1LS3_lecture_zero

[these slides will be posted on Math 1LS3 web page]

Life Science is a systematic study of living organisms

Botany Zoology Microbiology Biochemistry Biophysics Molecular and Cellular Biology

Ecology Physiology Agricultural Science Biotechnology Biology Marine Biology etc.

To understand things better, we need to learn math… so 1LS3/1LT3 is math in context

Math 1LS3/1LT3 There are three sections of 1LS3 this term … ALL SECTIONS COVER EXACTLY SAME MATERIAL, WRITE SAME TESTS AND SAME FINAL EXAM One section of 1LS3 in Winter 2013 One section of 1LS3 in Spring 2013 (to be confirmed) Math 1LT3 will be taught in Winter 2013 Math 1LT3 in Summer 2013 (to be confirmed)

Math 1LS3 No tutorials this week; tutorials start in the week of September 10 Attend the lecture and tutorial section you have been assigned to! Math Help Centre: individual help in HH104; will open around September 17 (will be announced on the web page)

Math 1LS3 Fall 2012 Same web page for all sections: http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/lovric/1LS3.html

(search by Math 1LS3) also … we’re on facebook Check web page 2-3 times a week

What’s on Math 1LS3 web page * course outline (how your final mark will be calculated) * frequently asked questions (calculator policy, policy on missed tests, etc.) * solutions to all assignments and tests * updates of marks * information about tests, exam, announcements

What do I need for 1LS3? … it’s all in the main bookstore

Textbook "Calculus for the Life Sciences: Modelling the Dynamics of Life", by F. A. Adler and M.Lovric [same as last year]

Coursepack [not the same as last year] Calculator McMaster standard calculator – Casio fx991

Optional materials * Students’ solutions manual * Calculus: Fear No More [helps you review high school math]

Expectations * come to classes and tutorials … class notes will not be posted on internet (exception: powerpoint slides, and what’s not in the textbook) * do homework as assigned on the webpage, practice on your own… homework is not collected for credit * for every hour of lecturing you need to spend 2-3 extra hours reviewing your notes, doing assigned reading, solving exercises, drill, etc.

Most important things * study regularly, don’t get behind or recover quickly if you do … also, eat, sleep, exercise, socialize – the key is balance! * math (at this level) is lots of drill/practice … boring but very useful … background strongly correlated to your success in this course (so review now if needed)

* plan your time … daily, weekly

* your life is your responsibility … reflect on things, identify problems and deal with them immediately

If you do not change things, things will not change !

This course … * standard calculus stuff: limit, continuity, derivative, integral * calculus objects in context: for instance a function (abstract math object) could represent a population of bacteria (application) * modeling: using math to study problems arising in life sciences * approaches to math: algebraic, numeric, geometric, verbal (descriptive)

Lectures and tutorials… * Lectures cover important things, but cannot cover everything * You will be using your textbook regularly

* You will work on assignments regularly * Questions? ask in class; send an email to your instructor (email contacts are on the course web page) and she/he will discuss it in a lecture or tutorial

What questions can 1LS3 help us answer ? * How do we know that dinosaurs died about 65 million years ago? * How does our body process drugs (Tylenol, alcohol, recreational drugs)?

* How does math help forensic pathologists find a location of impact (say from a bullet) from blood splatters? * An x-ray shows that a blood vessel branches off the right coronary artery at an angle of 78 degrees. Is there a reason for concern?

What questions can 1LS3 help us answer ? * How can we calculate the area or the volume of a lake (we need this need when we study pollutants and their effect on underwater fauna and flora)? * How many people will live in Canada in 2022?

* My body mass index is 27 (above normal range). How much weight should I lose to make it 24 (healthy weight)? * Which animal has more skin, a mouse or an elephant? * How fast does the blood flow in our bodies?

What questions can 1LT3 help us answer ? * How can math help us understand the behaviour or two species sharing the same ecosystem (such as bacteria and amoeba, or foxes and rabbits)? * How does a pollutant (in the air, or in a lake) spread from its source? * A person tests positive for a certain medical condition (such as flu, cancer, or HIV). How likely is it that he/she actually has it?

What questions can 1LT3 help us answer ? * The average efficacy of an oral contraceptive is 97.5% per year. What is the probability that a sexually active woman who takes birth control pills will get pregnant at least once in a 5-year period? * On average, there are 17.6 cases of bacterial meningitis per year in Hamilton. In February 2011, eight cases were diagnosed. How likely is that this occurred by chance? Or, is it a sign of an emerging epidemic?

Why Math Matters Students’ scores on GMAT and LSAT in relation to their undergraduate major [more information in your coursepack] (+ means above average, - means below average of all tests)

Major

LSAT

Math

GMAT

Major

LSAT

GMAT

+12.8% +13.3%

Biology

+4.0%

+3.3%

Philosophy

+8.7%

+11.0%

Psychology

+0.9%

+0.8%

Economics

+9.6%

+7.3%

Political Sci.

-1.6%

+0.1%

Chemistry

+7.6%

+7.5%

Arts & Music

-.05%

-1.2%

English

+5.6%

+4.1%

Business

-4.5%

-0.8%

Composite MCAT versus undergraduate major

math

Even if you just take a course in math (rather than minor or major) the benefits will be there

What to expect?

energy, hours of sleep, enthusiasm, money, time spent with friends, variety of food, general living standard

What to expect?

stress, amount of work to do, number of deadlines, time you can survive without food or clean clothes

Where do I start?… * Visit and bookmark Math 1LS3 web page, get familiar with it * To warm up: work on questions from assignment 0 in your coursepack (compare with solutions on the course web page) * Buy your textbooks, get organized * Organize your time (attending classes, studying, exercising, sleeping, socializing, etc.)