Frequently Asked Questions

The official course outline is not reader-friendly. It is designed as a contract, and contracts are unpleasant to read. This is sort of an unofficial course outline, based on the questions students have asked most over the years.

Click on a question to see the answer to it. Feel free to skip the questions that don't interest you.

What will I learn?

This course has been designed to expose you to the mathematics you will encounter in the life sciences, and especially in the ENCS program. That means it focusses on applications of math in the life sciences and economics, and that its approach is to use math to model things, rather than on proving or deriving things, or on math for its own sake (beautiful though it may be 🤓).

You will learn how to:

Fit, work with, and interpret linear models.
Compute optimal resource allocations within linear constraints.
Fit, work with, and interpret a variety of nonlinear models including quadratic, exponential, sinusoidal, and logistic ones.
Model the rates of change of quantities (using derivatives).
Model the accumulation of quantities over time (using integrals).
Model uncertain events and processes (using probability).
Model and analyze the structure of systems (using graph theory).

(I have mixed feelings about providing a list like that. You're probably taking this course because you don't know what those things are, so they are not very meaningful at the moment. On the other hand it does make it sound legitimate doesn't it? 😉)

What's the difference between Exercises and Assignments?

The obvious one is that you are given the answers to all the exercise problems, but not to the assignments. That's because the exercises are practice problems to help you learn a skill, while the assignments are your chance to demonstrate the skill.

What will my weeks look like?

Once we get going they will all have the same rhythm (well except for Reading Week, obviously).

Monday read the weekly email from me outlining the week ahead.

Monday (if not before!) you will submit the guided exercises on the previous week's material.

Monday through Friday you will divide your time between:

Learning the new week's material, and
Doing the assignment on the previous week's material.

Friday you will submit the assignment on the previous week's topic.

How much time will the course take?

Short answer: 6-9 hours per week. Plan to set aside 2 or 3 mornings or afternoons for the course.

Longer answer: It all depends. Mostly on how strong your math background is coming in, and how efficient you are, and how well you want to do. Some weeks will be relatively quick and straightforward if it's a topic you're already familiar with. At least some other weeks will take some effort. Very few people do it in less than 3 hours, or ever need more than 10.

How do I submit my assignments?

You can hand them to me in class or email them to me, or drop them into Mailbox A19 (with my name on it). There is a way to submit assignments (but not exercises) through Moodle and you can do that if you really prefer, but email is simpler for both of us.

What about marks?

There will be marks! 😏

Your work on the exercises is skimmed and marked for completion.

Assignments are marked in the traditional way. Part marks are given for partially correct solutions.

And there's a final exam that covers the entire course. You will be allowed to bring a formula sheet and your scientific non-graphing calculator.

The relative weight of these is:

20% Weekly Exercises
40% Weekly Assignments
40% Final Exam

How do I get help?

Simplest: See me before or after class.
Next simplest: email me.

Can I work with other people?

I encourage you to work with others on the exercises and the assignments if you'd like to. The goal is to come to your own understanding of the material.

How do I get in touch with you?

You can email me at ttopper@yukonu.ca. I check my email several times a day, and will usually get back to you the same day, or next morning if you email me late in the evening. I'll also stick around after each class if there are any questions.

What tools or equipment do I need?

a computer — a couple of students made do with just their phones last year, but that was really problematic. You want a computer with a fullsize screen for reading the web pages, and working with the software we will use.
a scientific (but not graphing) calculator. Your phone calculator probably isn't powerful enough. Online calculators are slower to use than physical ones. Here are locally available calculators that will do the job.
a "camera" to take pictures of your work to send when you ask questions via email is very helpful (a smartphone works fine for this). It's much faster to do the work with pen(cil) and paper, and then send me a picture of it, than to try and create a word processing document (some students have begun the course doing that, but nobody has stuck with it). Why is "camera" in quotes? Because most students use their smartphones. Some use a scanner if they have one. I don't know if anyone has used an actual camera. 🤔

Is there a textbook?

Nope. Put those 200 dollars in your savings fund! 🥳

These are the questions I've been asked most often in the past, but if I've missed the questions you actually have, be sure to ask!