(see also Mathematics(MA), Statistics(ST)) NOTES(S): FOR ALL COURSES AT LEVEL 3 WHICH ARE EXAMINED IN PART BY CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT: STUDENTS MAY IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND AND ORAL EXAMINATION. NOT ALL THE LEVEL 4 MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES SPECIAL OPTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ANY ONE ACADEMIC SESSION
Level 3
- MX 3001 - REAL ANALYSIS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor V Gorbiounov
Pre-requisites
Overview
This course aims to put on a sound footing many of the results and procedures used in the Calculus. It starts by studying properties of the real number system, including suprema and infima, sequences and series. Then it considers the theory of continuous functions on closed bounded intervals, treating global extrema and intermediate values. These results are applied in the theory of differentiability and to the Riemann Integral.
Structure
12 week course - 5 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
Assessment
1st Attempt:1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: 1 two-hour examination (maximum of 100% resit and 80% resit with 20% in-course assessment).
- MX 3012 - MECHANICS A
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr A Sevastyanov
Pre-requisites
Overview
The course studies the Newtonian theory of the motion of a particle. Newton's laws of motion are introduced and illustrated through the study of dynamical problems such as projectile motion, air resistance and the theory of vibrations. Theoretical work is done on topics such as energy, linear and angular momentum and the role of inertial frames in Newtonian mechanics.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: 1 two-hour examination (maximum of 100% resit and 80% resit with 20% in-course assessment).
- MX 3017 - SET THEORY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Prof. G Hall
Pre-requisites
Overview
This course is a basic introduction to the theory of sets. It proceeds axiomatically and includes the concepts of union, intersection and complementation of sets, Venn diagrams and the de Morgan laws. Mention will be made of Russell's paradox. Also included are relations, functions and order as applied to sets. The course then turns to a brief introduction to the construction of the integers, the rational numbers and the real numbers. The idea of cardinality is also discussed.
Structure
2 one hour lectures and 1 one hour tutorial per week
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two hour examination (80%), in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: 1 three hour examination (100%) (CAS mark based on the Maximum of Exam mark and Exam mark (80%) plus in-course assessment mark (20%)).
- MX 3020 - GROUP THEORY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr R Kessar
Pre-requisites
Overview
Numbers measure size, groups measure symmetry. Many groups occur naturally as symmetry groups of solids, patterns and other geometrical objects. This course will develop the basic ideas of group theory through such examples of groups acting on sets.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: 1 two-hour examination (maximum of 100% resit and 80% resit with 20% in-course assessment).
- MX 3521 - JUNIOR HONOURS PROJECT
-
- Credit Points
- 5
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Available only to candidates for Honours Degrees involving Mathematics.
Notes
The assessment of this course does not count towards Honours classification. This course is not available in 2007/08.
Overview
The student will undertake a project specified by the department. The work may be done individually or in teams. The end result of the work is to be a report and presentation by the student or team. The work will be supervised by a member of the department and will be assessed on the quality of the report and its presentation.
Structure
12 week course - Classes as appropriate.
Assessment
Assessed on the report.
- MX 3522 - COMPLEX ANALYSIS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr J R Pulham
Pre-requisites
Overview
This is an introductory course on Complex Analysis. Holomorphic functions and power series, Cauchy’s throrem and its consequences, contour integration and the calculus of residues are discussed.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: 1 two-hour examination (maximum of 100% resit and 80% resit with 20% in-course assessment).
- MX 3526 - MATHEMATICAL METHODS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr R Kessar
Pre-requisites
Overview
An introduction to the vector calculus leading to the divergence theorem and some of its applications; a brief treatment of Fourier series and their applications; an introduction to partial differential equations, their behaviour and solution.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: 1 two-hour examination (maximum of 100% resit and 80% resit with 20% in-course assessment).
- MX 3528 - OPTIMISATION THEORY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor R Levi
Pre-requisites
Overview
Basic non-linear optimisation techniques for multivariable real valued functions, including the second derivative test, constrained optimisation and the method of Lagrange multipliers. Following this, the course will specialise to linear optimisation problems. The simplex algorithm will be introduced and studied, including applications to matrix games. Computations will be done using a computer-based algerbra package, as well as manually.
Structure
2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (80%); in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (maximum of 100% resit and 80% resit with 20% in-course assessment). - MX 3531 - RINGS AND FIELDS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor V Gorbounov
Pre-requisites
Overview
The familiar, simple and useful properties of the integers places the set of integers at the core of any study of algebraic objects. But many of these properties hold for other familiar mathematical objects; for polynomials, real numbers, matrices etc. This course develops the theory of rings and fields which unifies the study of many of these objects and, at the same time, clarifies the differences between them.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: 1 two-hour examination (maximum of 100% resit and 80% resit with 20% in-course assessment).
Level 4
- MX 4008 - TOPOLOGY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr S Theriault
Pre-requisites
Overview
An introduction to metric and topological spaces, including a discussion of connectedness, compactness and the continuity of mappings.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4020 - PROJECT
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Prof. R Levi
Pre-requisites
MX 3521 or permission of Head of Mathematical Sciences.
Overview
The student will be given a mathematical topic on which to write and submit a report. The work will be supervised by a member of staff.
Structure
12 week course – Assessed on the project report and the oral presentation (the presentations are given during the second half-session).
Assessment
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4021 - EXTERNAL PROJECT
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
MX 3521. Available only to candidates for Honours in Mathematics, Mathematics with French, Mathematics with Gaelic, Mathematics with German, and Mathematics with Spanish.
Notes
Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
The student will undertake a part-time placement in some company, external institution or other university department to work on a project approved by the department. The placement will extend over all or part of the half-session as appropriate. Both an on-site supervisor and a departmental supervisor will be appointed to monitor the student’s progress. The assessment of the course will be based on a report written by the student and on assessments by the supervisors. The course will only be available for selected students and if suitable placements can be found.
Structure
12 week course – Classes as appropriate.
Assessment
Assessed on the report and on the supervisors’ report.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4029 - EXTENDED MATHEMATICAL PROJECT
-
- Credit Points
- 30
- Course Coordinator
- Professor G Hall
Pre-requisites
MX 3521. The course is available only to students accepted into the Joint Honours Programme Mathematics-Physics (MA or BSc) or the single Honours Programmes Physics (BSc) or Natural Philosophy (MA).
Notes
This course is run over the full session.
Overview
The student will be given a Mathematical topic on which to write a report. The work will be supervised by a member of staff. The assessment of the project will be based on the report and an oral examination based on the material relevant to the assigned topic.
Structure
24 week course – 1 tutorial per week.
Assessment
Assessed on the project report and on the oral examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4034 - ELECTROMAGNETISM
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr J Pulham
Pre-requisites
Notes
Not available in session 2006/07.
Overview
A course on the mathematical theory of electromagnetism, including electrostatics, potential theory and applications of the wave equation. The course exploits the mathematical techniques developed in MX 3526 (Mathematical Methods).
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4037 - ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr A J B Potter
Pre-requisites
Overview
An introduction to the qualitative theory of systems of ordinary differential equations. Topics covered will include: existence and uniqueness theory, linear systems, equilibria and their stability, periodic solutions. Various particular examples will be analysed in detail.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4082 - GALOIS THEORY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor M Linckelmann
Pre-requisites
Overview
The roots of a quadratic polynomial are given by a formula involving the coefficients. Similar formulae exist for the roots of polynomial equations of degrees 3 and 4, but not for higher degrees. The precise relationship between a polynomial and the type of roots it has emerges as one of the consequences of Galois Theory, which is a unification of ideas embracing polynomials, fields and group theory. The course will also consider the classical ruler and compass constructions.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: If required and permitted by Regulations, there will be 1 two-hour written examination. The CAS mark will be based on the maximum of examination (100%) and examination (80%) together with in-course assessment (20%).
- MX 4505 - CHAOS AND FRACTALS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
A course on some mathematical aspects of the theories of fractals and discrete dynamical processes. It will normally include a treatment of fractal dimension and the use of iterated function systems to generate fractals.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (80%); in-course assessment (20%).
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4509 - GEOMETRIC TOPOLOGY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
An introduction to the topology associated to a variety of basic geometric spaces, including a discussion of topological invariants and applications to geometric problems.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4510 - GRAPH THEORY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
MA 2002 and MA 2003 and 2504 and either MA 2503 or ST 2003.
Notes
(i) Special Option. Not available in session 2006/07.
(ii) Available only to students in programme year 3 or above.
Overview
An introductory course on the theory of graphs. Topics covered will include: elementary properties of graphs, Eulerian and Hamiltonian circuits, some matching theory including Hall’s theorem.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4512 - INTRODUCTION TO FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
Whereas earlier work in analysis tended to focus on single functions, this course deals with functions collectively, as elements of vector spaces or function algebras.
The course will cover topics from: normed spaces, Banach spaces, Hilbert spaces (with emphasis on sequence spaces and function spaces), linear functionals and operators, Hahn-Banach theorem, principle of uniform boundedness, open mapping and closed graph theorems, the algebra of continuous functions on a compact Hausdorff space, Stone-Weierstrass theorem and Gelfand theory.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4520 - PROJECT
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor R Levi
Pre-requisites
MX 3521 or the permission of the Head of Mathematical Sciences.
Overview
The student is given a mathematical topic on which to write and submit a report. The work will be supervised by a member of staff.
Structure
12 week course - Assessed on the project report and oral presentation.
Assessment
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4523 - HILBERT SPACES
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
A Hilbert space is a vector space which is complete with respect to the metric arising from a given inner product. This setting permits the development of geometric ideas, taken from Euclidean space, which can then be applied to spaces of functions arising naturally in the theory of differential equations. The course will cover topics from: norms, inner products and Hilbert spaces, orthogonality, orthogonal expansions and Fourier series, dual spaces, linear operators.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4528 - ALGORITHMS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2006/07.
Overview
The course studies computer algorithms, considering their construction, validation and effectiveness. After a general introduction to the subject a number of specific topics will be covered. These may include: the problem of sorting data sets into order, the use of abstract data types to formalise interactions, the theory of formal grammars and problems such as the parsing of arithmetic expressions, the construction and use of pseudo-random numbers. (If there is insufficient demand this course may be taught as a reading course in which case there will be no lectures and one tutorial per week).
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4529 - NON-LINEAR ANALYSIS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
The course is concerned with the analysis of functions of several variables, in particular the differentiability and integrability of such functions. Appropriate background material will be discussed in order to prove some important theorems of analysis, for instance the inverse and implicit function theorems, Fubini’s theorem and convergence theorems of integration.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4531 - SPECIAL FUNCTIONS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2006/07.
Overview
A study of some important Special Functions of mathematics, providing practical illustrations of many important techniques and methods of analysis.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4533 - APPLICATIONS OF ALGEBRA
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
Traditional applied mathematics is centred in the area where calculus and its developments are used to solve problems in the physical sciences. This course looks at another and more recent set of problems deriving from such things as digital communication and the design of efficient statistical experiments. The course is primarily an introduction to the algebraic theory of error-correcting linear codes.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4534 - APPLIED ANALYSIS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
This course studies Fourier Series and their applications to the solution of boundary value problems associated with certain linear partial differential equations. In particular the wave equation, heat equation and Laplace’s equation will be studied using the technique of separation of variables. Various aspects of the theory of Fourier series will be discussed, for instance Bessel’s inequality, Parseval’s formula and the convergence and differentiability of Fourier series.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
Assessment
1st Attempt:1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4535 - MECHANICS B
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
This course is a continuation of Mechanics A (MX 3012). The ideas and methods of that course are extended to study such topics as: Galilean transformations, systems of particles, the kinematics and dynamics of rigid bodies, analytic mechanics.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4536 - SPECIAL RELATIVITY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor G Hall
Pre-requisites
Either: (a) MA2003, MA 2503 and MA 2504; or: (b) MA 2003 and PX 2012.
Notes
(i) Special Option. Available in session 2007/08.
Overview
The failure of the Newtonian model of physics. The basic principles of the Special Theory of Relativity. The Lorentz transformation and its applications, including length and time dilation. The kinematics of particles. 4-vectors and Minkowski space. The dynamics of particles, momentum, energy and force. Relativistic optics. Collision problems.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4537 - TRANSFORMS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
This course is concerned with the application of the Laplace and Fourier transformations to differential and integral equations. It begins with a brief discussion of differential equations. Then the theories of Laplace and Fourier transforms are developed and applied to various problems arising in the study of ordinary differential, partial differential and integral equations.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4539 - DIFFERENTIAL GEOMETRY OF SURFACES
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Head of Mathematical Sciences
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Not available in session 2007/08.
Overview
An introduction to the differential geometry of surfaces. The emphasis will be on explicit local co-ordinate descriptions of surfaces, allowing the introduction of explicit examples throughout the course. The course will include Gauss’s Theorema Egregium, that the Gaussian Curvature, originally defined in terms of a particular embedding of the surface in space, is an intrinsic property of the surface.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination paper.
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4540 - KNOTS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr J Kedra
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Available in session 2007/08.
Overview
An introduction to knot theory. The course will include a study of knot invariants such as linking numbers, colourings, genus and some polynomial invariants.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination.
Resit: (if regulations permit) 1 two-hour examination.
(for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details. - MX 4542 - MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Mr Allan G Duncan
Pre-requisites
Pass on 60 credits at level 2 mathematics.
Co-requisites
None
Notes
Special Option. Available in 2007/08.
Overview
- Theories of learning: Piaget, Bruner, Gardner (multiple intelligences), Learning styles, constructivism (radical and social)
- Theories of learning mathematics: Dienes, Skemp (relational, instrumental understanding), Thompson (mental arithmetic strategies)
- Methods of teaching: direct interactive, exposition, investigative approach, problem solving, group work and discussion
- Contribution of technology (graphic calculators, graph drawing software, CAS, dynamic geometry, PowerPoint animation, internet)
- Lesson planning and preparation, presentation skills
- Research on learning and teaching school mathematics
- Project (choice of subject matter)
Structure
12 two hour lectures/workshops and 12 one hour tutorials
Period of school experiance - 1 week
Presentation sessions
Assessment
1st Attempt: Assessment will have three components:
- report on the School Project
- essay on one topic drawn from the lectures
- presentation to the class (peers)
Resit (for Honours students only): Candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit themselves for re-assessment and should contact the Course Co-ordinator for further details.
- MX 4543 - INTRODUCTION TO LIE ALGEBRAS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor M Geck
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Available in 2007/08.
Overview
Definition of Lie algebras; first properties and examples. Nilpotent, solvable and semisimple Lie algebras. The Killing form. Cartan subalgebras and the Jordan-Chevalley decomposition of linear transformation. Representations of sl(2). Root systems and Dynkin diagrams. The classification of complex semisimple Lie algebras. Elements of representation theory: highest weight modules. Weyl's character formula and applications.
Structure
2 one-hour lectures and one 1-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (80%); in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: If required and permitted by Regulations, there will be 1 two-hour written examination. The CAS mark will be based on the maximum of examination (100%) and examination (80%) together with in-course assessment (20%).
- MX 4544 - REPRESENTATION THEORY OF FINITE GROUPS
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor G Robinson
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Available in session 2007/08.
Overview
Some revision of group homomorphisms, vector spaces, and linear transformations. The complex group algebra of a finite group. Modules and representations, equivalence of matrix representations, Irreducibility. Maschke's Theorem on complete reducibility, Schur's Lemma. Complex characters; the ring of generalized characters of a finite group and its natural inner product. Irreducible characters, character tables, and orthogonality relations for group characters. Examples of construction of small character tables.
Algebraic integers, divisibilty of the group order by degrees of irreducible characters. Burnside's p^aq^b-theorem and other sample applications to group structure.
Structure
2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (80%); in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: If required and permitted by Regulations, there will be 1 two-hour written examination. The CAS mark will be based on the maximum of examination (100%) and examination (80%) together with in-course assessment (20%).
- MX 4545 - NUMBER THEORY
-
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Professor M Linckelmann
Pre-requisites
Notes
Special Option. Available in session 2006/07.
Overview
Number theory is the study of integers and has three main branches: Elementary, Analytical and Algebraic. This course consists of a selection of topics from these branches. The topics will include some of the following: the theory of quadratic congruences, continued fractions, pseudo-primes, primitive roots, Diophantine equations, the distribution of prime numbers, algebraic integers in quadratic number fields.
Structure
12 week course - 2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 two-hour examination (80%) and in-course assessment (20%).
Resit: If required and permitted by Regulations, there will be 1 two-hour written examination. The CAS mark will be based on the maximum of examination (100%) and examination (80%) together with in-course assessment (20%).