M208 and M337

I took another trip to the Open University Library in Milton Keynes, today.  I wanted to closely examine the course material of M208 Pure Maths and also M337 Complex analysis.  The purpose of doing so, was to try and get an idea of where my difficulties may lay with different units or topics, whether I need to brush up on anything that I'm not planning to study, make sure I am not studying too widely or deeply, and finally to estimate how long it is likely to take me to complete each unit booklet.  This will then let me set my self-study plans for next year, without over burdening myself.

It was a morning very well spent.  Not only do I love the O.U library as a place to sit and study, with its clean lines and light and airy spaces; but it is also interesting to leaf through other course materials, that are on display.

I was particularly interested in looking at courses such as M338 Topology, and a few other level 3 modules.  The reason being, that some of the course materials from these dying level 3 courses, is being used in M303 Further Pure Maths, which I will be taking in October 2013.  Again, it was a scoping exercise.  I found the level 3 course material to be fairly accessible.  And, although I don't have the required knowledge yet, to understand some of the topics and units; I know that they look very well written and certainly doable, if you have completed the pre-requisite courses.

Following my visit, I have decided to continue reading through the Brannan Intro to Analysis, but I am now reducing my study of Spivak's Calculus, to just reference checking topics such as the epsilon-delta, limit definitions etc.  I am also going to reduce my Brannan Geometry reading, to now only include Conics, Quadric surfaces, transformations and some of the group theory that is contained within.

I am also going to replace some of that work, with some number theory practice, repeating exercises from Brannan and from online sources, as well as continuing to read the M221 units.

I also plan to re-visit a book that I picked up in August called, 'How to Prove It', by Daniel Velleman.  This is because, the only part of the M208 that I feel I need the most practice at, is the minor use of theorem proving that features in the appendices and also in the units of Number theory and some of the analysis units.

I plan to confidently be able to prove some very minor results, by the time I complete M208, so this book will lay the foundations well and will actually go well beyond what M208 requires.  Even so, I am always looking 3yrs ahead, to those post-graduate days which is really not that far away.

Whilst I was at the library, I also glanced at all of the MSc Mathematics modules.  The only one that has taught materials in a style similar to OU undergraduate modules, is the M820 - Calculus of Variations and Advanced Calculus.  It was tomb like and very heavy in places.  Interestingly, the alternative 'pure' MSc module, M823 Analytical Number Theory (I), didn't look half as complicated as M820.  It uses a set book as the main text and on reading the specimen exam paper and solutions provided, along with the TMA booklet; it looked a much more intriguing course than M820.  I guess the shock would come when you study Analytical Number Theory (II), which looks like a beast!

Finally, whilst at the library, I happened to overhear a lively discussion between some faculty staff.  They seemed to be discussing the unavoidable financial cuts and the possible effects on O.U content.  The gist was, that they were discussing whether a paradigm shift from well written unit booklets and tutor supported learning, to one where students read set books and then presumably just took exams, would cut costs whilst keeping student numbers.

Interesting.