Course instructor

Vaneet Bhatia
Office: Cabin 20 , T3 Central Faculty Block
vaneet@jgu.edu.in
§ Mathematicsas an expression of the human mind reflects the active
will, the contemplative reason, and the desire for aesthetic
perfection.
§ Its
basic elements are logic and intuition, analysis and construction,
generality and individuality.
§ Without doubt, all mathematical development has its psychological
roots in more or less practical requirements.
§ Butonce started under the pressure of necessary applications, it
inevitably gains momentum in itself and transcends the confines of
immediate utility.
§ Recorded mathematics begins in the Orient, where about 2000 B.C.,
the Babylonians collected a great wealth of material that we would
classify today under elementary algebra.
§ Yet as a science in the modern sense mathematics only emerges
later, on Greek soil, in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.
§ After
a period of slow preparation, the revolution in mathematics and
science began its vigorous phase in the seventeenth century.
§ Then, nineteenth century not only became a period of new advances,
but was also characterized by a successful return to the classical
ideal of precision and proof.
§ Throughoutthe ages mathematics have considered their objects,
such as numbers, points, etc., as substantial things in themselves.
§ What points, lines, numbers “actually” are cannot and need not be
discussed in mathematical science.
§ What matters and what corresponds to verifiable fact is structure and
relationship, that two points determine a line, that numbers combine
according to certain rules to form other numbers, etc.
§ Forscholars and layman alike it is not philosophy but active
experience in mathematics itself that alone can answer the question:
What is mathematics?
§A discipline (a organized, formal field of study) such as mathematics
tends to be defined by the types of problems it addresses, the
methods it uses to address these problems, and the results it has
achieved. One way to organize this set of information is to divide it
into the following three categories (of course, they overlap each
other):
1. Mathematics as a human endeavor
2. Mathematics as a discipline
3. Mathematics as an interdisciplinary language and tool
§ Mathematics as a human endeavor. For example, consider the
math of measurement of time such as years, seasons, months, weeks,
days, and so on. Or, consider the measurement of distance, and the
different systems of distance measurement that developed
throughout the world. Or, think about math in art, dance, and music.
There is a rich history of human development of mathematics and
mathematical uses in our modern society.
§ Dance: Geometry is perhaps the most apparent subfield of
mathematics present in dance. We can consider the shapes, patterns,
angles and symmetry of many different aspects of dance within a
variety of scopes. Dancers use symmetry and geometry to improve
their performances and make them visually appealing.
§ Mathematics as a discipline. You are familiar with lots of academic
disciplines such as archeology, biology, chemistry, economics,
history, psychology, sociology, and so on. Mathematics is a broad and
deep discipline that is continuing to grow in breadth and depth.
Nowadays, a Ph.D. research dissertation in mathematics is typically
narrowly focused on definitions, theorems, and proofs related to a
single problem in a narrow subfield in mathematics.
§ Mathematics as an interdisciplinary language and tool. Like
reading and writing, math is an important component of learning and
"doing" (using one's knowledge) in each academic discipline.
Mathematics is such a useful language and tool that it is considered
one of the "basics" in our formal educational system.
§ Forscholars and layman alike it is not philosophy but active
experience in mathematics itself that alone can answer the question:
What is mathematics?
§ We start by defining statistical thinking
§ “Idefine statistical thinking as thought processes, which recognize
that variation is all around us and present in everything we do, all
work is a series of interconnected processes, and identifying,
characterizing, quantifying, controlling, and reducing variation
provide opportunities for improvement.” Snee (1990)
§ The disciplines of statistics and, more specifically, statistics education
are, by their very nature, in the “future” business.
§ The mission of statistical education is to provide conceptual
frameworks (structured ways of thinking) and practical skills to
better equip for future lives in a fast-changing world. Because the
data-universe is expanding and changing so fast, educators need to
focus more on looking forward than looking back.
§ We must also look back, of course, but predominantly so that we can
plunder our history’s storehouses of wisdom to better chart pathways
into the future.
§ Foreducational purposes, statistics needs to be defined by the ends
it pursues rather than the means statisticians have most often used to
pursue them in the past.
§ Statistics
is a meta-discipline in that it thinks about how to think about
turning data into real-world insights.
§ Statistics
as a meta-discipline advances when the methodological
lessons and principles from a particular piece of work are abstracted
and incorporated into a theoretical scaffold that enables them to be
used on many other problems in many other places.
§ Finally,“is the science of learning from data, and of measuring,
controlling and communicating uncertainty”. - American Statistical
Association

§ Is Statistics a Mathematics?
§ “Statistics
is a science not a branch of Mathematics, but uses
mathematical models as essential tools”. - John Tukey
§ Thiscourse introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics
and statistics which has applications in economics and finance.
Students are expected to master the basic concepts of mathematics
and introductory statistics, and go over applications of the core topics
covered, mainly from business, economics and finance.
§ To provide students with grounding in the basic concepts of business
mathematics and statistics.
§ To familiarize students with applications in economics and finance
using mathematics and statistics.
§ To encourage students to appreciate the role of mathematics as a
language in social sciences and the importance of empirical analysis
using data.
§ End-Semester Exam: 50%
§ Mid-Semester Exam: 40%
§ Class Participation: 10%
§ Introduction to Mathematics: Why do we need mathematics?
§ Logic and proof techniques; Number systems.
§ Set Theory: sets and set operations; Relations;
§ Functions: Graphs, types of functions and their properties
§ Differentiation
§ Optimization in Single Variable: Maxima and Minima
§ Introduction to Statistics: What is Statistics?
§ Data and Representation
§ Central Tendency
§ Dispersion
§ Correlation and Regression
§ Probability Theory and Estimation
§ Statistics Using Excel
§ Text books
§ K. Sydsaeter and P. Hammond: Mathematics for Economic Analysis,
Pearson Educational Asia: Delhi (2002))
§ Fundamentals of Statistics by S. C. Gupta

§ Recommended reading
§ RichardCourant, Herbert Robbins. “What Is Mathematics?: An
Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods, Second Edition.
§ Be respectful to each other.
§ Cell Phones: Switched Off at all times during class (Marks will be deducted
if you found using it for whatsoever reason, 1 mark per instance).
§ Laptops and Similar Gadgets: Not required for this course, should be in
switched off mode.
§ Basic Calculator (no-phone) may be necessary for class exercises, midterm
and final examination. Suggestion: To buy a basic scientific calculator.
§ Latecomers don’t get attendance in my class.
§ You are not allowed to leave class in between for any reason.
§ You are not allowed to speak with each other during a lecture, unless
it’s a group task (you will be penalized with deduction in your class
participation marks)
§ You can bring tea/coffee during sessions but eatables are not
allowed.
§ Usually,there will be a break period of 5-7 minutes during each
session. Attendance will be taken again during second half of
session.
§ PowerPoint presentations are not shared with students.
§ Makesure you don’t use cell phones or similar gadgets during
exams, if found, will result in Zero for that component.
§ If
you miss the mid term, you get zero for that it. No re-sits, except
under extraordinary circumstances (E.g. hospitalization).
§ Nogadgets during final exam. It will result in F grade. However, you
should carry a scientific calculator with you.
§ No talking or cheating during midterm and final exam, it will result in
losing marks each time. Both the participants will be penalized for
that exam.
§ Sharing is prohibited during exams. It is advised to carry all the
required stationery for final exam and midterm, e.g. pen, pencil,
eraser, ruler, calculator etc. If you need water during the exam, carry
water bottle with you, as you won’t be allowed to share water bottles.
§ Anyunfair means in final exam results in automatic F grade in the
course.
§ If
you have any issue in understanding the subject you can ask me
any time and stop me to repeat the subject matter.
§ Ifyou have other issue i.e. my teaching style or any other academic
issue, discuss it in the class.
§ If you don’t find the courage to speak up about the issue in the
class, you can visit my office.
§ You can also email me.
§ Or Just write on a piece of paper.

§ Don’t miss any class. It will help you to understand the subject better.