Warwick Maths Chat

I've finished my exams now and I will be ending up either here or UCL in October, so I was wondering if anyone could suggest if I should continue with STEP over the summer or something to keep my maths fresh so I can start on a high?

Reply 6903

Original post by Dequavius

I've finished my exams now and I will be ending up either here or UCL in October, so I was wondering if anyone could suggest if I should continue with STEP over the summer or something to keep my maths fresh so I can start on a high?

I don't think STEP is particularly relevant but gaining some familiarity with basic real analysis would help. I worked through a book on calculus/analysis before coming to uni and that made analysis a lot easier. The proofs and rigour of analysis are generally what challenge people the most at the start of the course. This is all given that you have no holes in your knowledge/understanding of the A Level stuff, which is the most important thing because you need to build on a solid foundation (as is always the case in maths).

Reply 6904

Rohan77642

Original post by IrrationalRoot

I don't think STEP is particularly relevant but gaining some familiarity with basic real analysis would help. I worked through a book on calculus/analysis before coming to uni and that made analysis a lot easier. The proofs and rigour of analysis are generally what challenge people the most at the start of the course. This is all given that you have no holes in your knowledge/understanding of the A Level stuff, which is the most important thing because you need to build on a solid foundation (as is always the case in maths).

Hi.
What do you suggest would be better to learn along with analysis?
Bit of group theory or probability?
I haven't done much probability at school hence why I think maybe learning a bit of that may be a good idea?

Reply 6905

Original post by Rohan77642

Hi.
What do you suggest would be better to learn along with analysis?
Bit of group theory or probability?
I haven't done much probability at school hence why I think maybe learning a bit of that may be a good idea?

Probability is usually taught from scratch (first principles) at uni so I don't think there's much to be gained by working on it much prior to the course. Algebra underpins about half the content of pure mathematics that you'll learn so I think that if you want to do more prep than just analysis then learning some basic abstract algebra might help. But I wouldn't say it's as useful as learning analysis - the main reason why it's good to get familiar with analysis is not as much the content itself but because it serves as a great introduction to proof and rigorous mathematics. Beyond that I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to learn uni maths in advance because there's not much point.

Reply 6906

Rohan77642

Original post by IrrationalRoot

Beyond that I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to learn uni maths in advance because there's not much point.

Thanks. To be honest at this point with over 3 months still to go to university I am quite bored. And after STEP 3 is over I am pretty sure I'll become really bored if I don't do anything else. So that's why I was looking for things to study over the summer. I am on a year out so all my friends are at university, which makes the social situation worse.

Reply 6907

Original post by Rohan77642

Thanks. To be honest at this point with over 3 months still to go to university I am quite bored. And after STEP 3 is over I am pretty sure I'll become really bored if I don't do anything else. So that's why I was looking for things to study over the summer. I am on a year out so all my friends are at university, which makes the social situation worse.

Fair enough, it's a pretty huge summer holiday. In that case I'd just recommend starting some analysis and maybe working through a couple of books that introduce you to proofs and undergrad style maths.

Reply 6908

Rohan77642

Original post by IrrationalRoot

Fair enough, it's a pretty huge summer holiday. In that case I'd just recommend starting some analysis and maybe working through a couple of books that introduce you to proofs and undergrad style maths.

Thanks.

Reply 6909

LurkingMcLurk

5

Looking through eVision there might be some more modules next year:

(MA3J9) Historical Challenges in Mathematics
(MA3K0) High-Dimensional Probability
(MA3K1) Mathematics of Machine Learning
(MA4L8) Numerical Analysis and Nonlinear PDEs
(MA4L9) Variational Analysis and Evolution Equations

Reply 6910

AAls

15

Has anyone got lecture notes/problem sheets for ST339 Intro to Math Finance?

Reply 6911

shamika

16

Original post by Dequavius

I've finished my exams now and I will be ending up either here or UCL in October, so I was wondering if anyone could suggest if I should continue with STEP over the summer or something to keep my maths fresh so I can start on a high?

I would start even more basic and try something like this: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/study_public_1.pdf

Learning the fundamentals of how logical statements work and proofs is fundamental to all of maths and this would be a good way to ease into it.

After that - have a look at the Oxford course notes - for example this would be a good second option...
https://courses.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/download_material/39471

Reply 6912

Dequavius

ooh thank you for these. although differences between things like ==> and <==> are now in Alevel I'm sure that its nowhere near thorough enough for uni, and i can imagine that this may be seen as a 'boring' topic so students would tend to gloss over it despite its importance

Original post by shamika

I would start even more basic and try something like this: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/study_public_1.pdf

Learning the fundamentals of how logical statements work and proofs is fundamental to all of maths and this would be a good way to ease into it.

After that - have a look at the Oxford course notes - for example this would be a good second option...
https://courses.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/download_material/39471

Reply 6913

16characterlimit

Original post by LurkingMcLurk

Looking through eVision there might be some more modules next year:

(MA3J9) Historical Challenges in Mathematics
(MA3K0) High-Dimensional Probability
(MA3K1) Mathematics of Machine Learning
(MA4L8) Numerical Analysis and Nonlinear PDEs
(MA4L9) Variational Analysis and Evolution Equations

Nice find!!

Some of these look really interesting but annoyingly will make module picking even harder. I probably should take some of these, especially ML for job prospects but I end up just going pure in the end anyway lol.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 6914

Fortox

12

Instead of revising for Algebra 2 I've been procrastinating by picking my modules for next year. I want to take Algebraic Number Theory or Commutative Algebra but not both. What are people's thoughts on these modules? Are they easy or difficult, boring or interesting, etc?

Reply 6915

LaurenLovesMaths

What are people's suggestions for nice third year modules? I particularly enjoyed Norms, Metrics and Topologies and also Algebra this year. I'm considering Galois Theory and Functional Analysis, not really sure on the others. I also love bookwork based exams so if there are any lecturers/modules that tend to set/have heavily bookwork-based exams then please let me know!

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 6916

16characterlimit

Functional Analysis 1 isn't as ridiculously nice as when Richard Sharp taught it but its still one of the easier modules of third year I think, the first 5 weeks are literally recap with a new definition sprinkled in and the last 5 weeks aren't too difficult to understand, and the exams are decent and the theorem proofs are quite nice to learn.

FA2 has noticeably harder content but James Robinson sets an above average amount of bookwork to the point where if you went to all the lectures and revised well you should be handed a safe first.

I don't do algebra but I always hear good things about the content of Galois Theory, though maybe there is complications due to the lecturer changing. Commutative Algebra is very hard but according to friends the lecturer just does a revision session before the exam where he literally tells you exactly what will come up.

If you don't mind physics/applied stuff Fluid Dynamics is a smart choice I think, James Sprittles always makes the exam 50% problem sheets. I fell quite behind on this module in term 2 so I didn't really have good practice and was bracing for a poor grade but when I opened the paper the first 2 questions were literally perfect gifts and you can basically stumble through the rest with rearranging the right equations and ODE solving. If you are able to dedicate time to this module and go to the support classes and do the problem sheets I think anyone can kill it.

I haven't heard anything from the topology modules, Bifurcations has got to be good if its Dave Wood.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 6917

Maetras

9

Is there an online classification board to find out our class?

Reply 6918

math42

Ended up somehow smashing my project this year. Feel almost embarrassed for how poor a job it was, but oh well. My second best year and a strong first overall. Maybe I'll do a PhD after all.

Original post by Maetras

Is there an online classification board to find out our class?

I don't think so. If you aren't at home, you can come in and see your tutor at some point. In general, you can request results by email.

Reply 6919