Mathematics

“One of the pleasures of looking at the world through mathematical eyes is that you can see certain patterns that would otherwise be hidden.”Steven Strogatz ’76 Author of The Calculus of Friendship

The Loomis Chaffee Mathematics Department values the practical reasons for studying mathematics and aims to share a deep appreciation for the abstract beauty of mathematics. Through class discussions, group work, and problem solving, our teachers encourage you to explore the concepts that spring from our fundamental ideas concerning magnitude, quantity, shape, structure, and reasoning.

Key Highlights

We’ll meet you where you are and encourage you to think deeply about math no matter what your level.
We aim to build strong math skills for our students at all levels.
We believe there is no one single path for math students so we offer a variety of opportunities to choose from as you grow as a math student.
Small class sizes allow teachers to really get to know you and work with you closely.

Featured Courses

Topics in Discrete Mathematics

This course explores multiple real-life mathematical applications and the theory behind them. Topics include voting/election theory, the mathematics of fair division, and the mathematics of apportionment pertaining to government bodies. As time permits, students will also explore further topics including financial literacy, gerrymandering, electoral college system, graph theory, and the mathematics of scheduling. This course is designed for both those who intend to take statistics and those who have an interest in an elective mathematics course strongly based in theory and real-world applications.

CL Linear Algebra

Linear Algebra is intended for students who have distinguished themselves in their study of mathematics. The course begins by exploring linear systems and matrices, focusing on determinants and other matrix properties. The study of matrices prepares the class for its study of the main objects of linear algebra: vector spaces and linear transformations. By approaching the subject this way, the class serves as an introduction to conceptual mathematical systems that form the basis of abstract algebra. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on learning the structure of formal mathematical proof writing. Topics that are typically covered in addition to vector spaces and linear transformations are set theory, eigenvectors, and inner product spaces.

CL Mathematical Modeling with Differential Equations

This course gives a comprehensive introduction to ordinary differential equations with an emphasis on the applications of differential equations in a variety of fields. Students will develop, simulate, and analyze dynamic mathematical models (models that study how processes change in time) utilizing differential equations and technology to understand the behavior of various biological, ecological, physiological, and medical problems. Topics covered include first order differential equations, phase planes and bifurcation diagrams, higher order differential equations, Laplace transforms, numerical methods, boundary value and initial value problems, qualitative analysis of solutions, and applications of differential equations. Students will leverage Matlab and Simulink software to visualize and solve differential equations.