MATH Matters for Math Honours

Are you an incoming Math Honours student? Start your degree off on the right foot by attending MATH Matters for Math Honours, a subsection of the MATH Matters week-long program. While all Math Honours students will be automatically able to see the lecture content, the week-long program will include extra support including a fully graded post-test with comments and specific advice on tackling math proofs. The course is completely separate from MATH Matters for non-honours students.

During the one-week long program, you will review and learn the skills and concepts you need to be successful in your program. Topics covered in MATH Matters for Math Honours will include:

• Logic and Set Notation
• Trigonometry
• Exponent and Log Laws
• Factoring and Solving Equations
• Manipulating Inequalities
• Limit Laws
• Derivative Rules
• Induction, Sequences, and Series
• Counting Principles

(Note that all topics above will focus on proving why ideas work rather than just using the math.)

What will you get out of MATH Matters for Math Honours?

Most secondary schools do not focus enough on mathematical proof, so many students who take honours mathematics courses tend to have difficulty on understanding and producing proofs. MATH Matters for Math Honours will focus on going through details covered in high school (sets, inequalities, limits, quadratic formula, sequences, etc…) but focuses on proving why the ideas work rather than learning how to do the math.

Study strategies will be provided for students on how they should be tackling an honours math class. Some examples include: creating definitions sheets, understanding and using mathematical theorems, the difference between understanding and memorizing, and the different help options you will have available to you once classes start.

Some first year topics may be discussed as well to help give you a head start in your courses (induction, symbolic logic, etc…)

The lectures will be taught by an instructor who teaches first-year Math courses for Math Honours majors, and the study groups will be led by seasoned and successful Math Honours students. This will give you a solid head start in understanding the problems and concepts you will see as a Math Honours student.

Through MATH Matters for Math Honours, you will also meet and interact with other Math Honours students, find study partners, and strengthen your math foundation – all before classes begin!

How Prepared Are You For Honours Math?

If you have trouble answering these questions, then it would be a good idea to highly consider taking MATH Matters for Math Honours to help prior to taking honours math classes.

1. Can you prove why ${(-1)}^2=1$ ?
2. Can you prove why the quadratic formula works starting from $a{x}^{2 }+bx+c=0$?
3. Can you prove why $1+2+3+4+...+n=\frac{n(n+1)}{2}$ ?
4. Can you prove why ${\log }_a\left(x\right)+{\log }_a\left(y\right)={\log }_a\left(xy\right)$ ?
5. Can you prove why the product rule works $\left(f\right(x\left)g\right(x\left)\right)\text{'}=f\text{'}\left(x\right)g\left(x\right)+f\left(x\right)g\text{'}\left(x\right)$ ?

Registration

To register for the MATH Matters week-long program for Math Honours, follow the instructions at Registering for MATH Matters and the MATH Matters administrator will assign you to the lectures and study groups for Math Honours students.

Schedule

Math Honours students will follow the same schedule as other MATH Matters week-long participants. Visit Information for Attendees for more information.