Mathematics and Statistics

Website: www.ufv.ca/math

“Mathematics compares the most diverse phenomena and discovers the secret analogies that unite them.”
— Joseph Fourier

What is mathematics? Anyone who has taken a science or business course knows one answer: mathematics is a language. In any discipline in which quantity plays a role (such as chemistry, economics, sociology, or engineering), mathematics is used to both communicate and reason. To make oneself understood in any such discipline, and even to comprehend our technological society, one must be able to “speak” mathematics.

Mathematics has also been called a science, the science of reason. Here the laboratory is in the mind, and the apparatus is that of logic and deduction. The inventions made here rarely stay in the lab for long before they find application, and by no means have all the discoveries been made! The mathematical methods behind compact disk players, airline scheduling, satellite communications and modern genetics have all been discovered quite recently. Of course, the ability to reason carefully and analytically is as important outside mathematics as within, and taking a math course is a great way to acquire this skill.

Perhaps less familiar is the idea of mathematics as art. Mathematicians often speak of patterns and structure of their discipline as “beautiful” or “subtle”, and even calculus itself has been said to be “... like the full-rigged sailing ship, a classic expression of Western genius.”

UCFV mathematics courses cover the range from precollege algebraic manipulation skills, through the basic calculus, linear algebra, complex variables and differential equations required to understand physics and engineering, the discrete mathematics required for computer science, to the axiomatic development of algebraic systems and analysis in degree-level mathematics courses.

UCFV statistics courses deal with the mathematical deductions of probability, experimental design, sample surveys, the analysis of real world data, and the application of simple probability models to predicting and forecasting. Courses cover the range from introductory material for students with Grade 11 math to the generalized linear models and survival analysis used in modern biomedical literature.

UCFV offers a major in mathematics, extended minors and minors in both mathematics and math/statistics as part of its Bachelor of Arts program, and a major in mathematics, and minors in both mathematics and math/ statistics as part of its Bachelor of Science program. For information about the BA Math options refer to the Bachelor of Arts section.

Students pursuing a minor or major degree in mathematics should note that not all courses will be offered every year. In order to increase the availability of upper-level courses, students should:

a) Take at least four 200-level Mathematics courses during their second year.

b) Take an introductory statistics course such as MATH 270 and take MATH 302 in their second or third year. Students pursuing the statistics option of a math degree should take MATH 302 in their second year.

The following program outline is for the Bachelor of Science:

Mathematics major

This section specifies the mathematics major discipline requirements only. See the Bachelor of Science section for additional requirements.

Lower-level requirements: 39–41 credits

One of:

One of:

One pair of courses from the following sequences:

or

or

or

Upper-level requirements: 30 credits

Thirty upper-level credits of mathematics courses labeled above MATH 302. At least nine of these upper-level credits must be 400-level (not including Directed Studies or Job Practicum).

Mathematics minor

This section specifies the mathematics minor discipline requirements only. Students need to combine these minor requirements with another science minor or major other than the mathematics major or mathematics minor (statistics option). See the Bachelor of Science section for additional requirements.

Lower-level requirements

Plus

Plus one course from:

Plus two additional 200-level MATH courses.

Plus one of the following two-semester sequences:

or

or

or

Upper-level requirements

Note: SCI 400 is highly recommended.

Mathematics minor (statistics option)

This section specifies the Mathematics minor (Statistics option) discipline requirements only. Students need to combine these minor requirements with another science minor or major other than the mathematics major or mathematics minor. See the Bachelor of Science section for additional requirements.

Lower-level requirements

One of the following two-semester sequences:

or

Plus

Plus one of the following two-semester sequences:

or

or

or

Plus

Plus one course from

Upper-level requirements

Plus

15 credits from:

Note: SCI 400 is highly recommended.

Note: Not all courses will be available every year, but the department will offer sufficient courses over a two-year cycle for students to complete the requirements for a minor in two years.

Math Centre

UCFV is committed to helping students succeed in their study of mathematics. The Math Centres in Abbotsford and Chilliwack are open at various times throughout the week, Monday to Friday. Students are encouraged to come to the centres for help with math questions. Videos are available for courses below the 100-level; cassette tapes are available for introductory statistics; and computer software, including versions of MAPLE and MINITAB, is available on centre computers for student use. Students may also sign out math books to supplement their course work.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see Course descriptions section.

Note: The required grade in all “Grade 12” prerequisites must include the provincial exam component

Faculty

Gillian Mimmack, BSc (Hons), MSc (Cape Town), MS, PhD (Florida State), Department Head
Velma Alford, BA, Ed. Cert. (Manitoba)
Jane Cannon, BA (Mundelein), MSTM (Santa Clara)
David Chu, BSc, MSc (Concordia), PhD (McGill)
Barry Garner, MA (Oxon), MSc, PhD (Nottingham)
Carollyne Guidera, BSc, MSc (SFU)
Camilo Martinez, BSc, MSc (Havana), PhD (Moscow)
Susan Milner, BA, BSc (Bishops), MSc (McMaster)
Linda Riva, BMath, MMath (Waterloo)
Greg Schlitt, BSc (UBC), MSc (SFU), PhD (McMaster)
Joseph Yu, BSc (Fudan), Dip. CS, MSc, PhD (SFU)

Staff

Rhonda Colwell, BA (UCFV), Department Assistant

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