Applied Mathematics for the Social Sciences

Recommended Prerequisites

NA

Teaching Methods

Methodologies:

Lectures will be theoretical and practical. Theoretical lectures will be expositive, using the technology available at the classrooms.

Learning Outcomes

This course unit aims at conveying contents enabling the development of the students’ abilities with regards to:

- The use of Mathematics as a tool to interpret and act upon real life situations;

- Formulation and resolution of simple problems in the field of Social Sciences;

- Interpretation of texts written in the language of mathematics, 

- Communication and critical thinking;

- The use of the new information and communication technologies.

Students are expected to acquire the following competences:

- Recognize the use of different methods to support decision making in the context of the mathematical theory of elections and understand fair division procedures;

- Distinguish different types of models: static versus dynamic, deterministic versus random, linear versus nonlinear;

- Explore and solve issues of financial models;

- Analyze population growth models: linear, exponential and logistic;

- Apply the techniques of descriptive statistics;

- Solve problems using probabilities.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Discrete mathematics in decision theory
- Mathematical theory of elections
- Fair division procedures
2. Mathematical modeling
- Financial models
- Population growth models
3. Statistics
4. Probability

Head Lecturer(s)

Rui Jorge Gama Fernandes

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Works in class: 50%. Final exams: 50%: 100.0%

Bibliography

Simões, Manuela (2015), MACS 10 – Matemática Aplicada às Ciências Sociais -, 10º ano, Manual. Porto: Areal Editores, SA.

Simões, Manuela (2015), MACS 10 – Matemática Aplicada às Ciências Sociais -, 10º ano, Caderno de Atividades. Porto: Areal Editores, SA.

Cruchinho, Cristina. & Simões, Manuela (2015), MACS 11 – Matemática Aplicada às Ciências Sociais -, 11º ano, Manual. Porto: Areal Editores, SA.

Cruchinho, Cristina. & Simões, Manuela (2013), MACS 11 – Matemática Aplicada às Ciências Sociais -, 11º ano, Caderno de Atividades. Porto: Areal Editores, SA.