MATH 380 – Topics in Mathematics: Fibonacci Numbers (15978)

TIME AND PLACE: T Th 9:55- 11:10 Sturges 103

INSTRUCTOR: Gary Towsley, South Hall 324 C, x5388, towsleyg@geneseo.edu

TEXT: There is no text for this course. Materials will be handed out in class when necessary.

DESCRIPTION: This course will be an in-depth look at the Fibonacci numbers. There will be minimal lecturing as students will discover most of the material through exploration. Topics such as proof by induction and basic number theory will be presented by the instructor. A large component of the class will be the presentation of results by the students in the class.

COURSE EVALUATION: The final grade for the course will be based on a number of different factors:

Homework and In-class Exercises……..30%

Mid-Term Exam………………………..20%

Class presentation and participation……20%

Article and presentation………………...10%

Project, paper, and presentation……...…20%

The midterm exam will be given on or about Thursday October 21. Short homework assignments will be given in most classes. In some classes there will be exercises given to be completed during class time and handed in. Students will be asked to present solutions to problems at various times during the course. It is expected that every student will make at least three of these short presentations. Each student will choose an article from the journal The Fibonacci Quarterly and make a short (10 minute) presentation of the contents of the article. Then each student will explore a problem in the Fibonacci Numbers (perhaps related to the article), write a paper on the project, and present the results of the project at the end of the semester.

The grades will be assigned on the following schedule.

A - 93-100% A- - 90-92% B+ - 87-89% B - 83-86% B- - 80-82%

C+ - 77-79% C - 73-76% C- - 70-72% D - 60-69% E - 0-59%.

MAKE-UP POLICY:

A make-up exam will be given only if I am supplied with a verifiable medical excuse or arrangements have been made prior to the scheduled exam.