Larger real-world systems like weather, biological systems, sports, and economics have patterns that we can come to understand. In seeking their encapsulation, this course directly promotes meaning making and investigating connections between concepts. Topic coverage arises largely from student interest, so the course also allows students to holistically consider the issues they are concerned about.
Students use current data in relevant fields as the context for making and interpreting mathematical models. They review basic data analysis techniques to investigate and challenge current popular interpretations before completing explanatory projects. Students specifically focus on being able to untangle complexity using mathematical analysis and careful consideration of contextual factors before elegantly expressing their crystallized understanding.
