Math Connections in Finance and Science – (Grade 8-10 Students)
Vision:
To inspire a generation of budding Mathematicians through exposure to a wide range of Math Applications in Finance and Science, potentially leading to a career in a field related to Finance (e.g. financial or business analyst, investment advisor, accountant, risk management actuary) or Science (e.g. engineer, medical practitioner, pharmacologist, geophysicist, geneticist).
Course Outline:
Finance and Science abound with applications of mathematics, and each week, in class, we will cover stimulating material in these two areas.
In revealing the connections to math, diverse tools will be used, including Algebra, Exponents, Logarithms, Geometry, Trigonometry, Combinatorics, Topology, Probability, Statistics and some introductory elements of Calculus. These will all be introduced in an intuitive and practical manner, accessible to any enthusiastic student in Grade 8, 9 or 10. A major focus will be in-class experiments, demonstrating the various science applications, as well as a visit by a senior financial advisor.
The course will include numerous mathematical brain-teasers to sharpen the wits, and there will be modest assignments each week, to be completed on a voluntary basis. Attendance will be taken—and enthusiastic involvement encouraged. There will be no formal evaluations, tests or exams.
A Certificate of Accomplishment or a Certificate of Attendance will be awarded, at the end of the course, to reflect each student’s participation.
A tentative syllabus includes the following topics in Finance and Science:
Finance:
Basics of Banking and Investments:
- Key Market Terminology Explained
- Lending and Borrowing
- Mortgages, Leases and other Annuities
- Types of Investments (Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, etc.)
- Risk and Return
- Tracking Market Fluctuations of a Range of Investments (ongoing team activity
Cost, Revenue and Profit (including case studies):
- Interest and Inflation (Time Value of Money)
- Financial Projections
- Net Present Value Calculations
Combinatorics, Probability and Statistics:
- Combinatorics and Chance
- Experiments in Probability
- Applications of Statistics
- Mathematics and Probability applied to Card Tricks
2024/25 Course Information
This course will be offered September 25th, 2024 – April 2025 on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Instructor: Gang Li gli@math.carleton.ca
Class Location: Richcraft Hall , Room 1200.
Maximum enrollment is 40 students per class. We reserve the right to cancel the course with a full refund if minimum enrollment is not reached.
Registration Information
Registration for the 2024–2025 academic year is now closed. Registration for 2025–2026 will open in May 2025.
For students with limited financial resources fee waivers may be available.
If you intend to apply for a fee waiver, please do NOT complete the regular registration. If you register for a course and then get approval for a fee waiver, there will be a non-refundable administration fee of $25 per registration.
Fee Waiver Information and Application
Refund Policy
100% refund prior to August 31st
95% refund prior to September 30th
75% refund prior to October 31st
50% refund prior to November 30th
To request refund, please complete this form before the deadline.
Inquiries
For more information, please write to math.connections.beyond@gmail.com
**Please note we are unable to answer any enquiries by phone.**