620-161 Introductory Mathematics A

Note

Students who have completed VCE Specialist Mathematics 3/4 or equivalent will not be permitted to enrol in this subject: such students should enrol in one of 620-121 or 620-141. Credit cannot be obtained for 620-161 if any of 620-111, 620-112, 620-121, 620-122, 620-141, 620-142, 620-162, 620-200 or 620-211 (or the corresponding 1997 handbook 618-prefix subjects) has already been passed.

Credit Points

Coordinator

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Students completing this subject should comprehend

• elementary rules for manipulating matrices;
• concepts of basic functions of one and two variables;
• the usefulness of calculus for the optimization of functions;

have developed an ability to

• manipulate matrices and standard functions;
• find derivatives of functions of one and two variables, and functions compounded from them;
• apply these skills to word problems in bioscience and finance;

and appreciate

• the sequential conceptual structure of the mathematics of functions;
• the value of mathematical techniques in life science and business.

Matrices: row operations, systems of linear equations, graphical and matrix methods for linear programming; problems in bioscience and finance. Calculus: functions of one variable; product, quotient and chain rules for differentiation; applications; partial derivatives; maxima and minima; least-squares and other curve-fitting algorithms; simple differential equations; Taylor series; numerical solution of algebraic and differential equations; applications in life science and business.

Assessment

Up to 24 pages of written project and assignment work, a three-hour end-of-semester written examination and class tests totalling not more than 1.5 hours.