Midterm information for Math 427, Autumn 2012

Midterm solutions and score stats.

Midterm Date: Monday, November 5

Exta office hours Sunday, 10/4, 4-5 PM in my office (PDL C338). I hope to have the graded homework ready to return at this office hour.
I was told that CLUE (the Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment) in MGH has at least one tutor available every night they are open (Su-Th) who can answer 427 questions.

General information, rules for notes, etc.

• Hopefully everyone will be healthy and on time for the test, but sometimes emergencies happen. Here is general advice for if you (will) miss a quiz or exam: As soon as you know you will have missed (or will miss) a quiz or exam, email me. (If you don't have access to email, call: (206)543-9458, messages may be left at the Math Department office, (206)543-1150.) If you know ahead of time that you will miss a quiz or exam for a good reason, email a request to take it early, stating your reason. In case your instructor agrees to the request, suggest times you can take the quiz or exam before the rest of the class does.
• Notes. You may bring one notebook (8.5 by 11 inches) sized sheet of handwritten notes. The main reason for allowing notes is to encourage "top down" studying (organizing your thinking about the material, identifying common themes, etc.) and, conversely, discourage "bottom up" studying (merely memorizing formulas). Handwritten notes are required so that you have to think about the material to produce the notes, which is also a good study technique. It's OK to write on both sides of the paper, but it is in your interest to summarize thoughtfully, so you are not spending precious exam time reading through overly detailed notes.
• Bring paper. There will not be room on the exam paper for your work. Start a new page for each problem, and put the pages in order before handing them in.
• Seating Chart. During the test, a seating chart may be passed along your row. When you get the chart, on the next blank line, print your name and sign with your usual signature, also, then pass to the next person. The instructor will collect the chart at the end of the row.
• A few more test-taking tips: Read instructions carefully, so you don't do more work than you have to. Don't simplify a complicated algebraic expression unless required to (or if it's easier because you need it for the next step). If you do change your answer, cross out rather than erasing. It's quicker, and sometimes your new reasoning is easier to follow if the grader can glance at what you tried first. (Raise your hand if you need more paper.)

Topics covered, sample test problems

The test will cover all topics in homework through Homework 6. Recommended review: Quiz problem 3, definitions and basic properties of all the functions we studied in Chapter 3, all problems assigned in HW 5 and 6 (including W problems!). REVISED review problems - original 6c did not make sense. I changed 6b & c (2 became 2i for center of series and in denominators) and added hints in response to questions in class Friday.

Solutions for most of sample questions, also some comments on homework. Omitted solution for last sample midterm problem in the interests of getting this posted. Answer to most asked question about last problem: to get the answer for part (c), just add the one term 1/(z - 2i) to the answer for (b). (Sometimes the coefficients of a power series don't have enough of a pattern that you can express them all in terms of one formula!)

The test will include the following general instructions. Justify your answers by appropriate computations and reasoning. If you use a major result (for instance, any of the results with ``Cauchy'' in the title), name the result and indicate clearly that you have checked that the hypotheses are satisfied. Answers without such justification may receive little or no credit.

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Most recently updated on November 11, 2012