This course deals with nature of mathematics, appreciation of its practical, intellectual and aesthetic dimensions, and applications mathematical tools in daily life. This course begins with an introduction to the nature of mathematics as an exploration of patterns (in nature and the environment) and as application of inductive and deductive reasoning. By exploring these topics the students are encourage to go beyond the typical understanding of mathematics as merely a set of formulas but as source of aesthetic in patterns of nature governed by logic and reasoning.
The course then proceed to survey ways in which mathematics provides a tool for understanding and dealing with various aspect of present day living, such as managing personal finances, making social choices, appreciating geometric design, understanding codes used in data transmission and security and dividing limited resources fairly.