Math 214-04. Foundations of Higher Mathematics, Fall 2025

Instructor: Chi-Kwong Li

Meeting time and place: TT 2:00 - 3:20 pm. John E. Boswell Hall 37
Office: Jones 128, Tel: 221-2042
E-mail: ckli@math.wm.edu, http://cklixx.people.wm.edu
Office hours: TWR 11:00 a.m. - noon or by appointments.

Course description:

The goal of the course is to provide training for the mathematical background to study advanced courses,
which require abstract thinking and to understand and write proofs for mathematical statements.
The course will cover the first 12 chapters (Chapter 0 - 11, starting from 0!) of the following required textbook.

• G. Chartrand, A.D. Polimeni, P. Zhang, Mathematical Proofs, A transition to advanced mathematics, Any Edition after 2020. Addison Wesley, New York. http://www.amazon.com/Mathematical-Proofs-Transition-Advanced-Mathematics/dp/0321797094

Homework

There is a weekly homework set due at midnight Saturday starting Sept. 6, 2025.
Homework help sessions will be conducted. (Thursday 3:30-4:30 Jones 131.)
Of course, help is also available at office hours.
You may use AI to help do your homework. But you should present the answers using the notation and techniques discussed in class.
Also, you should make sure that you understand the solutions so that you could answer similar questions in the exams.
AI may give a wrong answer. If you can point out the mistakes and explain why, you will get extra credits.

LaTex

You may use LaTex to typset mathematical document (5% extra credits for each homeork set). LaTex is an excellent skill to acquire.
I will supply the LaTex source file for the homework sets.
You may use the online program Overleaf to run your file.

Challenging problems will be assigned from time to time;
extra-credits will be given to successful (or partially successful) attempts.

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Assessment

     Exams:  Exam 1     Oct.  6     1:20 hrs  (14:00-15:20)      
             Exam 2     Nov. 17     1:20 hrs  (14:00-15:20)
             Final      Dec. 12     3    hrs  (14:00-17:00)

     Grades (for homework, quizzes, exams, final grade, etc.):    

     %: 0 - 60 - 65 - 70 - 75 - 80 - 83 - 87 - 90 - 93 - 100
          F    D    C-   C    C+   B-   B    B+   A-    A
     

     Assessment: Homework  Exam. 1   Exam. 2    Final

                   20%       25%       25%       30%
   
               (Extra credit problems may add up to another 5%) 

Classnotes, homework list, and zoom links, etc. are posted on blackboard.