Glynn Mathematics Seminar I

(4 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Mathematics is not about numbers and formulas, but about pattern and structures. According to Galileo, God wrote the world in the language of mathematics. To communicate in this language efficiently, one has to be convincing. This is where the concept of PROOF, perhaps the most feared and misunderstood in undergraduate courses, comes in. In this course, we will see how the main rules and tools of rigorous mathematical reasoning appear naturally in a general approach to framing, analyzing, and solving problems inspired by the world around us. The ultimate goal is to learn to think critically, to question your assumptions, and master the power of logical deduction. The specific topics will vary from year to year and may include the theory of numbers, exploration of symmetry, classification of geometric shapes, counting and combinatorics.