Frequently Asked Questions

The official course outline is not reader-friendly. It is designed as a contract, and contracts are unpleasant to read. This is sort of an unofficial course outline, based on the questions students have asked most over the years.

Click on a question to see the answer to it. Feel free to skip the questions that don't interest you.

What will I learn? This course has been designed to expose you to the mathematics you will encounter in the life sciences, and especially in the ENCS program. That means it focusses on applications of math in the life sciences and economics, and that its approach is to use math to model things, rather than on proving or deriving things, or on math for its own sake (beautiful though it may be 🤓).

You will learn how to:

  1. Fit, work with, and interpret linear models.
  2. Compute optimal resource allocations within linear constraints.
  3. Fit, work with, and interpret a variety of nonlinear models including quadratic, exponential, sinusoidal, and logistic ones.
  4. Model the rates of change of quantities (using derivatives).
  5. Model the accumulation of quantities over time (using integrals).
  6. Model uncertain events and processes (using probability).
  7. Model and analyze the structure of systems (using graph theory).

(I have mixed feelings about providing a list like that. You're probably taking this course because you don't know what those things are, so they are not very meaningful at the moment. On the other hand it does make it sound legitimate doesn't it? 😉)

How will this work? It's an online course (thanks Covid 🤨) so you'll learn the material using online resources.
  1. You'll watch pencasts (example), and read notes (example).

    It would be great if that was sufficient to learn, but alas it is not.
  2. You will need to do exercises to develop your skills.

    Mostly that will go well, but from time to time you'll get stuck.
  3. When you get stuck you'll get help by asking questions on the course discussion forum, or during my office hours, or by emailing me, or by working with someone from the Academic Support Centre.
Can that actually work? Ya it can. We did the last four weeks of the course last year this way, and it went pretty well, even though it was unexpected. In other years I have taught both computer programming and math courses online this way (on purpose!), and that has worked too. So I'm pretty optimistic about this. 🤗
What's the difference between Exercises and Assignments? The obvious one is that you are given the answers to all the exercise problems, but not to the assignments. That's because the exercises are practice problems to help you learn a skill, while the assignments are your chance to demonstrate the skill.
What will my weeks look like? Once we get going they will all have the same rhythm (well except for Reading Week, obviously).

Monday read the weekly email from me outlinging the week ahead.

Monday (if not before!) you will submit the guided exercises on the previous week's material.

Monday through Friday you will divide your time between:

  1. Learning the new week's material using the online resources, and
  2. Doing the assignment on the previous week's material.

Friday you will submit the assignment on the previous week's topic.

It's an asynchronous course so you get to design your own weekly schedule, and most of you will have work, family, or life constraints on when you can do your school work, but keep in mind the submission deadlines, and my office hours.

How much time will it take? Short answer: 6-9 hours per week. Plan to set aside 2 or 3 mornings or afternoons for the course.

Longer answer: It all depends. Mostly on how strong your math background is coming in, and how efficient you are, and how well you want to do. Some weeks will be relatively quick and straightforward if it's a topic you're already familiar with. At least some other weeks will take some effort. Very few people do it in less than 3 hours, or ever need more than 10.

How do I submit my exercises and assignments? Email them to me. There is a way to submit assignments (but not exercises) through Moodle and you can do that if you really prefer, but email is simpler for both of us.
What about marks? There will be marks! 😏

Exercises are marked for completion. Since you've already got the answers I don't correct them, I just check that you did them. Do all the exercise problems for a week and you get full marks. Easy right?

Assignments are marked in the traditional way. Part marks are given for partially correct solutions.

And there's a final exam that covers the entire course. It's not clear how that will be written at the moment. If it's online-at-home it will be open book. If it's in person at the University then you will be allowed to bring a formula sheet.

The relative weight of these is:

30% Weekly Exercises
30% Weekly Assignments
40% Final Exam

How do I get help? If you have a specific question:
  1. Ask it in our Discussion Forum (this is where the most people will see it, me and your classmates, so you have the best chance of getting a fast answer), or
  2. email me.

If you need more help than a simple answer to a question,

  1. See me in my Zoom office hours Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings from 10:30-11:30 am, or
  2. See one of the tutors in the Academic Support Centre. I'll have more information about them once the course is underway.
Can I work with other people? I encourage you to work with others on the exercises and the assignments if you'd like to. I think you can see who else is in the course by clicking on the Participants link in Moodle. If not, you'll be able to see who's in the class when they respond to Exercise 1.
How do I get in touch with you? Come see me in my Zoom office during office hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 10:30-11:30.

You can email me at tim.topper@gmail.com. I check my email several times a day, and will usually get back to you same day, or next morning if you email me late in the evening.

What tools or equipment do I need?
Is there a textbook? Nope. Put those 200 dollars in your savings fund! 🥳

These are the questions I've been asked most often in the past, but if I've missed the questions you actually have, be sure to ask! Via email or in our Discussion Forum or during my Office hours...