Applied Math: Arithmetic in the "Real World"

Students in Jim Sweeney’s Applied Math just bought some cars. No...not in real life. Students researched car prices, learned about how car loans work, and looked at the difference in interest rates and length of the loan vs. payment and interest amounts (so, basically, the project included every aspect of buying a car except the test drive). In projects like this one, Applied Math students learn deeply about the everyday math that shapes our lives, from the economy and personal finance to energy use calculations and spatial planning.

At its heart, Applied Math is about data collection, analysis, and visualization. Students learn to read, understand, and produce graphic representations of data sets as they examine topics from current events or campus life. “We are always focused on the same basic goals every year,” says Jim, “but I change up the projects every year to reflect what is going on in the world. I want to keep it topical and exciting.” 

This semester, the class is using the solar panel construction project on campus as a focus of study. “The students can actually look out the window and see mathematical concepts in use,” says Jim. “We have used unit conversation to calculate the area of the panels and calculated how much energy each panel produced based on kilowatts generated per square foot... we dug into the school’s energy use data and asked what it will take for our campus to get to Net Zero Energy status, and then conducted a cost/benefit analysis that included depreciation. We have basically taken a ‘soup to nuts’ look at the math behind these solar arrays, and we hope to use our findings to talk with other schools about how they can make this kind of sustainability project work for them.”

Applied Math touches many other disciplines, with particular overlap in the social sciences. In election years, students have looked at the mathematics of voting, polls, and demographics. Class discussions often turn to economics, on both macro and micro levels. “We do a variation of a stock market game, with students choosing what to invest in and then tracking their shares in a spreadsheet over time,” says Jim. The news often provides opportunities to look at the impact of math on daily life: the mechanics of inflation, supply chain issues, and fluctuating gas prices are just a sampling of topics that have come up recently. 

The variety of topics covered allows Jim to bring in guest speakers who can talk about the ways in which these mathematical concepts are applied in their fields. Ted Walsh of Solar Craft visited to speak about the solar array project, and John Lee (Archie Lee ‘22) came in to share insight about his work as a Certified Financial Advisor with Vantage Wealth Management. 

Jim is passionate about using math to look at issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well. For example, the students have examined the wide gap in the cost of credit to people of different socioeconomic status, the impact of predatory payday lending practices, and the challenges presented by ATM deserts in low income communities. “My hope is for the students to understand how these issues affect real people,” Jim says. “It is not just academic, it is life or death.” 

There is a lot of lightness and fun to accompany the serious data-crunching in this course. Every year, Jim presents a unit on probability using games and gambling. “This year, I think I’m going to use craps,” he says. “It’s good for the students to know that the house always wins...and more importantly, why the house always wins!”