All assignments for this course will be "turned in" by posting them to your personal web page and then sending me an email with an included link to your assignment. I will respond to your email with comments, suggestions for improvement, and your grade on the assignment (out of 10). Although you should try to get each assignment turned in within a week of when it is assigned, you have 4 weeks to turn in (and re-turn in) any assignment. Within this 4-week blockany number of revisions could eventually result in 10/10 on a given assignment. Click here to get more information about what constitutes an assignment write-up. Also, here are a few examples of quality write-ups from the past: Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3.

You should expect to spend a considerable amount of time outside of class exploring mathematics on the computer. This necessitates that you have access to a computer. There are many Open Acces Computer Labs on campus. Netscape, GSP and Excel are located on all of these computer, but the university does not have campus-wide site licences for Maple and Fathom. The are located in our classroom as well as across the hall (149 and 150 TMCB). Many of you have other access to computers (at home or at work) but will need to purchase and/or install some of these programs if you choose to do a majority of your work there.