Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2023 - MATH 155 D100

Mathematics for the Life Sciences II (3)

Class Number: 2214

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 8 – Aug 4, 2023: Mon, Wed, Fri, 8:30–9:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Aug 8, 2023
    Tue, 8:30–11:30 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    MATH 150, 151 or 154, with a minimum grade of C-; or MATH 157 with a grade of at least B.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Designed for students specializing in the life sciences. Topics include: vectors and matrices, partial derivatives, multi-dimensional integrals, systems of differential equations, compartment models, graphs and networks, and their applications to the life sciences; mathematical models of multi-component biological processes and their implementation and analysis using software. Students with credit for MATH 152 or 158 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.

COURSE DETAILS:

Mathematics is used throughout the life sciences, from infectious disease modelling, to understanding food webs and ecosystem stability, to calculating the volume of an organ. Most uses of mathematics in the life sciences require more than one variable, such as modelling interacting species, multiple antigens on the surface of a virus, or calculating BMI from the height and weight of a person. In this course, we will discuss mathematical tools to work with more than one variable and apply them to a wide range of biological problems. 

Topics Covered: 

Applying qualitative analysis to biological models
Differential equations
Linear algebra and applications 
Partial derivatives 
Applications of Integration 
Graph theory

Grading

  • Quizzes (best 9 out of 10) 10%
  • Online Questions 10%
  • Midterm 1 15%
  • Midterm 2 15%
  • Final Exam 50%

NOTES:

THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE ANY OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

 

REQUIRED READING:

*Note: if you purchased a multi-term WebAssign licence in a previous term for MATH 154, do NOT purchase again.*

Biocalculus: Calculus, Probability, and Statistics for the Life Sciences
James Stewart, Troy Day
Cengage, 2016

Students purchase a WebAssign licence from the SFU Bookstore which includes access to the electronic version of the textbook and WebAssign assignment access. WebAssign assignments are part of the marking scheme for the course.

Purchasing a hard copy of this text without WebAssign will require the addtional purchase of WebAssign access.
ISBN: 9781337823708

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the semester are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.