The Art of Mathematical Thinking

3 units

Mathematics plays an important role in society, from engineering to architecture to the social and behavioral sciences. This fully online course exposes nonmath majors to fascinating sides of mathematics that are typically not discussed in standard math courses. Students learn effective thinking techniques with applications beyond standard mathematics and discover exciting ideas and new perspectives about the world. We look at questions like: What do rabbits, piano keyboards, and pine cones have to do with the Parthenon? What do secret codes and bar codes have to do with number systems and prime numbers? What are some uses and misuses of mathematics in everyday life? Why are coincidences not so amazing after all?