Our first year courses are designed to introduce you to studying mathematics at university level. Some aspects of the topics will be familiar, but the approach is often new: we are far more concerned with why things are true and you will start to learn how to understand and construct proofs. Throughout the year you will meet in small groups for tutorials and have access to MathsBase, our walk-in help centre.
In semester 1 you will take the course 'Introduction to Linear Algebra'. In it you will learn more about vectors, matrices and systems of linear equations. You may have met some of the early ideas at school but by the end of the course you will be introduced to the abstract notion of a vector space. You will use the mathematical ideas encountered in practical contexts but also lay the foundations for your study of pure mathematics in subsequent years.
In semester 2 you will take two mathematics courses. The first is 'Calculus and its Applications'. Calculus is the most fundamental tool in the study of mathematics and is vital for many of its applications. This course will revise some of the calculus you studied at school and develop it further but will treat it with the rigour required at university level.
The second course is 'Proofs and Problem Solving' and is designed to introduce and develop the fundamental skills needed for advanced study in pure mathematics. You will learn to read, interpret and use the precise language of professional mathematicians and begin to develop the art of constructing rigorous proofs. During the course you will also engage with many problems, obtaining the practice required to become an effective problem-solver.
Our first year lectures all involve the use of interactive technology. You will be asked to read some material ahead of each session and these ideas will be explored and discussed during the lecture.
In second year you will continue to build a firm basis for later years, studying core Pure Mathematics courses and being introduced to Applied Mathematics and Statistics at university level.
Your third year is the first year for which the marks contribute to your final degree classification and (unless you are on a Combined Honours Programme) you will be studying entirely or almost entirely Mathematics. There are core compulsory courses that lay the foundations for Honours study across the whole range of mathematical topics and also some options that enable you to start to specialise.
In fourth year all students undertake an extended project or a course such as Data Analysis or Mathematical Education. Some recent project topics include : 'Interpreting DNA Evidence', 'Celestial Mechanics', 'Modelling the Number of Olympic Medals', 'Mathematics and Maps' and 'Random Graphs'. It is possible during this year to concentrate on one area or to take courses from across the mathematical spectrum.
An indication of the large range of options that we offer in later years can be seen on the Path web pages which were developed by some of our students. (If you do not have EASE access you can request a friend account at https://www.ease.ed.ac.uk/friend/.)
Students on the MMath degree will take a fifth year where they will study Masters level material. You will have access to courses delivered by video-conferencing and so benefit from lecturing by experts from across the country. You will also undertake a major project in a selected area under the guidance of a member of the academic staff.
From second year onwards you will have access to the Maths Hub, a student run study and social centre in the School.
