Math Electives

[Stuxnet]

History of Math
Discrete Math

Economics ties in nicely, too, and it's really easy to relate to current events and their own personal lives. As a mathematician, I always like econ - it's where math and the social sciences meet.

 

[thepd7]

Actually, my favorite elective in school was a math elective - engineering economics. It was basically just a interest/financial type class. I don't know why it had engineering in the title...probably so they could call it an engineering tech elective. But the actual math isn't hard at all, definitely doesn't require any prior calc knowledge or anything. Probably no class relates more to my everyday life ($$$) than that class.

The only other thing that comes to mind is fuzzy logic or neural networks, but although those involve math, I guess I wouldn't really call them math classes.

Engineering economics was very useful, especially since the professor would go off on tangents about personal finances almost every day.

Thirded

 

[DrPizza]

Wow, thanks for all the great ideas.

 

[7window]

I had my son read your post and he said they don't offer math electives in his school. However he suggested algebra or business math?
I recommend bus. math. myself.

 

[IronWing]

Practical Geometry or Applied Geometry - a course on applying the principles learned in geometry and trig to real world examples. How to determine the area of an irregular lot, how to build a simple building, design a sloping roof, measure distance on a map, find the volume of a bucket, cut materials, simple everyday problems that are solved using geometry/trig. Maybe get into simple engineering problems like designing culverts.

Also, another vote for a financial mathematics course.

 

[tmc]

combinatorics (combinatorial enumeration) - counting might be fascinating!!!

 

[Fenixgoon]

I'm trying to come up with some new ideas for math electives for a new course to teach. As the people here come from a wide variety of backgrounds, I'm interested in knowing what non-typical math electives your school had available for students. The target audience of such an elective would be students not necessarily strong enough in math to take a more rigorous pre-calculus class.

ideas I've had so far: a non-AP level probability and statistics course
a programming course

But, thought that there might be a really good idea out there that I haven't thought of. Thanks.

statistics here.

if you can swing it, a programming course in matlab/maple/mathcad/etc would be awesome (im assuming the kids in that elective would be interested in math, engineering, compsci, etc.)

introduction to differential equations might be good (with a focus on practical problems).

 

[Juked07]

Probability is good. Learning to think probabilistically is hugely useful for life.

Also, I took a discrete math class in HS. It wasn't too terribly hard, just a very different direction from algebra/calc. I think it had some basic set theory, counting problems, some sort of finite geometry system, etc.

 

[Soccerman06]

Statics (not statistics), make the students understand the math behind the physics and then have them build something interesting. Like roof framing and have them do the math for best weight/strength ratio. Then test it by putting weights on a jig over the structure and see who wins, offer the winner something interesting.

AEM 2011 - Statics
(3.0 cr; Prereq-PHYS 1301W, [&Math 2374 or equiv], CSE; A-F or Aud, fall, spring, summer, every year)
Force/moment vectors, resultants. Principles of statics and free-body diagrams. Applications to simple trusses, frames, and machines. Distributed loads. Internal forces in beams. Properties of areas, second moments. Laws of friction.

Edit: Of course you might wanna stay away from the harder stuff, mainly stay on the sin/cos x angle stuff.

 

[jman19]

Does it have to be a "math" course? What about Sports Physics? My HS had this class and it was pretty popular...

 

[DaveSimmons]

This may be too high level, and I only took these in college, but material from these could be fun:
- numerical analysis (the simpler approximation functions)
- operations research (optimization problems)

Or: as a grad student at UW I was an RA for a professor who used image manipulation software (warping / morphing, pixel changes to black & white bitmaps) to get local high school kids interested in math.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Accounting or Finance. Both very important subjects.