Day: Thursdays
Time: 2:00-2:50 p.m.
Location: Santa Rosa Classroom
Enrollment Code: 26310
Description:
In 1610 Galileo wrote, “The language of nature is mathematics.” By this he meant
the world, and indeed the universe we live in, can only be understood with the
aid of mathematics. This is a math appreciation class. You will be introduced to
some startling ideas: the different sizes of infinity, the fourth and fifth dimensions,
the idea of curved space, un-nameable numbers, logic and chance. The unthinkable:
What shape is our universe? Puzzles like why do mirrors reverse left to right, but
not up and down? This is a class about advanced math explained in English. There
will be few formulae but many exciting ideas. There are no math prerequisites.
Professor Daryl Cooper, Mathematics, research interests are in topology, non-Euclidean geometry and geometric group theory. He has taught the following courses: Math 34A, Math 221ACB graduate topology, Math 137AB graph theory and Math 108AB linear algebra.
Email: cooper@math.ucsb.edu
