Math 114 -- Modeling with Algebra and Statistics -- Spring 2007

Official Course Description
 

The textbook for this course is:  Explorations in College Algebra, 3rd edition, by Kime, Clark and Michael.   Be sure to buy it packaged with both the WileyPLUS web program and iClickers.   It is available in this package at the USD bookstore (or at least will be, when they get it in).  Do NOT register for WileyPLUS or open the iClicker box until told to do so in class.

WileyPLUS web site:
  
http://edugen.wiley.com/edugen/class/cls32982/

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Homework Assignments:

Assignments up to Exam 1
Assignments between Exam 1 and Exam 2

Assignments after Exam 2
Due
:

April 30:  In class: begin logarithmic functions, inverse functions, and composition of functions.

May 2: (1) Read/reread Section 6.4 and handout.
            (2) Do WileyPLUS assignment "6.4+8.6" by 10 am.
            (3)
Problems from the textbook to be handed in:
                           
Chapter 6 (starting on p. 366): #75, 76, 84.
                 Problems from the handout to be handed in:
                             Algebra Aerobics, p. 317 #1, 2, and Algebra Aerobics, p. 322 #1.

May 4: (1) Read Section 5.7 and 6.6.
           (2) Do WileyPLUS assignment "6.4+8.6 more" by 10 am.
           (3)
Problems from the textbook to be handed in:
                           
Chapter 8 (starting on p. 527): #149, 151, 154.
           (4) Another problem to be handed in:
       The formula for the Richter magnitude of a given earthquake is given by M = log (I / Io) where Io is the "threshold quake", or movement that can barely be detected, and the intensity I can be given in terms of multiples of the threshold intensity.  
     You have a seismograph set up at home, and see that there was an event while you were out that had an intensity of I = 468 Io. Given that a heavy truck rumbling by can cause a microquake with a Richter rating of 3 or 3.5, and "moderate" quakes have a Richter rating of 4 or more, what was likely the event that occurred while you were out?
            (5) Study for the quiz.
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May 7: (1) Read (or re-read) Sections 5.7 and 6.6.
           (2) Do WileyPLUS assignment "6.6+8.6" by 10 am.
           (3) Problems from the textbook to be handed in:  Chapter 8 (starting on p.528): #157, 161, 162, 163.
           (4) Two more problems to be handed in:
   1. A company believes there is a linear relationship between the consumer demand for its products and the price charged.  When the price was $3 per unit, the quantity demanded was 500 units per week.  When the unit price was raised to $4, the quantity demanded dropped to 300 units per week. Let D(p) be the quantity per week demanded by consumers at a unit price of $p.
 (a) Estimate and interpret D(5).
 (b) Find a formula for D(p) in terms of p.
 (c) Calculate and interpret  .
 (d) Give an interpretation of the slope of D(p) in terms of demand.
 (e) Currently, the company can produce 400 units every week.  What should the price of the product be if the company wants to sell all 400 units?
 (f) If the company produced 500 units per week instead of 400 units per week, would its weekly revenues increase, and if so, by how much?

  2. The table below gives the number of cows in a herd.
          t (years)                           1      2
          P(t)  (number of cows)    165   182
(a) Find an exponential function that models the situation.
(b) Find the inverse function of the function in part (a).
(c) When do you predict that the herd will contain 400 cows?
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May 9: (1) Read page 3 and the first topic on page 4 of the worksheet handed out on Monday.
           (2) Do WileyPLUS assignment "5.7+6.6 alt" by 10 am.
           (3) Start the written assignment due on Friday, and do as much of it as you can.
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May 11: (1) Do WileyPLUS assignment "6.6" by 10 am on Friday  [extended until 1 pm on Sunday].
             (2)
Problems from the textbook to be handed in: 
                                 Section 5.7 (page 316): #123
                                 Section 6.6 (page 370): #109, 110bd, 111bd, 112bd, 113, 115, 120.
             (3) Also to be handed in:
  The table shows newspapers’ share of the expenditure of national advertisers.  Use the method from class to fit an exponential function to the data, where y is the percentage share and x is the number of years since 1950.  Do not use the dates directly.  Use the number of years since 1950.  Find the linear regression line for the transformed data, the exponential regression function for the original data, and the correlation coefficient.
  Year   x     y 
  1950   0   16.0
  1960  10  10.8
  1970
  20   8.0
  1980  30   6.7
  1990  40   5.8
  1992  42   5.0                              
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May 14:  (1) Do WileyPLUS assignment "8.2+8.3" by 10 am on Monday.
              (2) Problems from the textbook (not to be handed in): page 519 #67ad, 71ad
              (3) Also, do:
                      1. Solve by completing the square:
                            (a) x^2 + 6x + 8 = 1
                            (b) 3x^2 + 6x - 2 = 0
                            (c) 2x^2 – 3x - 20 = 0
                      2.   Identify the number of x-intercepts of the following functions:
                            (a) y = 3x+6
                            (b) y = (x+4)(x-1)
                            (c) y= (x+5)(x-3)(2x+5)
              (4) Email me by 9 am, Monday, at least one mathematical question about course material -- something you
                   want to understand better.   It can be an individual exercise, or it can be a more general mathematical
                   question.
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Exam week office hours:
     Tuesday, 3 - 4:15 pm
     Thursday, 1- 2:30 pm

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May 18:  Final Exam, 2- 4 pm in S312


Last updated at 8 pm on Sunday,  May 13.