Mathematics and Statistics
www.ufv.ca/math

“Mathematics compares the most diverse phenomena and discovers the secret analogies that unite them.”
— Joseph Fourier

What is mathematics? Anyone who has taken a science or business course knows one answer: mathematics is a language. In any discipline in which quantity plays a role (such as chemistry, economics, sociology, or engineering), mathematics is used to both communicate and reason. To make oneself understood in any such discipline, and even to comprehend our technological society, one must be able to “speak” mathematics.

Mathematics has also been called a science, the science of reason. Here the laboratory is in the mind, and the apparatus is that of logic and deduction. The inventions made here rarely stay in the lab for long before they find application, and by no means have all the discoveries been made! The mathematical methods behind compact disk players, airline scheduling, satellite communications and modern genetics have all been discovered quite recently. Of course, the ability to reason carefully and analytically is as important outside mathematics as within, and taking a math course is a great way to acquire this skill.

Perhaps less familiar is the idea of mathematics as art. Mathematicians often speak of patterns and structure of their discipline as “beautiful” or “subtle”, and even calculus itself has been said to be “... like the full-rigged sailing ship, a classic expression of Western genius.”

UCFV mathematics courses cover the range from pre-college algebraic manipulation skills, through the basic calculus, linear algebra, complex variables and differential equations required to understand physics and engineering, the discrete mathematics required for computer science, to the axiomatic development of algebraic systems and analysis in degree-level mathematics courses.

UCFV statistics courses deal with the mathematical deductions of probability, experimental design, sample surveys, the analysis of real world data, and the application of simple probability models to predicting and forecasting. Courses cover the range from introductory material for students with Grade 11 math to the generalized linear models and survival analysis used in modern biomedical literature.

UCFV offers a major in mathematics, and extended minors and minors in both mathematics and mathematics/statistics as part of its Bachelor of Arts program, and a major in mathematics, and minors in both mathematics and mathematics/statistics as part of its Bachelor of Science program. A minor in mathematics is also available as part of UCFV's Bachelor of Computer Information Systems program. Mathematics and statistics courses taken to satisfy Bachelor of Arts extended minor/minor requirements will be counted as Arts subjects.

Students pursuing a minor or major degree in mathematics should note that not all courses will be offered every year. In order to increase the availability of upper-level courses, students should:

a) Take at least four 200-level Mathematics courses during their second year.
b) Take an introductory statistics course such as MATH 270 in their second or third year. Students pursuing the statistics option of a math degree should take MATH 270 in their second year.

• Mathematics major (for BA students)

• Mathematics extended minor (for BA students)

• Mathematics minor (for BA and BGS students)

• Mathematics extended minor (Statistics option) (for BA students)

• Mathematics minor (Statistics option) (for BA and BGS students)

• Mathematics minor (for BCIS students)

• Mathematics major (for BSc students)

• Mathematics minor (for BSc students)

• Mathematics minor (Statistics option) (for BSc students)

Math Centre

UCFV is committed to helping students succeed in their study of mathematics. The Math Centres in Abbotsford and Chilliwack are open at various times throughout the week, Monday to Friday. Students are encouraged to come to the centres for help with math questions. Videos are available for courses below the 100-level and for introductory statistics. Computer software, including versions of MAPLE and MINITAB, is available on centre computers for student use. Students may also sign out math books to supplement their course work.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.

Note: The required grade in all Grade 12 prerequisites must include the provincial exam component