Mathematical Foundations

Introduction

Summer Math Review ("MBA Math Camp") is an intensive one-week review course in basic mathematical analysis to help prepare you for the quantitative material in your MBA courses. You will practice modeling real world scenarios of mathematical con-cepts, and you will see how mathematics can help you understand more about the sce-narios.

Each half-day session is divided into a lecture/discussion period and a team-based prob-lem-solving period. Morning sessions will generally run from 8am until noon. Afternoon sessions will generally run from 1pm until 5pm. You will be notified of any changes to this schedule.
 
You should also plan on spending time in the evenings going over your notes and problems done during the day, preparing the Final Assignment, and listing any questions you have on the day's work.

You will receive course handouts at the beginning of each session. You should bring something to write with and any other note-taking supplies you wish to use. You will need to obtain a good business calculator for the course (and you will also use it during the program). Use of excel to solve problems is also encouraged and will be demon-strated in class.

All sessions will be held in the Dansby classroom.

Additional Resources (Optional)

For Algebra and Calculus

  • Forgotten Calculus, A Refresher Course with Applications to Economics and Business,3rd Edition by B. Bleau, published by Barron's (ISBN 0-7641-1998-2) Obtain via amazon.com
    Units 1-8 comprise an excellent review of algebra with business applications. The Calcu-lus topics that should be covered are found in Units 9-11, 19, and beginnings of Units 22-23 

For Probability and Statistics

  • The Cartoon Guide to Statistics by Gonick and Smith, published by HarperPerenni-al (ISBN 0-06-273102-5)
    This unique paperback covers all the central ideas of modern statistics in an amusing, but also clear manner.
  • Statistics DeMystified-A Self-Teaching Guide by Gibilisco, published by McGraw Hill (ISBN 0-07-143118-7)
    This very understandable paperback covers all the main ideas and also includes lots of quizzes.

For Finance Mathematics

  • Essential Prep  - Finance published by GMAC.
    This online course covers Time Value of Money, Forecasting, Project Evaluation, and Required Rates of Return. It can be ordered at http://www.mba.com/mba/Store

For all Topics

  • Introductory Mathematical Analysis (by Haeussler and Paul)
    There are many textbooks that cover the topics that we go over during Summer Math Review. Introductory Mathematical Analysis is a thorough and readable choice. There are several copies in Fuqua's Ford Library. Please take a look at this text if you want extra problems to do or if you would like to see another way of thinking about a topic. There are answers to the odd problems in the back of the book.

The following topics will be helpful. Generally you will not need to go into as much detail as the book does. The book also has lots of good applications to economics; check the index to find them.

  • Solving Linear and Quadratic Equations
  • Functions and Graphs
  • Lines, Parabolas, and Systems 
  • Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
  • Mathematics of Finance
  • Introduction to Probability, Normal Distribution, Linear Regression
  • Differential Calculus
  • Partial Derivatives
  • Integration