M208, TMA02, away...

Well, I managed to complete TMA02, about 3 days ago; and on the whole, I am fairly happy with it. However, I did feel the need, to complete a rather intensive and mature assessment of the Group Theory units, after the TMA.  This was because I just didn't feel that I understood the theories in sufficient detail, to be able to extrapolate the key themes, into unseen exam questions.

I have therefore spent my 'spare' minutes of each day, this week, copying the Group Theory A content from the handbook, into my 'Moleskine Journal'.  I have then carried this about with me and revised the key elements, at random points in the day.

It is a bit of an old fashioned way of learning (copying verbatim and then just reading repeatedly), but it can be a solid technique, for times when the content just won't stay in your head.  For me, studying Group Theory, is just one of those occasions.

Anyway, what a breath of fresh air, the Linear Algebra units have been.  I have launched into studying this rather satisfying topic, and completed the first unit, Vectors and Conics.  I am now also half-way through the second unit, Linear Equations and Matrices.

I do find Linear Algebra, to be a deeply interesting topic, which requires a certain amount of accuracy and attention to detail.  When I first studied this topic, I didn't really enjoy it.  Looking back, I now think that it was because my introduction consisted of just being shown a few 'processes', to crunch numbers with and obtain the solutions to some linear equations.

This type of approach, would probably be called 'hand-waving', by my current M208 tutor, Mr Jina; and I would probably agree with him.  You see, before M208, I had never explored Linear Algebra from first principles.  As such, I never really understood it, and so in order to learn it, I had to 'rote' learn the techniques.  Something which can be very difficult, for a dyslexic learner to do.

But now, M208 has introduced the techniques in a clear and concise way, allowing me to have complete understanding, with little in the way of hand-waving, going on!

I did initially have one gripe, which was this seemingly nutty way of solving simultaneous equations using row-reduction,  Gaussian techniques, or whatever they call them?  I couldn't believe how over complicated, it seemed to make the whole thing.  'How dare they', I said; 'what are they thinking?', I bleated.

That was, until I turned the pages, and realised that it is actually a rather clever way of sorting out big matrices, with lots of unknowns.  So, I take back the swearing that I uttered, whilst studying the first unit of LA2.  All is now forgiven.

So, I now await the result of TMA02 and I am already starting to look at TMA03, the first part of which, I may start to sketch out, on Monday morning.