Mathematics

This Signature Assignment fulfills the following Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) for the Associate of Arts degree:
• PLO 3 – Quantitative Fluency: Explain how accurate calculations and symbolic operations are used in interpreting social and economic trends, and
• PLO 4 – Applied Learning: Evaluate a scenario in which academic knowledge and skills could be applied to a work or community issue.
Be sure to review all rubric criteria prior to submitting your assignment.
Directions
As individuals and as a society, we use mathematics every single day to make important decisions, drive advancements, and understand the world around us. In this assignment, you will choose a branch of mathematics that you studied in MATU 103 and you will describe and discuss how it is used to address current, real-world issues.
Step 1:
Prior to completing this assignment:
• Review and revisit the chapters from your textbook and the main branches of math that you have studied: Graph Theory, Number Theory, Algebra (including Consumer Math, Apportionment and Voting formulas), Probability and Statistics. Also revisit your weekly Discussion Board posts where you presented and discussed examples of math being used in the real world.
• Select at least one of these branches of math and come up with two ways this particular math is (or can be) used in real-world settings.

o Your first application must be related to a focused issue that would be encountered at work or in the community. Examples of work or community issues might be things like scheduling, budgeting, safety, efficiency, or resource allocation.
o Your second application must be related to a broader social or economic trend. Examples of social or economic trends might be things like income inequality, gerrymandering, equal housing, public healthcare, or equal access to quality education.
o For further examples, look at the “Applying What You’ve Learned” problems of your textbook. These are found within the Exercises that appear at the end of each Chapter section.
• Research your chosen examples. Specifically, research how the type of math you chose is applied to understand and address those examples. You may use your textbook, internet sources, resources at the library, or personal experience to help you.
Step 2:
Prepare the following to be included in the main body of your paper:
1. Summarize and present the branch of mathematics you have chosen. You will want to present this as if you were explaining it to a new student. In addition to your written summary, you will want to include:
a. related symbols, notation, and definitions
b. key formulas
c. theorems (if relevant)
2. Present and describe your real-world example of a specific work or community issue where this math is applied. (PLO 4) Be sure to
a. describe the issue and explain how the math can address it.
b. discuss the purpose and benefit of using math to address this issue (i.e. does it increase efficiency? does it help with accuracy?) c. identify what problems might be encountered if we neglected to use math to help address this scenario.
3. Present and describe your real-world example of a social or economic trend where this math is applied. (PLO 3) This example should be something different from your example in #2 above. Be sure to
a. describe the social or economic trend and explain how this math helps to interpret or explain it.
b. discuss what broader benefits can be attained by applying math to understand or analyze this trend.
c. identify what problems might be encountered if we neglected to use math to analyze, interpret or explain this trend.
4. Provide a straightforward example from your textbook or personal experience (i.e. a “word problem”) that illustrates the mathematics described above being applied to a real-life situation that relates to one or both of your examples (PLO 3, PLO 4). If you use a textbook problem, be sure to cite it appropriately. Solve the problem and present a complete and thorough solution by

a. describing the problem and the steps of the solution in words
b. presenting the mathematical steps of the solution using formal mathematical symbols, notation, and formulas
c. providing and interpreting the final answer in non-technical terms
Step 3:
Your final paper should be structured as follows:
● Title page (not included in the page count)
● Introduction: Briefly introduce your paper and branch of math and explain why it is important.
● Body: Provide your responses to all of the material listed in Step 2. The body of your paper should be approximately 5-7 pages broken
down as follows:
○ Summary of Mathematics (about 2 pages)
○ Example of a work or community issue (1-2 pages)
○ Example of a social or economic trend (1-2 pages)
○ Example problem and detailed solution (about 1 page)
● Conclusion: Summarize your paper and reflect on the importance of math in your examples and personal life. ● References (not included in the page count): You should have at least two references other than the textbook. ● Appendices (optional and not included in the page count)
Format
Submit your paper to the Turnitin Assignment area on the Week 8 page in Blackboard by the due date posted in Blackboard. Refer to the rubric below for grading expectations. The final deliverable will be 5-8 pages of content in a double-spaced paper, presented in a MS Word document format. Please use proper APA Standards formatting and referencing. For