MATH 3356, Quantitative Theory of Interest, Section 001, 10:00 a.m. MWF, Room ELECE 101

Text

The Theory of Interest, by S. Kellison, 3nd Ed.

Web Page

http://www.math.ttu.edu/~xiwang/3356/math3356.html

Instructor

Name: Alex Wang
Office: MA237
Office Hours: 9:00-10:00 am, M-F.
Office Phone: 834-7626
E-mail: alex.wang@ttu.edu

Course Purpose

This course covers the mathematical theory of interest. It is recommended for students who plan to take the professional examinations given by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). This course is required for Actuarial Science minor.

Calculator

A financial calculator is required for this course. I have made a Java script web financial calculator at
http://www.math.ttu.edu/xiwang/3356/TVM.html
which will be used for all the in-class calculations. Students can use it for homework and tests. To use it for the test, students must download the web page on their phone or laptop computer and work off-line. A student can use a laptop computer or a smart phone for tests only if the WIFI connection is disabled and the phone is put in airplane mode.

Course Outline

The information below serves a tentative time line for the material to be covered:
Chapter 1: 8/26-9/11
Chapter 2: 9/13-9/25
Chapter 3: 9/27-10/9
Chapter 4: 10/11-10/28
Chapter 5: 10/30-11/11
Chapter 6: 11/13-12/4

Expected Learning Outcomes

Students obtain the knowledge of key terms of financial mathematics and are proficient in the key procedures of financial mathematics. In particular the students will be able to demonstrate their ability to:

Grading Policy

Homework:

Online homework system WeBWorK is used for this course. The WeBWorK link for this course is at
https://webwork.math.ttu.edu/webwork2/f19xiwangm3356s001/.
Students are encouraged to print out the problems and work them off-line. Answers for any question can be submitted unlimited times before the due time. It is strongly recommended to finish each assignment by its due time. After the due time, the assignment will be closed. If for some reason you can not make 100\% correct on a particular assignment, you can still work on the problem you missed and check whether the answer is correct or not. So please keep working on any uncompleted assignments and keep a paper copy of the correct answers for future submission even after they are closed. All the homework assignments will be re-open on 12/4/2018 until 7:30 am on 12/10/2019 for students to submit answers for credit. Note that this period is only for submitting answers. Do not think you can wait until 12/4/2018 to do any of previous assignments.
The total home work points are determined by

Total Points You Received
Total Available Points
 × 250

Midterm Tests:

Three midterm tests of 150 points each will be administered on the following days:
Test 1: Friday, September 20.
Test 2: Friday, October 18.
Test 3: Friday, November 15.

Final Exam:

The final exam is comprehensive and departmental, and will be worth 300 points. It will be administered on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m.

Grading Scale:

The total points will be calculated as the sum of the Test 1, 2, 3, Homework, and Final Exam. The course grade will be determined by
A: 900-1000
B: 800-899
C: 700-799
D: 600-699
F: 0-599

Class Attendance

Students are cautioned that active participation is necessary for success. Attendance will be taken regularly and is mandatory. Students who have a perfect attendance will receive 10 bonus points. On the other hand, 2 points will be deducted for each unexcused absence after the third one. In addition, the last day of attendance will have to be reported to the Registrar for all the failing grades.

Critical Dates

September 20: Test 1
October 18: Test 2
November 15: Test 3
October 26: Last day to drop
December 10: Final Exam 7:30 a.m.

Absence due to religious observance

The Texas Tech University OP 34.19 states that a student who intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known in writing to the instructor prior to the absence. A student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence. As your instructor, I request that notification be made in writing and submitted no later than the 15th class day of the semester. Absence due to officially approved trips - The Texas Tech University OP 34.04 states department chairpersons, directors, or others responsible for a student representing the university on officially approved trips must notify the student's instructors of the departure and return schedules. The instructor so notified must not penalize the student, although the student is responsible for material missed. Any student absent because of university business must be allowed to make up missed work within a reasonable span of time or have alternate grades substituted for work due to an excused absence. Students absent because of university business must be given the same privileges as other students.

Academic Integrity (extracted from OP 34.12):

It is the aim of the faculty of Texas Tech University to foster a spirit of complete honesty and high standard of integrity. The attempt of students to present as their own any work not honestly performed is regarded by the faculty and administration as a most serious offense and renders the offenders liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but it not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, misrepresenting facts, and any act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student (such as, but not limited to, submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor) or the attempt to commit such an act.

Civility in the Classroom

Incivility is any action that interferes with the classroom learning environment. This includes, but is not limited to arriving late, leaving early, not closing/putting aside the cell phone, text messaging, sleeping, chatting during class, disturbing others with noise, dominating the class discussion. Be respectful to the instructor and to your fellow students, or you may be asked to leave the classroom.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities (extracted from OP 34.22)

Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make the necessary arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor's office hours. Please note instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until the appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the Student Disability Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.