Honors Mathematics A

Mathematics V1207x
Prof. Michael Thaddeus
Fall 2009

Final grades have been submitted. The class as a whole performed very well.
About the final exam: This was intended to be a challenging exam. Grades should NOT be interpreted using the high-school framework of 90% = A, etc. In fact, the median grade was 57/100, very close to expectations.
About the letter grade: Your letter grade is a monotone increasing function of the weighted average of your numerical grades from the course: 40% assignments, 22% midterm and 38% final, as stated in the syllabus. However, this increasing function is subjectively chosen by me and will remain secret!
Happy new year to all!

Syllabus
Logic and axioms
Introduction to mathematical arguments by Michael Hutchings.
Some tips about proofs on assignments
Supplementary problems on the square root of 2
Answers to problems on the square root of 2
By popular demand, The Prelude of 1805 by William Wordsworth (far better, in my opinion, than his later version of 1850). The passage on Euclid appears at pp. 88-90 of the 1805 version.

All are encouraged to take advantage of the Columbia Mathematics Help Room in 406 Mathematics. A schedule is available here.

Lecture notes from Sept. 28, Yom Kippur (courtesy of Steven Castellano)
Lecture notes from Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving (courtesy of Gabrielle Gordon): 1 2 3 4

Practice midterm #1 (and answers)
Practice midterm #2 (and answers)
Midterm examination
Answers to midterm exam
Practice final exam and answers
Final examination
Answers to final exam

Assignment #1, due Friday, September 18.
Assignment #2, due Friday, September 25.
Assignment #3, due Friday, October 2.
Assignment #4, due Friday, October 9.
Assignment #5, due Friday, October 16.
Assignment #6, due Friday, October 23.
Assignment #7, due Wednesday, November 4.
Assignment #8, due Wednesday, November 11.
Assignment #9, due Friday, November 20.
Assignment #10, due Wednesday, November 25.
Assignment #11, due Friday, December 4.
Assignment #12, due Friday, December 11.
Assignment #13, due Wednesday, December 16.

Last recitation: Thursday, December 17 at 8 pm in 520 Mathematics.
Review session: Sunday, December 20 at 8 + ε pm in 312 Mathematics (there is another class in there until 8).
Final exam: Wednesday, December 23 from 1:10 to 4 pm in 203 Mathematics.
Please make your travel plans for the winter break early, since this exam cannot be moved under any circumstances.