Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts and tools of calculus and statistics.
Ability to use such tools to study graphs of functions and solve problems related with the study of functions.
Ability to apply such tools to the study of experiments (to create models and/or provide the correct interpretations of the data).
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic mathematics.
The playlist (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsIU9zg83sZOBUlyqcHL8mCtiyu0YwOWF) may be useful. Warning: it is in Italian.
Course unit content
Basic notions of set theory and
mathematical logic. Real numbers. Real
functions of a real variable and their
properties. Limits, continuity,
differentiability, and Riemann integrability.
Brief introduction to
Statistics.
Full programme
Naturals, integers, rationals and reals: : definition, operations and their properties, powers with rational exponent. Intervals and neighbourhoods in the real line. Equations, inequalities and absolute value.
Funtions: definition, domain, codomain and image. Injectivity, surjectivity, bijectivity. Inverse of a bijective function. Composition of functions: definition and properties, properties and unicity of the inverse function. Graph of a function. Algebraic (polynomial) functions): linear, quadratic, monomial functions, data interpolation, even and odd functions. Monotonic funstions: (not) increasing, (not) decreasing, inveritibility of a monotonic function. Supremum, infimum, maximum and minimum of a subset of R, bounded functions, (local and global) maxima and minima of a real function.
Limits and continuity: definition, right and left limit, properties and limit calculus, indeterminated forms. Continuity of a real function: definition, continuity of polynomial and rational functions, vertical and horizontal asimptotes. Theorems on limits and continuity: continuity of composition, Weierstrass, existence of zeroes, permanence of sign, mid-value theorem, invertibility of continue functions, continuity of inverse function.
Trascendental functions: exponential, logaritmic and trigonometric functions: definition, properties (injectivity, surjectivity, continuity, invertibility), data interpolation.
Differential calculus: derivative of a function, right and left derivative, derivability and continuity, derivatives of algebraic and trascendental functions. Derivative calculus: derivative for sum, product, composition and quotient and for the inverse function. Theorems of Fermat, Rolle, Cauchy and Lagrange. Applications: rule of de l'Hopital and limit calculus, Taylor development, qualitative study of the graph of a function, monotonicity, maxima and minima.
Antiderivative calculus: definition, properties, additivity and linearity. Antiderivatives formulas for algebraic and trascendental functions. Fundamental theorems of calculus, mean value theorem. Integration methods: by parts and by substitution.
Statistics: mean, variance, distributions., regression line, Pearson coefficient, T test and chi-square test.
Bibliography
Abate M. "Matematica e statistica - Le basi per le scienze della vita" Mc Graw Hill Ed.
Teaching methods
Lectures will be held at the University. The full course is anyhow available online: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLApKuB-HooHJFohQvUv3ID5fUZDyv-8EV (lessons from 45 to 50 are NOT part of the course)
It is anyhow reccomended to come to the lectures at the University and use the videos just as a supplementar material.
During the lectures we shall describe the basic objects and tools of calculus and statistics,
together with numerous examples and exercise to improve the understanding and to show how to apply them to the resolution of numerical exercises. There will be weekly exercise sessions to recall some basic notions and to provide more examples and exercises.
Students with difficulties (OFA) will have additional lectures.
Assessment methods and criteria
Test to check basic knowledge: 25m, 6 multiple choice questions.
Written exam to check the ability to apply the basic tools of calculus to the solution of concrete numerical exercises: 1h30, 3 exercises.
(Non-compulsory) oral exam to verify the knowledge and understanding of the basic definitions and theorems of calculus.
Other information
Students' meetings: weekly. The timetable will be decided at the start of the course.
