MATH6015: Week 2

I am emailing a link of this to everyone on the class list every week. If you are not receiving these emails or want to have them sent to another email address feel free to email me at jpmccarthymaths@gmail.com and I will add you to the mailing list.

Course Notes

The course notes are now on sale in the copying centre (beside the student centre). I would advise you to buy them ASAP. You will need to put money in your card to buy them (you can do this at the shop beside the canteen) and they cost E12. I would buy them Monday – although I will do photocopies for Monday & Tuesday. For Thursday you must have a copy of the notes as there will be no more photocopies. The notes contain all the lecture material, all the exercises, all of last years tests & exam as well as a small set of mathematical tables.

Week 2

In Week 2 we looked at differentiating some common functions. In particular we looked at the Product Rule.

Tutorials

Regarding the tutorial time split:

Academic Learning Centre

I would urge anyone having any problems with material that isn’t being addressed in the tutorials to use the Academic Learning Centre. As you can see the timetable is quite generous. You will get best results if you come to the helpers there with specific questions. You could also win a tablet device if you enter a competition that they are running.

Maple & Wolfram Alpha

If you are subscribed to CIT MathsOnline you will have free access to the mathematical software package Maple:

Self-enrolment for Maths Online

1.           Log into Blackboard Learn

2.           Click on the Courses tab button at the top of the screen. Go to Course Search and type Maths Online in the box.

3.           Once you’ve found the course, click on the action link button next to the course and click on Enrol. This should take you to the Self Enrolment page.

4.           Your Access Code is mathsonline (lower case, no spaces).

5.           After you’ve finished click Submit. You should now see a message that says your enrolment was successful.

Once you’ve enrolled, you can download Maple by selecting the Mathematical Software tab in the left hand column and following the instructions under the Maple item.

I myself am not a Maple expert but ‘grew up’ with another mathematical software package Mathematica. Mathematica powers the “computational knowledge engine” WolframAlpha. Go on ask it a question!

Week 3

In Week 3 we will learn how to differentiate quotients (fancy word for fractions) and compositions .

Continuous Assessment

As can be seen here in the Module Descriptor, there will be two 15% tests: one in Week 5 and one in Week 10. I hope to give you two week’s notice of each of these and also provide sample tests.

Study

Please feel free to ask me questions about the exercises via email or even better on this webpage — especially those of us who struggled in the test.

Math.Stack Exchange

If you find yourself stuck and for some reason feel unable to ask me the question you could do worse than go to the excellent site math.stackexchange.com. If you are nice and polite, and show due deference to these principles you will find that your questions are answered promptly. For example this question regarding a more rigorous proof of the product rule (our argument was handwaving).

Calculators

Please note the following taken from the CIT code of conduct for CIT examination candidates:

“Where a pocket calculator is used it must be silent, self-powered and non-programmable. 

It may not be passed from one candidate to another. Instructions for its use may not be 
brought into the Examination Hall. 
The term ‘programmable’ includes any calculator that is capable of storing a sequence of 
keystrokes that can be retrieved after the calculator is turned off or powers itself off. Note that the 
capacity to recall, edit and replay previously executed calculations does not render a calculator 
programmable, provided that this replay memory is automatically cleared when the calculator is 
powered off. Also, the facility to store numbers in one or more memory locations does not render 
a calculator programmable. 
Calculators with any of the following mathematical features are prohibited: 
• Graph plotting 
• Equation solving 
• Symbolic algebraic manipulation 
• Numerical integration 
• Numerical differentiation 
• Matrix calculations 
Calculators with any of the following features are prohibited 
• Data Banks 
• Dictionaries 
• Language translators 
• Text retrieval 
• Capability of remote communication“