The Numeracy course at the University of Illinois :

Overview of the course :

Syllabus and Textbook
The Course Catalog Entry for Math 118
Nigel Boston's 118 homeworks

Topics covered :

Thinking Logically

Real world arguments rarely are clean and simple. To undestand them, you need the ability to organize your thoughts through logic.

• What is a fallacy ? Look at the Nizkor Project's explanation.

Are the conclusions we reach always based on logic ? What if we twist the rules to get into situations ? Like Monty Python and the Holy Grail ....
• Look at Megamath's examples of Faulty Logic

There are also fallacies that misuse numbers. Haven't you oftenwondered what they mean when they say things like `Brand X is 20% better than the regular brand ?' on T.V. ?
Percentages lend themselves to many fallacies - how comfortable would you feel if your employer asked you to take a lie detector test ? Are polygrahs accurate ?
• This site on the net doesn't think so. Its latest product is called :
  How to beat the lie-detector test
• What about AIDS testing ?



Thinking Quantitatively

What do you do when you have to choose a credit card or buy a new car ? To make those decisions you need to be able to think quantitatively to decide what the best deal is.

• Here are some figures on choosing a credit card

What if an AT&T representative calls you and offers you $100 to switch. This is a popular tactic the long distance companies are using today.

Suppose your great-grandfather had borrowed $10 from a friend of his a hundred years ago at an interest of 2% anually. What would you have to pay this friend's great-grandchild to cancel your ancestor's debt ?
• Here's what the Queen of England has to pay for a loan due since 500 years ...

Often the decisions we make involve some uncertainity. Here's a site on the web gives tests and allows you to evaluate your decisions :
• The Decision Lab


Thinking Statistically

We are surrounded by statistical statements. Being able to understand statistical terms and statements may be crucial under some circumstatnces as Stephen Jay Gould shows in his article :
• The Median isn't the message

Ofcourse, according to Mark Twain there are lies, damned lies and statistics. With the media throwing statistics at us, it's important for us to separate fact from fiction supported by cooked-up numbers.
• Untrue Facts is an article which looks at common statistical statements made in the media.

To be able to understand what numbers represent, it is important to be able to identify where potential sources of error may creep in. All polls are based on some representative sample. What kind of errors could occur here ?
• Survey of a Yale class shows a study and points out possible errors.

Intimidated by statistics, people tend to readily accept distorted or false statements. Indeed, sometimes, even people with statistical backgrounds keep silent when confronted with a mass of figures and numbers.
• The Bell Curve is one such case. Read Arnold Barnett's review of it in Genes, Race, IQ & 'The Bell Curve'

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Links to other sources :

Sources of articles :

• The Chance Database
• The New York Times
• The London Times
• The USA Today
• The Mega Math page
• Case Studies in Statistics


Games you can play :

• Minesweeper
• Games clever people (?) play !! ... Nim-type games.
• The Monty Hall problem or The three door game
• Play the Towers of Hanoi game.


Puzzles and Paradoxes :

• Logical Puzzles
• Mathematical Puzzles
• Mathematics of Lewis Carroll
• A simple puzzle
• Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles
• A Puzzle Page


Fun stuff :

• A Math for Fun page
• Math cartoons
• Math in the movies
• Math in Art : Perspective Drawing