This course is an introduction to modern mathematics and its applications. The objective is to give the students an appreciation for the variety of the discipline. The distinctive feature of this course is that it treats mathematics as a whole, and highlights topics that are not part of te standard first year mathematics curriculum.

Topics may include:

• logic and computers,
• symmetry in science,
• prime numbers and cryptology,
• finite fields and communication error,
• knots,
• surfaces and the shape of space.