Well, after a fast and furious Christmas where my studying actually stepped up a gear, to try and catch up; I have finally, almost got back to where I should be in my studies of groups and number theory.
I have just this minute, put the finishing touches on TMA02 for the groups and geometry streams, and printed the script off. I will post it on Monday.
However, I am having a lot of difficulty with the number theory TMA. I think that I have just about managed to complete the logic stream, without too much drama. However, I am getting my knickers in a real twist with the numbers part.
For example, despite me spending upwards of 10hrs, trying to answer a particular section of a question, I am still stumped. I even had some hints and tips from a fellow number theorist, in the recent day school at Aston University; but I am still a long way off from producing a cogent proof.
I only have to prove that d=210! What could be so difficult about that?
I have read and re-read x10, the unit book on congruence's; and I know that I have the answer in front of me. It just won''t coalesce.
Well, I will spend another 5hrs on it this weekend and whatever state that TMA is in, on Monday morning, that is how it is being sent off.
Realistically, I think I may be headed for 70% territory, for that one. But I'm not sad. I've taken on-board Chris's advice about just getting the job done and not trying to get 100% out of everything. It will end up driving me insane, if I carry on at the level of intensity that I have mustered, so far in these courses.
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
TMA01 results in (Groups and Geometry).
I just received back my results today for M336. I scored 82% on this particular piece, which considering I messed up an entire question, probably was a bit of a let off!
In brief, my geometry scored almost full marks apart from a few accuracy slips. My group theory was less certain and I got very muddled between a cyclic group and a multiplicative group over the integers.
My tutor was kind enough to remark on some insights that I managed to use, when answering a groups question. I gathered from his comments, that I answered it in a shorter and more compact way than had been intended by the question author, taking a shortcut byconverting a group into the kernel of another group, in order to make the result fit the question.
I can't complain.
I have been at work for the last 4 days and have not touched the books. I have been so tired that I have come home, eaten some supper and then fell into bed, asleep in mid-air. I have two days off now, so it is full on studying to try and catch up.
I am noticing that I am forgetting a lot of the earlier stuff really quickly, so I need to start some consolidation work, sooner than I expected. It looks like I may just need to settle for some lower TMA marks, so that I can study and revise the units, without falling behind.
In brief, my geometry scored almost full marks apart from a few accuracy slips. My group theory was less certain and I got very muddled between a cyclic group and a multiplicative group over the integers.
My tutor was kind enough to remark on some insights that I managed to use, when answering a groups question. I gathered from his comments, that I answered it in a shorter and more compact way than had been intended by the question author, taking a shortcut byconverting a group into the kernel of another group, in order to make the result fit the question.
I can't complain.
I have been at work for the last 4 days and have not touched the books. I have been so tired that I have come home, eaten some supper and then fell into bed, asleep in mid-air. I have two days off now, so it is full on studying to try and catch up.
I am noticing that I am forgetting a lot of the earlier stuff really quickly, so I need to start some consolidation work, sooner than I expected. It looks like I may just need to settle for some lower TMA marks, so that I can study and revise the units, without falling behind.
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Relentless Studying - Fatigue - Mission Creep
I feel absolutely exhausted this week.
My work schedule combined with a study schedule that sees me studying for 3hrs before work in the morning, three hours after work and then 8hrs on all of my days off, is the lengths I am having to go to, just to keep up with understanding the new material that appears on every page of my Unit books for number theory and group theory.
I know that I should probably rejoice in the fact that I obtained a distinction for my first bit of course work for number theory. But I can't. You see, I worked out that each of those 95 marks, took me around 1/2hr of work per mark, to obtain. Thats over 40hrs of work for a piece of coursework that should take <10hrs.
The reasons are clear; this stuff is okay to grasp on first reading, but then to try and internalize and synthesize answers to novel questions, which may take a slightly different form to those examples given in the books, is a real challenge for such a complex area of knowledge.
The stuff on recursive functions is a nightmare and I have reached a chapter in the book that, for the first time in my mathematical career, I really don't understand.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel though. As with Pure Mathematics which I took last year, content that I found impossible to grasp and nearly had a meltdown over, at the begining of that course, was internalized and slickly applied in the exam, to gain full marks in that section. However, this course is much more difficult. I'm not sure that I will be so lucky this time around.
What doesn't help is that I am experiencing some 'mission creep' to coin a U.S military term. I am finding that I settle down to study a set amount of pages in a study session, and end up managing only half of that, because I have this obsession with doing all of the example questions set, so that I at least understand as many different applications of the preceding knowledge, as possible. My methods feel tangental, at the moment, and they desperately need to be refined.
It's not as mad as it sounds - I missed out on full marks in last years exam, because there was a particular section of two questions, that I struggled to fully complete, yet when I looked back at the unit books after the exam, there they were smiling back at me, in black and white. Had I attempted those two example questions, I would have been able to tackle the exam question, with confidence.
My work schedule combined with a study schedule that sees me studying for 3hrs before work in the morning, three hours after work and then 8hrs on all of my days off, is the lengths I am having to go to, just to keep up with understanding the new material that appears on every page of my Unit books for number theory and group theory.
I know that I should probably rejoice in the fact that I obtained a distinction for my first bit of course work for number theory. But I can't. You see, I worked out that each of those 95 marks, took me around 1/2hr of work per mark, to obtain. Thats over 40hrs of work for a piece of coursework that should take <10hrs.
The reasons are clear; this stuff is okay to grasp on first reading, but then to try and internalize and synthesize answers to novel questions, which may take a slightly different form to those examples given in the books, is a real challenge for such a complex area of knowledge.
The stuff on recursive functions is a nightmare and I have reached a chapter in the book that, for the first time in my mathematical career, I really don't understand.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel though. As with Pure Mathematics which I took last year, content that I found impossible to grasp and nearly had a meltdown over, at the begining of that course, was internalized and slickly applied in the exam, to gain full marks in that section. However, this course is much more difficult. I'm not sure that I will be so lucky this time around.
What doesn't help is that I am experiencing some 'mission creep' to coin a U.S military term. I am finding that I settle down to study a set amount of pages in a study session, and end up managing only half of that, because I have this obsession with doing all of the example questions set, so that I at least understand as many different applications of the preceding knowledge, as possible. My methods feel tangental, at the moment, and they desperately need to be refined.
It's not as mad as it sounds - I missed out on full marks in last years exam, because there was a particular section of two questions, that I struggled to fully complete, yet when I looked back at the unit books after the exam, there they were smiling back at me, in black and white. Had I attempted those two example questions, I would have been able to tackle the exam question, with confidence.
Saturday, 7 December 2013
TMA01 Results (Number Theory and Logic)
Well, I received my results today for my first piece of coursework on this fiendishly difficult mathematics module.
I am pleased to say that I scored 95% for the whole paper. I managed to pick up 100% of the marks for the NUmber Theory section, but dropped 5 marks on the Logic section. I was surprised at this, as I felt that I had managed to sort out my URM functions and tables, quite well. However, my tutor identified that all of my lost marks could have been recovered through some more thorough checking of the programs that I wrote.
I can't really argue with that, although I really did struggle to work out a suitable function that a particular program produced. Having read the answer, I still can't fathom it! Oh well.
So, I have been struggling through my second TMA for both Number Theory and Group Theory; but I am about one week behind on the unit books. It looks like I won't be getting a week of rest at Christmas, at this rate.
I am working solidly, many more hours than I should be; but I am needing to, rather than choosing to, as I don't understand half of the material on the first or even second reading.
To celebrate this small first victory score, I will put down my logic books for today, and head down the pub for a pint of Bishops finger.
Ooo Matron!
I am pleased to say that I scored 95% for the whole paper. I managed to pick up 100% of the marks for the NUmber Theory section, but dropped 5 marks on the Logic section. I was surprised at this, as I felt that I had managed to sort out my URM functions and tables, quite well. However, my tutor identified that all of my lost marks could have been recovered through some more thorough checking of the programs that I wrote.
I can't really argue with that, although I really did struggle to work out a suitable function that a particular program produced. Having read the answer, I still can't fathom it! Oh well.
So, I have been struggling through my second TMA for both Number Theory and Group Theory; but I am about one week behind on the unit books. It looks like I won't be getting a week of rest at Christmas, at this rate.
I am working solidly, many more hours than I should be; but I am needing to, rather than choosing to, as I don't understand half of the material on the first or even second reading.
To celebrate this small first victory score, I will put down my logic books for today, and head down the pub for a pint of Bishops finger.
Ooo Matron!
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