Syllabus for Chaos and Fractals - Fall 2023

Professor: Mark McClure

Course purpose

As a math elective, Chaos and Fractals is not central to your mathematics curriculum. However, it connects several key areas of mathematics and applies them together to generate some of the most mesmerizing images of mathematics. In this class we will:

• Develop our understanding of several important areas of mathematics, including:
  • Real analysis
  • Numerical methods
  • Linear algebra
  • Geometry
  • Complex variables
• Learn some very cool, new contemporary mathematics.
• Explore these topics theoretically and computationally.

Materials

• The text
• Math Discourse: We'll use an online discussion forum called Math Discourse to facilitate communication and to do quite a few computational assignments.
• Computer and internet connection: In addition to the text and forum, we'll access a number of computational tools online. It's not out of the question that we'll need to use Zoom a bit, though that will hopefully be rare.

Grades

• Participation: You get 50 points just for coming to class regularly and not complaining about it!
• Homework: There will be two types of homework:
  • Textbook assignments, which will not be collected but offer important practice
  • Forum assignments, which count for points and give us an opportunity to collaborate and will often be computational in nature.
• Exams: There will be two midterms during the semester worth about 80 points and a final exam worth around 120 points. The likely dates for all those exams are already listed on our course calendar.
• Qizzes: We will have two quizzes during the semester worth anywhere from 20 to 40 points each. Likely dates for those quizzes are listed on our course calendar.
• Final grades: I will determine final grades using a scale not more stringent than the standard 90-80-70-60 scale. You will be apprised of your standing as the term progresses.
• Late work: In general, I don't accept late work.
• Cheating: I don't deal with cheating. If I suspect cheating strongly enough, I simply refer you to the provost and fail you for the class.

Your rights and responsibilities

It's worth understanding your rights and responsibilities as a student at UNCA. One of my responsibilities is to make sure you have the information that you need to do that. Since this is common to all classes, I've got that information on this legalese document.