Mayflower Hill 5830, Waterville ME 04901 Phone 207-859-5831 Fax 207-859-5846

Welcome to the Colby family!

The Colby Department of Mathematics offers courses in mathematics and statistics to a wide range of Colby students, ranging from those who just want to take one or two more quantitative courses to those who want to major in the mathematical sciences. As a new student, we know you have questions; these pages are our attempt to answer some of them and to tell you where to go for more answers.

• Check out the mathematics course information below. There are many helpful things you will find, including mathematics course requirements for majors in other departments (such as economics and various sciences).
• For many students, calculus is the first mathematics course to take. Here are three steps towards choosing the Colby calculus course that is best for you:
  1. Fill out the questionnaire. Every student considering calculus in the fall should return a completed questionnaire. If you like, you can download the questionnaire in pdf format, but it's much easier for us (and for you) if you fill it out online.
  2. Read the section on "mathematics course information for first year students" below to familiarize yourself with our offerings.
  3. Work through the calculus placement worksheet and see what course is recommended for you. When choosing between a harder course and an easier course, we suggest you try the harder course for a few days. If you feel it is too hard at that time you can move to the easier course.
• If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask! You can contact Ben Mathes at dbmathes AT colby DOT edu, or by phone at (207) 859-5839. Email is the better option in the summer.
• When you arrive at Colby we encourage you to show up at the department or at the informational meeting held during orientation. Take early advantage of the close student-faculty relationship that we cherish here!

Mathematics course information for first year students.

Mathematics course requirements.

Several departments require one or more mathematics courses for fulfillment of their departmental majors or minors. If you are interested in a particular subject you should thoroughly read the section in the Colby Course Catalogue that details the requirements for a major or a minor in that subject. Below we reproduce some of the mathematics requirements for majors in various subjects. Read the information below in tandem with the course catalog, not as a substitute!

• Biology. Major requires Mathematics 121 or 161 or equivalent; one additional course numbered 122 or higher (excluding seminars) is also required. (Catalog entry for Biology.)
• Chemistry. Major requires one year of calculus. Any of the following combinations will satisfy the mathematics requirements for a Chemistry major: 121 and 122; 101, 102, and 122; 161 and 122; 161 and 162. (Catalog entry for Chemistry.)
• Computer Science. Major requires two courses chosen from Mathematics 121 or 131 or 161; 122 or 162; 231; 253; 274; 332. (Catalog entry for Computer Science.)
• Economics. Major requires Mathematics 101 and 102 or 121 or 161 or equivalent; either 231 or the two course sequence 381/382 is also required. (Catalog entry for Economics.)
• Geology. Specific requirements vary among the specialities, but most require the same mathematics courses as chemistry (see above). In addition, the major also requires Mathematics 212 (or 231). (Catalog entry for Geology.)
• Physics. Major requires four of the following courses: Mathematics 101 and 102, or 121, or 161; 122 or 162; 253; 302; 311. (Catalog entry for Physics.)
• Mathematics. A year of calculus is required to begin. Mathematics 274 and 253 generally follow the calculus, with more advanced courses coming later. (Catalog entry for Mathematics.) The majors are described at: (Mathematics majors and minor.)

Any major requirement of Mathematics 121 is also satisfied by taking Mathematics 101 and 102, 122, or 161.

The Q requirement.

Most first-year mathematics courses satisfy the "quantitative reasoning" distribution requirement. However, so do some courses in Philosophy, Computer Science and elsewhere. These courses are indicated by a "Q" in the course catalogue.

Calculus Options

• MA101. The Math 101/102 sequence is equivalent to Math 121. This course sequence is designed to serve the needs of calculus students who are weak in algebra and trigonometry skills. The slower pace of Math 101/102 allows students to acquire or strengthen these necessary skills along with the calculus and then be prepared to move on to Math 122. It is expected that all students who take Math 101 in the fall will also take Math 102 the following January.
• MA121. This is the beginning of the mainstream calculus sequence. Its main goal is to lead students to a sufficient grasp of the concepts of the calculus allied with some computational skills. Students continuing their study of mathematics normally choose 122 after this course.
• MA122. This is the choice of students who have had a year of calculus in high school, have done well, and are mainly interested in the applications, rather than the intellectual foundations, of calculus. This course presumes that students know the basics of integration and differentiation and the fundamental transcendental functions (sine, cosine, exponential, and logarithm). Students continuing their study of mathematics normally choose 253 or 274 after this course.
• MA161. This is the first course of the honors calculus sequence at Colby. It is a synthesized approach to the calculus of one and several variables presented as a deductive mathematical theory, with emphasis on concepts, theorems and their proofs. Most students who enter this course have had a full year of calculus in high school. Students continuing their study of mathematics normally choose Math 162 after this course. Many continuing students choose to take Math 253 in addition to Math 162 after this course. Students who successfully complete the 161/162 sequence may sometimes proceed to more advanced mathematics courses without taking Mathematics 274.

Other (Non-Calculus) Options

• MA110. An elementary liberal arts statistics course that focuses on statistical literacy, that is, on the intelligent assessment of data and on using data in decision-making.
• MA212. An elementary statistics course designed primarily for the sciences. This course is in high demand by upper class science majors who constitute most of its population.
• MA231. An elementary statistics and regression analysis course that requires knowledge of calculus. First year students who take this course in the Fall must have completed a course equivalent to Mathematics 121 before entering Colby.
• MA253 or MA274. These are both very ambitious choices that do make sense for some incoming students. However, we have seen several first year students who have chosen one of these courses but who would have been better served by choosing 122 or 161. If you are considering either MA253 or MA274, we ask that you come see us during the orientation period to talk about it.