MAT 312 Operations Research Fall 2003 Syllabus

Instructor:	Dr. Jan Pearce		C.P.O.:	1815
Office:	304-B Draper Hall (859) 985-3569		Office Hours:	MWF 11:00 to 11:50 am
Email:	jan_pearce@berea.edu		Feel free to send email for appointments at other times.

The Course Goals To become familiar with the major concepts of operations research, such as linear programming and network formulation, the simplex algorithm and its computer implementation, sensitivity analysis, duality, network algorithms, dynamic programming, and game theory. To develop skills in identifying typical; formulating, solving, and interpreting appropriate models; and developing interactive feedback with the problem environment. To come to appreciate how the mathematical concepts are applied in the real-world and to learn to effectively use computing technology to solve more complicated problems such as arise in the real world. To learn to more effectively communicate mathematical ideas to others and to become more comfortable and effective working in a team setting. To become a more independent learner and logical thinker.

The Text Operations Research by Wayne L. Winston. Be sure to purchase the 4th Edition with the bundled software. Students will be asked to read the assigned sections of this text and do assigned written exercises. Students may feel free to browse unassigned sections of this text and to use what they learn there in their projects, because in addition to being readable, this book is also an excellent reference. Computer Work: Though our required text covers all of the major topics in the course, the majority of the learning in this course will take place in doing the assigned computer work and other homework.

Other Required Materials Each student is required to bring his or her laptop, text, and CD-ROM to class everyday. All computer work should be backed up daily. The normally understanding instructor will not be at all sympathetic to loss of electronic work, so it is the student's responsibility to protect his/her work from such heart-breaking loss. In addition, each student is required to have and use a Berea College email account to facilitate electronic communication.

The System of Evaluation
Maximum Final Grading Grade ≥ 93 % 90% ≤ Grade < 93 % 87% ≤ Grade < 90 % 83% ≤ Grade < 87 % 80% ≤ Grade < 83 % 77% ≤ Grade < 80 % 73% ≤ Grade < 77 % 70% ≤ Grade < 73 % 67% ≤ Grade < 70 % 63% ≤ Grade < 67 % 60% ≤ Grade < 63 % Grade < 60 % Scale A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F			Evaluated Items Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Quiz Total Homework Project Final Exam	Points 100 100 100 100 100 100 200	Grading Percentages 12.5 % 12.5 % 12.5 % 12.5 % 12.5 % 12.5 % 25.0 %
Please refer to the GRADING section of the current Berea College Catalog for the College-wide interpretations of these letter grades.

The Course Home Page Our course home page is located at http://www.berea.edu/faculty/pearcej/MAT312/. Use this page as a resource to find this syllabus and other course-related information.

The Grading Policies For the benefit of the students in the class, all course grade computations are continually updated by the instructor, so students may check frequently on their in-progress course grade during the term.
	After having completed all work prior to the final exam and before dropping any points or receiving any bonuses, any student who is receiving a B- or better on the above maximum scale using the appropriately weighted set of tests, quizzes, assignments, and labs and who is satisfied with her or his grade, may elect to receive that grade as a final grade and will not be required to take the final exam. So that all are in agreement, this decision must be discussed in advance with the instructor.
	For students taking the final exam, the lowest score earned on one 100 point exam score, quiz total or assignment item will be dropped before computing the final grade. If the lowest percentage score is earned on the 200 point final exam, then one half of the final exam score will be dropped. Note that the project may not be dropped.
	A student's final grade may be raised above her or his earned percentage grade if in the instructor's opinion the student shows significantly improved work in the course or on the comprehensive final exam.

The Assignment Bonus

Assignments will be assigned on a near-daily basis, since doing assignments thoughtfully and conscientiously is one of the keys to success in this course. Through assignments students get the needed practice of application of the concepts. Because the instructor desires to strongly encourage a diligent effort on assignments, students who turn in each of their assignments with no more than three assignments submitted late, will be awarded an additional 10% on the assignment grade!

The Tests and Quizzes Tests and frequent short quizzes will be given in this course. Approximately one announced quiz will be given each week in which there is no test. In general, the announced quizzes will consist of questions on the assigned text readings or assignment-like problems. The most likely time of the three tests will be:
Test 1: First Week of October Test 2: First Week of November Test 3: First or Second Week of December
Problems that appear on the tests will be more varied in nature, ranging from assignment-like problems to problems that require a deeper synthesis of ideas and from true or false questions to short-answer questions.

The Final Exam Because the "first hour and first day of class meeting determines the final examination hour and day", the comprehensive final exam will be during the regularly scheduled final exam period, Tuesday, December 16, from 10:00 to 11:50 am, on the second day of Fall Term finals. By Berea College policy, no instructor can reschedule a final exam on his or her own, so please plan now to take it then.

The Attendance Policy Class lectures, discussions, and in-class computer work are considered to be a vital key to success in this course. It is the hope of the instructor that class sessions are both informative and useful, therefore attendance is expected at each class session unless a specific exception is made. This policy will be enforced in several ways. Quizzes may be announced or occasionally "popped," and because the lowest quiz grade will be dropped, under nearly all circumstances, make-up quizzes will not be given. Likewise, make-up tests will under almost no circumstances be given, so missed tests will therefore count as the student's dropped 100 points. Absences from class are noted, and repeated absences will adversely affect the student's grade. The final grade may be lowered by one third of a letter grade for each absence after the fourth. Thus, it is the responsibility of the student to speak to the instructor about each absence from class. This should be done as soon as possible, and if at all possible before the absence occurs. Students who miss class are held responsible for all of the material covered, assigned, and collected during their absence.

The Class Atmosphere The members of this class constitute a learning community. Learning in such a community best takes place in an atmosphere in which instructor and the students treat everyone with mutual respect. Students need not always raise their hands in order to ask questions or to make comments, but they should not interrupt the instructor or fellow students in doing so. Students typically find the atmosphere set by the instructor to be a sometimes playful and nearly always relaxed one, but students will still need to work hard and consistently both in and out of class in order to do well. If at anytime you have thoughts, comments, or suggestions about how the class atmosphere could be improved or made into one which is more supportive of your learning, please come by or drop me a note about it. I welcome such suggestions.

On Homework Collection All written work should be neat, organized, and should show sufficiently many steps to demonstrate a clear understanding of the techniques used. Homework is due at the beginning of class on the announced date due. If a student must miss class due to either a sickness or a planned absence, homework assignments are still expected to be submitted on time. Homework assignments are all posted on the web and may be requested in advance. Late homework assignments will be accepted for reduced credit up until the assignment is returned, and late work must be labeled as late. Written or printed assignments may be turned in before class or at the instructor's office, but should NOT be sent through the CPO, attached in email, or given to a student assistant. A selection of the assignment problems will be graded for credit, and assignments not meeting the above standards may receive reduced credit.

On Teamwork Learning to work in teams effectively is strongly encouraged. Some assignments may be specifically designed for teamwork, others for individual work, but on most assignments you can choose to work alone or in a team. All assignments must clearly include all of the authors' names at the top of each page. On any assignment in which half or more of the work was completed in a team, a single copy of the assignment should be handed in with all of the team's participants listed as authors. Teams can generally consist of one, two, or three members due to the nature of the work in this course. Unless otherwise stated, teams shall not consist of more than three members for most work. On any assignment where less than half of the work was completed in a team, individual assignments should be handed in with the author acknowledging all of the help received for each problem. This includes significant help received from the instructor or in the Math/CS Lab Consultants. Note that the instructor or a Math/CS Lab Consultant may help with assignments or labs, and while this help should not be acknowledged as co-authorship, it should still be mentioned. This is meant to be a sharing process; do not "give credit" to other students who have not attempted to contribute to the work or to the team's work, because it is ultimately not a help for the student who did not contribute to the work. Thoughtful practice, not (even mindful) copying, is ultimately the best way to learn. Note that on all team-completed assignments, students must describe the roles played by each author on the assignment. Warning: Please be careful to conform to these standards for teamwork, since they are designed to encourage good learning practices. (Furthermore, copying another's work or otherwise failing to adhere to these standards may even result in a charge of academic dishonesty.)

For Additional Help The teaching assistant for this course will be Jolene Wee. Jolene will be able to answer questions about the mathematical and computational content in the course during consultations in the Math/CS Lab. Located in Draper 302, the Math/CS Lab is open each Sunday from 6:00 to 7:45 PM and each Monday through Thursday 7:00 to 9:15 PM (except on evenings of convocations when it closes early). Students are strongly encouraged to make use of the help available in the Math/CS Lab, as well as in the instructor's office hours. Best results are obtained trying to solve problems alone or in a group before asking for help, so in either place, students should be prepared to show what they have already tried. Topics in this course build throughout the course, so students should be sure to do their best to keep up with the class, so as to not get behind and possibly forever lost. No question to which one does not know the answer is "dumb" unless it goes unanswered because it remained unasked.