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STEP Prep Thread 2018

Reply 240

Electric-man7

8

Actually I am applying to Oxford (oriel), but I will still take STEP for warwick and the fun of it.

Reply 241

Andy Lau

10

Original post by Electric-man7

I highy doubt fourier series will help with STEP though, STEP questions arenot really susceptible to higher maths.

Sorry i didn't mean that...... Learning Fourier series is for 'recreational' purposes...... And it's used quite often in complex analysis (mainly Fourier transform), which is related to my EPQ....

Reply 242

Electric-man7

8

I have never done an EPQ, what sort of books do you use to study and is it mathematiclly rigorous?

Reply 243

Andy Lau

10

Original post by Electric-man7

I have never done an EPQ, what sort of books do you use to study and is it mathematiclly rigorous?

Analysis:
A Chinese textbook ( a few bits left, such as Stoke's theorem) now doing Rudin's ( haven't finished and didn't fully understand some proofs)
Complex Analysis:
Schaum's as a starting point, 'cuz it's really easy! Now doing Elias Stein's.... kinda dry and dull I'd say. I've only done chapters up to the residue formula so far....:
Fourier Analysis:
Elias' (Just started a week ago)

My EPQ talks about the Riemann Hypothesis (mainly the zeta function and the PNT) Fun thing to do!

Original post by Andy Lau

Analysis:
A Chinese textbook ( a few bits left, such as Stoke's theorem) now doing Rudin's ( haven't finished and didn't fully understand some proofs)
Complex Analysis:
Schaum's as a starting point, 'cuz it's really easy! Now doing Elias Stein's.... kinda dry and dull I'd say. I've only done chapters up to the residue formula so far....:
Fourier Analysis:
Elias' (Just started a week ago)

My EPQ talks about the Riemann Hypothesis (mainly the zeta function and the PNT) Fun thing to do!

I'd be interested to hear how it comes along. I was planning on doing a pure maths epq but was a bit stumped as to what to do it on.

Reply 245

Andy Lau

10

Original post by _gcx

I'd be interested to hear how it comes along. I was planning on doing a pure maths epq but was a bit stumped as to what to do it on.

Yeh I've done it and handed it in......the journey was REALLY tough I'd say.....

Original post by Andy Lau

Yeh I've done it and handed it in......the journey was REALLY tough I'd say.....

Interesting, what did you include?

Reply 247

Andy Lau

10

Mainly
History of primes
Euler product formula
Gamma function
Zeta function
PNT
Future of the problem

Reply 248

Electric-man7

8

[QUOTE="Lau;74057392" Andy="Andy"]Mainly
History of primes
Euler product formula
Gamma function
Zeta function
PNT
Future of the problem[/QUOTE
Do these books contain exercises and practice material?

Reply 249

etothepiiplusone

15

Original post by _gcx

I'd be interested to hear how it comes along. I was planning on doing a pure maths epq but was a bit stumped as to what to do it on.

Same here, what are you actually doing it on?

For me it's a programming project on card games (strategy). I'll probably find the best strategy for 'Go Fish' that has been found up to this point :biggrin:

Reply 250

Falcon11

3

Anyone know when they'll announce the STEP dates??

Original post by etothepiiplusone

Same here, what are you actually doing it on?

For me it's a programming project on card games (strategy). I'll probably find the best strategy for 'Go Fish' that has been found up to this point :biggrin:

I'm not sure. I was originally going to do it on fallacies within mathematics, but I'm not exactly sure how I could get an EPQ out of it. My other idea would be something to do with series, (maybe looking at its history too?) but again I'm not sure if that goes against the spirit of an EPQ.

Reply 252

etothepiiplusone

15

Original post by _gcx

I'm not sure. I was originally going to do it on fallacies within mathematics, but I'm not exactly sure how I could get an EPQ out of it. My other idea would be something to do with series, (maybe looking at its history too?) but again I'm not sure if that goes against the spirit of an EPQ.

My two ideas were:

The historical discovery / development of

\mathbb{N}

,

\mathbb{Z}

,

\mathbb{Q}

, ... , and the anomalies, like the Pythagoreans 'finding' sqrt(2) before the negatives, and likewise the 'discovery' of complex numbers in solving cubics.

The correlation between how 'old' maths is against how 'hard' it is, perhaps in relation to other subjects (like a 'low-hanging fruit' exploration).

But they seemed a bit more history than they were maths.

Reply 253

Student1256

13

I'm pretty decent, I would say, at the pure math questions atm but i'm really struggling with the statistics and mechanics questions. any advice on how people that already got through this stage dealt with this problem?

Reply 254

mrmonkey99

2

Hi all

I'm working through the modules on the step support site and have nearly finished the questions at the end of the STEP 1 modules. I do further maths at school; they made me do STEP 1 last year as i was thinking of applying for maths and i got a U because I'd done no preparation and hardly even knew what step was. Is it worth doing many S1 questions from past papers now, or just going on to the modules for S2&3 and working through questions from those past papers considering if I get an offer it'll be based on S2&3? I feel quite confident with step 1 questions now having done all the STEP 1 modules on the site.

Secondly what are people doing to prepare for the interview? Anything specific or just doing problems?

thanks

Reply 255

Drogo Baggins

10

I would suggest moving onto the STEP II modules. Glad to hear the STEP I modules have helped you feel confident with STEP I!

For interview, I would make sure you are pretty confident with graph sketching, and have a firm grip on the basics (algebraic manip etc - it's amazing how these can slip under pressure). Remember that they will ask you questions that you cannot do - or cannot do straight away - they are interested in how you think and your problem solving skills rather than your skill in memorising stuff. They are interested in how teachable you are :-)

Reply 256

Heirio

17

I'm preparing for step and...
I feel out of my depth. I haven't completed the online foundation assignments and have completed 19 with about 12 requiring me to check the hints (sometimes for the warm down, not always the STEP question). ATM I'm thinking about moving on to the pure STEP I questions and then to the STEP II. I'm starting Silkos' book and have got through three questions, all of which I required hints for.

I'm just feeling out of my depth and wondering if there is anything else I can do to help me with this. I'm really worried that I won't get the right grades.

Reply 257

Enigmatically

9

Original post by Heirio

I'm preparing for step and...
I feel out of my depth. I haven't completed the online foundation assignments and have completed 19 with about 12 requiring me to check the hints (sometimes for the warm down, not always the STEP question). ATM I'm thinking about moving on to the pure STEP I questions and then to the STEP II. I'm starting Silkos' book and have got through three questions, all of which I required hints for.

I'm just feeling out of my depth and wondering if there is anything else I can do to help me with this. I'm really worried that I won't get the right grades.

I'd just say keep at it. Make sure your foundation with the A Level content is solid, as the questions just test this and force you to apply it to unfamiliar scenarios. If you're finding the jump from A Level to STEP too vast, I'd advise you try some MAT or AEA to at least have a feel of questions that stretch you beyond the syllabus, as well as *hopefully* gain motivation from answering these questions unaided. Just work hard at it; you'll get there in the end.

Reply 258

Math1791

9

HI, I am applying to Oxford. But I sat STEP 1,2, AND 3 in June 2017. My grades were 1,2 and 2 respectively. Could anyone kindly tell me how my grades will be looked at? I missed a 1 in STEP 2 by 3 marks.
They said they want to shortlist candidates with academic ability for mathematics and STEP could be used to look at my academic ability, if I have given it. So could anyone please tell me if my grades reflect ability for Mathematics or is 2 not good enough in STEP 2 and 3.

Reply 259

Drogo Baggins

10

Original post by Math1791

HI, I am applying to Oxford. But I sat STEP 1,2, AND 3 in June 2017. My grades were 1,2 and 2 respectively. Could anyone kindly tell me how my grades will be looked at? I missed a 1 in STEP 2 by 3 marks.
They said they want to shortlist candidates with academic ability for mathematics and STEP could be used to look at my academic ability, if I have given it. So could anyone please tell me if my grades reflect ability for Mathematics or is 2 not good enough in STEP 2 and 3.

I think that these grades at the end of year 12 are pretty respectable! You need 1 in STEP II and STEP III (at the end of year 13) for Cambridge maths, and I would expect you to go up at least one grade by then.

STEP Prep Thread 2018

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