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.

Test

LATE EDIT: I just realised that I included no questions like Q.1 on P.32 of the notes… they are also examinable (matrix arithmetic). Also Q. 7 should read “Verify your answer for z using Cramer’s Rule”

The test will be from 7.05-8 pm in Week 8 (Wednesday 19 March). I won’t give a sample but instead look here for a selection of test & exam questions. You  can find a summary of Chapter 1 methods here.

Also I explained that some questions involving finding the inverse of 3×3 matrices using the Gauss-Jordan Algorithm can end up very messy in terms of the numbers.  Questions like P. 44 Q.1-5 are fine as are P. 52 Q. 2, 3 (iv)-(vi)

Stay away from questions like the examples 3 & 4 on P. 49 and P.52 Q. 3 (iii), (vii)-(x) and P.62 Q.2, 3. — the numbers here are just too messy.

Maple Catch Up

If you want to do Maple catch up, if for example you miss a lab, please download the Maple file from your email, do the exercises in Maple (either in a new worksheet or on top of the original file with the exercises), save the worksheet and email me the worksheet you were working on.

Week 6

We solved a number of linear systems using the  inverse matrix method. Note however that this cannot work if the solution is not unique… we used a property of matrices called the determinant to decide in advance if a certain class of linear system, homogenous systems, had a unique solution or not. If the matrix (of coefficient) is invertible then the solution has to be unique and we saw that the matrix (of coefficients) is invertible if and only if the determinant is non-zero. Finally we will looked at Cramer’s Rule: a method for solving for only one of the variables of a linear system. We then began talking about statistics and got as far as discussing the difference between the mean, the median and the mode.

Week 7

We will go as far into the chapter on statistics as possible. In Maple I will allow you to revise for the test with the aid of Maple. I will write a worksheet which includes the sample questions. Remember Maple runs from 6-7.10 and 8.50-10. The theory class runs from 7.15-8.45.

Independent Learning: Exerices

You are supposed to be working outside of class and I am supposed to help you with this. Working outside of class means doing the exercises in the notes. Any work that is handed up will be corrected by me. Also you can ask me a question here on this site and I will answer it ASAP.

Questions that you can do at this point include:

  • the sample questions
  • p.52 Q. 3 (iv)-(vi)
  • P.62 Q. 1 and 4
  • P. 68 Q. 1-4

Maple Online & 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 the non-credit-course button 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, no go back to the Blackboard home page and click on the Maths Online button: it should be under an Academic Learning Support Tab. You can download Maple by selecting the Mathematical Software tab in the left hand column and following the instructions under the Maple item. Click Maple text to start.

If you have any problem with this take a print screen and send it to me and I will try and sort you out.

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!

Academic Learning Centre

Those in danger of failing need to use the Academic Learning Centre. As you can see from the timetable there is evening support. You will get best results if you come to the helpers there with specific questions.

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 about the determinant.

Additional Notes: E-Books

If you look in the module descriptor, you will see there is some suggested reading. Of course I think my notes are perfect but if you can look here, search for ‘Bird Higher Engineering’ you will see that the library have an E-Book resource.

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