Unit information: Mathematics 1EM in 2014/15

Unit name	Mathematics 1EM
Unit code	MATH10600
Credit points	40
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Chenchiah
Open unit status	Open
Pre-requisites	GCSE Mathematics or equivalent.
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Mathematics
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

This unit provides a first course in calculus, vectors and matrices suitable for students with GCSE mathematics who have not taken mathematics A level or equivalent. It is designed to be suitable for first year science students, but is available to other students with an appropriate background.

Aims: To revise elementary mathematics in GCSE (bearing in mind the needs of students who have not studied mathematics for 2 years or more). To introduce basic algebra, trigonometry, calculus, differential equations and matrices as useful tools for science students.

Relation to Other Units There is another unit for students without A level mathematics: Mathematics 1ES. It is identical to this unit for most of the first 17 weeks. In weeks 18 onwards, Mathematics 1ES has statistics while Mathematics 1EM has more mathematics.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the unit students should be able to:

• perform basic algebraic manipulations
• sum simple arithmetic and geometric series
• solve linear, simultaneous linear, quadratic, and some cubic equations
• use numerical methods to find areas under curves, etc.
• use trigonometry and vectors
• differentiate and integrate simple functions and know the physical meaning of *the derivative and integral.
• work with functions of two or more variables
• manipulate and use matrices

Transferable Skills:

Increased skills in handling mathematics and data of all kinds (numeracy skills).

Teaching Information

3 lectures per week, with weekly tutorials. Marked work is returned to the students and difficulties explained in the tutorials. To assist students in evaluating their progress, short tests are held in weeks 5 and 9.

Assessment Information

The assessment mark will be made up as follows:

• 10% from the midsessional examination in January,
• 90% from examinations in May/June (details below).

In addition weekly work will be marked, and the results will be passed on to the honours departments to review your progress. To assist students in evaluating their progress, short tests are held in weeks 5 and 9.

Details of the Summer Examinations Candidates in Maths 1EM examinations may use calculators of approved type (no graphics, text facility or symbolic algebra, non-programmable). The final examination in May/June consists of 2 papers, each of three hours. Paper 1 contributes 40% of the final mark for the unit. Paper 2 contributes 50% of the final mark for the unit.

• Paper 1 has two sections. Section A has 10 short questions, all of which should be answered; it carries 40% of the marks for this paper. Section B has 6 longer questions, of which you should do FOUR. If you do more than four, your best four answers from this section will be used for assessment. Section B carries 60% of the marks for this paper. Paper 1 examines E1.
• Paper 2 has three sections. Section A has 10 short questions, all of which should be answered; it carries 40% of the marks for this paper. Section B has 3 longer questions, of which you should do TWO. If you do more than two, your best two answers from this section will be used for assessment. Section B carries 30% of the marks for this paper. Section C has 3 longer questions, of which you should do TWO. If you do more than two, your best two answers from this section will be used for assessment. Section C carries 30% of the marks for this paper. Section A examines work from E2 and E3. Section B examines work from E2. Section C examines work from E3.

January examinations The Mid-sessional January Progress Examinations are right at the start of the second term. These examinations are compulsory: you must attend. Your mark in the January examination for the unit will contribute 10% to the final assessment mark for the unit in June. It should also give you, and us, an indication of how well you are coping with the unit.

The one-and-a-half hour examination paper for Mathematics 1EM contains two sections. Section A has 5 short questions, all of which should be answered; it carries 40% of the marks for the paper. Section B has 3 longer questions, of which you should do TWO. If you do more than two, your best two answers will be used for assessment; it carries 60% of the marks for this paper. This examination will contribute 10% to the final assessment of the unit in June and it should also give you, and us, an indication of how well you are coping with the unit.

September Examinations If you fail Mathematics 1EM in June, you may (depending on which Faculty you are in and how you have done in your other units) be allowed to resit it in September. The September examination papers have the same structure as in June.

Reading and References

Recommended (but not required) textbook:

• Understanding Pure Mathematics, A.J. Sadler and D.W.S. Thorning (Oxford University Press 1995)

You may also find the following books helpful:

• Help yourself to algebra, Hugh Neill (Longman 1996)

• Mind the Gap, bridging the gap between GCSE and AS Maths, Roger Cahalin, Alessandra Desbottes & Suzanne Doyle (Coordination Group Publications 2002).