It is informed by the historical context of the ancient world, and by a modern perspective on problem solving and the uses of technology. The course begins with a study of Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics, and progresses through an intensive study of the classical Greek mathematicians. A balanced emphasis is placed on numerical problems, informal proofs, and formal proofs. Students focus on congruence, similarity, constructions, parallel and perpendicular lines and planes, triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, polyhedra, the Pythagorean theorem, circles, area and volume, prime numbers, and factoring. Both deductive and inductive reasoning are stressed.
Students write their own geometry book as they progress through the course.
Considerable use of computers is required. This course focuses primarily on intermediate and advanced algebra, trigonometry, probability, and statistics. It broadens students earlier study of algebra to include a consideration of polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions, as well as topics from dynamical systems, statics, and probability. Emphasis is placed on transformations of functions, their graphs, conversions from one form to another, domain and range, inverses and composition of function. Students use computers and graphing calculators to investigate and compare the behaviors of functions, to represent and analyze data, and to simulate experiments.