- Amherst Regional High School
- 21 Mattoon Street
- Amherst, MA 01002
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(413) 362-1700
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Principal: Mark Jackson
Quantitative Reasoning
Course Description
| Quantitative Reasoning | 4 Credits | |
| Quantitative Reasoning/Honors | 4 Credits |
Not Offered in 2012-2013
PREREQUISITE: ALGEBRA II, IMP III OR CONFERENCE WITH DEPARTMENT HEAD.
This is a course for people who like to play with ideas. The overarching idea is the concept of infinity. Did you know that there are different types of infinity? Some infinities are greater than others! The topics in this course often prompt vigorous philosophical debates. Students are encouraged to think deeply about difficult mathematical abstractions, with a strong emphasis on reading, discussion, written explanation and proof. Class sessions center on exploratory lab activities, with frequent use of computers. Class participation, homework assignments, and a portfolio of written work provide the basis for a student’s grade. Quantitative Reasoning provides preparation for students to take a non-trig calculus course in college. Concepts of the course also provide a foundation for the quantitative methods of social science disciplines. Topics are drawn from a variety of fields in mathematics, including: modular arithmetic, number theory, infinite series, limits, cardinality, combinatorics, randomness, fractal geometry, complex numbers and nonlinear dynamical systems (including chaos). See the course web site(http://www.arps.org/users/hs/kochn/QuantitativeReasoning/) for more information.
Honors Option: Students who demonstrate a high degree of mathematical sophistication and independence may elect to work at the Honors level in this course. The portfolio of written work must include a rigorous theoretical approach to the course material.
Curriculum Map for Quantitative Reasoning