Home, 2/27
Exam 1, covering sections 1.1-1.6, 2.1 and 2.3 is scheduled for Friday. Check out sample exam 1 on the "scores and docs" page to see what it may look like. To be successful on an exam, you need a pretty good level of proficiency and familiarity with the material. To see how well you are doing, I suggest you try to do a sample exam in 50 minutes and see how you do. If you find it is a struggle, more practice is needed.
You can find more exams on the MOTHERLODE, but they are from courses that used a different book, so the material is ordered differently. You will have to look through all three exams given in a semester to find some problems that take into account what we have covered so far.
From the homeworks, I see that quite a few of you could use some help. Come see me during office hours to discuss what you might not understand.
On Monday, we will finish section 2.3 and start discussion of it its homework. Sections 1.7 and 2.1 homework is due on Monday, so it can be returned to you before the exam.
Home, 2/21
We will finish homework discussion of section 1.7 on Monday and start lectures on 2.1. If you haven't yet turned in your homework for sections 1.5 and 1.6, bring it on Monday.
Exam 1 is coming soon, likely week after next.
Home, 2/14
Homework discusion of sections 1.5 and 1.6 is nearly finished. We will wrap it up on Monday and continue with new material in section 1.7. Homework for sections 1.5 and 1.6 will be due on Wednesday.
Home, 2/6
We finished discussion of homework in section 1.4 so homework for sections 1.3 and 1.4 is due on Monday.
On Monday, once we finish the lecture on section 1.6, we will start discussion of homework in section 1.5. This section has some applications and I will not lecture on it. Read section 1.5 in the book to get started with homework.
Home, 1/30
How's everyone? Rested plenty, I hope, and a little sunburnt from playing in the snow?
We completed a week of lectures on Zoom, almost finishing section 1.4. I know this is not the best way to present a course, a bunch of lectures first and then homework discussion over all of them, but is the best we had for a short term school closure in order not to lose class time.
Don't worry if you were not able to attend - they were all recorded and are available on Canvas/files/recordings. Before we discuss homework for a particular section, I strongly recommend you at least read the notes for that section and, depending on how well you got through the notes, watch the corresponding video to help you understand the notes. (You'll have to make do without a movie-star narrator.)
On Monday, I will finish lecturing on section 1.4, after which we will start with homework discussion for section 1.3. Once we finish these, we will continue discussion of section 1.4, probably on Wednesday. Therefore, your first reading or viewing assignment is section 1.3 before Monday and shortly thereafter section 1.4.
Don't forget that homework for sections 1.1 and 1.2 (already discussed) is due on Monday.
See you in person on Monday!
Home, 1/23
We finished homework discussion of sections 1.1 and 1.2, so those homeworks are due on Wednesday. Recall that you can find pictures of board work on Canvas/files, if you need some help on homework.
With hardly any time left to spare in the course, I hate losing several classes to snow. Therefore, assuming there are no widespread outages, I will be conducting class over Zoom at its usual time on Monday, lecturing over new sections. If you can, please join the class (link to meeting will be sent by email). If not, a recording of the lecture will be available on Canvas/files/recordings.
If anyone needs to see me for office hours during snow days, we can meet on Zoom: send me a request by email.
Free tutoring information has been updated with hours for this semester - see the "free tutoring" page.
Stay warm and safe until I see you again!
Home, 1/16
The first week passed quickly and it's going to continue like that, what with all the work we have to do.
We are just about finished with lectures on section 1.2, after which (on Wednesday) we will start discussion of homework in sections 1.1 and 1.2.
Have a good long weekend!
Home, 1/11
Welcome to the course! Look around to familiarize yourself with the layout of these webpages. To get to other pages, click on the links in the menu (or drop-down, if viewing on a smartphone). The most often-used pages are in the first line of the menu (or the first several choices of the drop-down). "Scores and docs," for example, has all the documents for the course.
Your first exercise is to find the syllabus on these pages and read it. The items there that are typically of greatest interest to students are from "Homework" to "Make-ups."
These pages will get more content as information becomes available. Check back often: useful information is provided in the "home" section (which you are reading), typically updated weekly. For now, here is some information on Canvas and lecture notes.
Canvas: Canvas will only be the repository of class notes and your grades. Information about the course and weekly messages will be posted to this website (also accessible from Canvas). (Why bother with the website outside of Canvas? Two reasons: it's easier to make updates to it, and it stays public. I value this, and you may grow to as well, as a service to future students of this same course.)
Lecture notes: I will distribute the printed notes in class. For future classes, have these with you so that you can follow the lectures in class without having to copy a lot. The filled-in notes written in class are posted on Canvas.