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Has anyone here applied to sit a Part III paper on an area of their own choosing, e.g. not even on the notes of a course given in a previous year?

If so, I'd be interested to hear your experiences. I've read Tom Körner's guide, and sitting a paper on material in a chosen book, on an area not taught at Part III, seems as if it could be amazingly useful preparation for doing a PhD.

What kind of help do you get, or obstacles do you experience, in choosing a field, getting a paper set, and then studying the stuff?
Reply 2121
Hello TSR, I really need your help! I am currently a year 11 student wanting to study mathematics at a prestigious university (Cambridge), I feel as though I have no chance even though I haven't done my A-levels. I feel confident and motivated to do well but I am afraid to face the realty of it (it's hard). Is there anything I can do to increase my chances, e.g. Extra studying materials or tutorials etc.
If anyone with any experience or further knowledge please comment below as all will help.


Ps: I am new to this website so please no rude or insulting feedback, thanks.
Original post by 19Luke96
Hello TSR, I really need your help! I am currently a year 11 student wanting to study mathematics at a prestigious university (Cambridge), I feel as though I have no chance even though I haven't done my A-levels. I feel confident and motivated to do well but I am afraid to face the realty of it (it's hard). Is there anything I can do to increase my chances, e.g. Extra studying materials or tutorials etc.
If anyone with any experience or further knowledge please comment below as all will help.

Ps: I am new to this website so please no rude or insulting feedback, thanks.


Hi. The first thing you need to do is to get some decent A Level textbooks, such as the 4 by Bostock and Chandler (2 pure, 2 applied). These are hugely better than the books that are published nowadays. They have tough questions at the end of each chapter, which is exactly what you need.

I've sent you a PM with some more advice, which I hope is of some help!
Original post by 19Luke96
Hello TSR, I really need your help! I am currently a year 11 student wanting to study mathematics at a prestigious university (Cambridge), I feel as though I have no chance even though I haven't done my A-levels. I feel confident and motivated to do well but I am afraid to face the realty of it (it's hard). Is there anything I can do to increase my chances, e.g. Extra studying materials or tutorials etc.
If anyone with any experience or further knowledge please comment below as all will help.


Ps: I am new to this website so please no rude or insulting feedback, thanks.


If you want a real challenge, look at Pure Maths Vols 1 and 2 by SL Parsonson.
Reply 2124
I'm interested in what sort of jobs the third years are going on to and whether my college is fairly representative: one is hoping to stay on, one is going into banking, one into software development, one planned gap year. The others are waiting till after exams to sort things out.

I'm one of the ones without anything sorted so it would be interesting to hear what areas the mathmos from other colleges are going to.

Comments about previous years also welcome. Thanks
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 2125
Original post by willt
I'm interested in what sort of jobs the third years are going on to and whether my college is fairly representative: one is hoping to stay on, one is going into banking, one into software development, one planned gap year. The others are waiting till after exams to sort things out.

I'm one of the ones without anything sorted so it would be interesting to hear what areas the mathmos from other colleges are going to. Thanks.


Of the four 3rd-years in my college, two of us are planning to stay on (or go elsewhere), one wants to be a teacher but hasn't applied for any PGCEs yet, and one is thinking of going abroad to work (probably in finance). But none of us have any concrete plans, for instance if I don't get into Part III then I'm likely to have an 'enforced gap year', of sorts.
Original post by willt
I'm interested in what sort of jobs the third years are going on to and whether my college is fairly representative: one is hoping to stay on, one is going into banking, one into software development, one planned gap year. The others are waiting till after exams to sort things out.

I'm one of the ones without anything sorted so it would be interesting to hear what areas the mathmos from other colleges are going to. Thanks.


Sounds pretty similar to my college. Three of us are hoping to stay on, two have jobs sorted out: one is going into banking, one is going into software development, and the other two aren't sure/are waiting until after exams.
Original post by willt
I'm interested in what sort of jobs the third years are going on to and whether my college is fairly representative: one is hoping to stay on, one is going into banking, one into software development, one planned gap year. The others are waiting till after exams to sort things out.

I'm one of the ones without anything sorted so it would be interesting to hear what areas the mathmos from other colleges are going to. Thanks.


Of the twelve remaining, I believe ten are hoping to do Part III. Banking is the other destination.
Reply 2128
Original post by willt
I'm interested in what sort of jobs the third years are going on to and whether my college is fairly representative: one is hoping to stay on, one is going into banking, one into software development, one planned gap year. The others are waiting till after exams to sort things out.

I'm one of the ones without anything sorted so it would be interesting to hear what areas the mathmos from other colleges are going to.

Comments about previous years also welcome. Thanks
http://www.careers.cam.ac.uk/sectors/maths/fds.asp

Of the people I knew, a couple went into banking and one to GCHQ. I didn't have anything sorted out, but now also work in banking. Most stayed on -- one switching to astrophysics, the rest doing Part III. I don't know what they've all got sorted out, but software, PhDs and GCHQ are things I've heard mentioned.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 2129
Original post by harr
http://www.careers.cam.ac.uk/sectors/maths/fds.asp

We had a couple going into banking and one to GCHQ. I didn't have anything sorted out, but now also work in banking. Most stayed on -- one switching to astrophysics, the rest doing Part III. I don't know what they've all got sorted out, but software, PhDs and GCHQ are things I've heard mentioned.


Are you allowed to say that? :p:
Reply 2130
Original post by SimonM
Are you allowed to say that? :p:
I'm sure HSBC wouldn't object.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by harr
I'm sure HSBC wouldn't object.


I think he was referring to the other place with the four-letter acronym...
Reply 2132
Original post by SimonM
Are you allowed to say that? :p:


Considering they came to our careers fair last year...
Reply 2133
Since it's not clear. I was joking.
Original post by stripy_and_nice
Has anyone here applied to sit a Part III paper on an area of their own choosing, e.g. not even on the notes of a course given in a previous year?

If so, I'd be interested to hear your experiences. I've read Tom Körner's guide, and sitting a paper on material in a chosen book, on an area not taught at Part III, seems as if it could be amazingly useful preparation for doing a PhD.

What kind of help do you get, or obstacles do you experience, in choosing a field, getting a paper set, and then studying the stuff?

Bump! Does anyone know how this works? Or does it happen only rarely in practice?
Reply 2135
Is the classification theorem for 2D closed manifolds proved anywhere in Part III? It's stated but not proved in Parts IB (Geometry) and II (Algebraic Topology and Differential Geometry).
Original post by wooper
Is the classification theorem for 2D closed manifolds proved anywhere in Part III? It's stated but not proved in Parts IB (Geometry) and II (Algebraic Topology and Differential Geometry).


What's the precise statement you're thinking of? I vaguely remember seeing a proof in Part II Algebraic Topology which only assumes triangulability...
Reply 2137
Original post by Zhen Lin
What's the precise statement you're thinking of?

Every closed connected surface is homeomorphic to exactly one of:
* the sphere
* the connected sum of 1\geqslant 1 tori
* the connected sum of 1\geqslant 1 projective planes
This wasn't proved in Part II Algebraic Topology this year, although it was stated. It was proved by Dehn and Heegard in 1907, but assuming triangulability, which was proved by Rado in 1925.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by wooper
Every closed connected surface is homeomorphic to exactly one of:
* the sphere
* the connected sum of 1\geqslant 1 tori
* the connected sum of 1\geqslant 1 projective planes
This wasn't proved in Part II Algebraic Topology this year, although it was stated. It was proved by Dehn and Heegard in 1907, but assuming triangulability, which was proved by Rado in 1925.


Yes, I definitely remember seeing that result. It was even in the schedules: "Sketch of the classification of closed triangulable surfaces." I think you have my Algebraic Topology notes from last year, no?

It's not possible to say whether it will be covered in Part III or not. The courses vary immensely from lecturer to lecturer. Our Algebraic Topology course this year did no homotopy theory, for example.
Reply 2139
Original post by Zhen Lin
Yes, I definitely remember seeing that result. It was even in the schedules: "Sketch of the classification of closed triangulable surfaces." I think you have my Algebraic Topology notes from last year, no?
Yes - the lecturer did the same last year as this year: he stated that any such manifold is homeomorphic to one of those types and that all those types are distinct, but only proved distinctness.
Original post by Zhen Lin
It's not possible to say whether it will be covered in Part III or not. The courses vary immensely from lecturer to lecturer. Our Algebraic Topology course this year did no homotopy theory, for example.

I know a proof. I just meant was a proof in Part III this year or any other recent year?

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