Nick's ePortfolio

 College Algebra

Math 1050-023 

Shon David Rasch, Fall Semester 2013

       As this class covered about three fourths of the semester’s curriculum, two “projects” were introduced. Each project was a packet covering real-world problems which were solvable with the formulas and techniques recently covered. Students solved both projects and were instructed to scan and upload one of them. I chose to upload a project concerning the actual costs of travel given multiple factors in different situations.

Reflection 

I am always impressed with the growing number of tools more advanced math classes afford me to solve problems of growing complexity. This particular project I believe illustrates the gap between what can be solved when the proper formula is known and utilized, and what would be left to approximation and estimation when such a formula is absent. 

My appreciation of how math can be applied to real life situations continues to evolve, even to the point of me considering and eventually changing my major to be one of a math heavy discipline. I believe in a wider sense, that the information age has availed the people with acute knowledge of the world’s complex practical problems. Knowing that the knowledge and tools exists to identify, diagnose and solve such problems in the field of mathematics peaks my interest.

I have also become more aware of the creativity needed to not only solve problems such as the one in the project, but also to interpret such problems and realistically take into account probable factors. This is the great struggle I think between story problems which make sense and those that do not. Real life story problems do not lay out all the given information needed to get started. A little bit of common sense (less fuel is needed to drive down hill or that there are 365 days in a year) is needed to fill in the gaps not given in the paper. This isn’t always intuitive, like the world in which we really live. Assignments such as this illustrate that when one is thinking in mathematical terms, one is able to recognize the need for such creativity at an exact and practical level without thinking twice about it.

Nicholas Burk

November 12, 2013