Information about Exams for Math 441, Autumn 2014
Final Exam
The final exam is on Thursday 12/11, 8:30-10:20, in our usual classroom.
The general rules below apply: one sheet of notes as described below,
bring your own paper, turn off electronics, etc. I'll probably make
the seating chart without having to pass a sign-in sheet. Again,
don't sit near your "study buddies," so any unusually similar
work won't look suspicious.
Office hours during exam week:
Tues. 12/9, 10:30-11:30 & by appt. (11:30-2 not available)
Wed. 12/10, 11:30-12:30 & by appt. (10:30-11:30 not available)
The final will emphasize the material since the midterm, but of course
problems on that material may use information from earlier,
e.g. continuity metric spaces, results about bases, etc.
Some study materials will be posted at the "Tests" page of the
Math 441 A14 Workspace as soon as possible.
If you are taking (or thinking of taking) 442:
- In 442/3, we need topology only of metric spaces, not more general
topology. We will also use linear algebra and vector calculus.
So the prerequisites are 308 and 324 and either 441 or 424.
(Math 335 also suffices.)
- The textbook will be Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces
by Banchoff and Lovett. Another book with the same name but a different
author has been used for 442 before, be sure to get the right book.
There is an electronic version of the book we will use; I don't know if you
can buy the e-book at the bookstore, but you can buy it at Amazon.
Whether you have the e-book or the hard copy, there are applets
available online to illustrate examples in the book.
General rules:
- Notes. You may bring one notebook (8.5 by 11 inches)
sized sheet of handwritten notes on definitions and results
(theorems, propositions, lemmas) to each test.
You may not include any proofs.
You may not share notes with another student during the test.
Your notes sheet must be turned in with your exam.
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 facts
and 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 excessively long and detailed notes.
- No electronic devices may be used during the test.
Turn off and put away all electronic devices before the test begins.
Also put away all books and notes (except your one
allowed sheet, see above).
- Bring your own paper (or a bluebook, if you prefer) on
which to work the test. Turn in all scratch paper with your test.
(Sometimes I look at it to figure out your reasoning.)
- Seating at exams.
If you arrive early, please help arrange the chairs so there are 5 or 6 chairs
evenly spaced along the first short table and 11 or 12 evenly spaced along
each of the other three tables.
Please leave a few seats nearest the door empty for late arrivals.
During the test, a seating chart will be passed
along your row. When you get the chart, on the next blank line,
print your name (so I can read it) and sign with your usual signature,
also, then pass to the next person.
I will collect the chart at the end of the row.
Suggestion: Don't sit near your "study buddies," so any unusually similar
work won't look suspicious.
- Show your work and/or reasoning
(unless the question says you don't have to.) An answer with no
justification for how you found it may be worth little or no partial credit.
Don't be afraid to use English as well as symbols.
- A few more test-taking tips:
Read instructions carefully, so you don't do more work than you have to.
If you do change your answer, cross out rather than erasing.
It's quicker, and sometimes your new reasoning is easier to follow if
I can glance at what you tried first.
- If you (will) miss an exam: As soon as you know you will miss
(or have missed) an exam, email me.
(If you don't have access to email, call me: my office phone is (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 an exam,
suggest times you can take it before the rest of the class does.
Study Suggestions
Topics covered. The midterm will focus on the
Metric Spaces handout
and §§12-13 and 15-21 in Chapter 2 of Munkres.
Chapter 1 will not be tested directly. If there are facts from Chapter 1
(including the exercises) that we've needed in proofs and you don't know
by heart, they are candidates for your sheet of notes.
(For instance, do you remember whether the image of the intersection
is always the same as the intersection of the images?)
Here are some more study ideas.
- Catch up on any homework you didn't do, including R
problems, and be sure you know how to correct any errors you made.
- Make a first draft of your sheet of notes before working on the sample
test problems.
- Do the sample test problems now posted at the "Tests" page of the
Math 441 A14 Workspace.
- Review the homework, and rework problems you don't remember how to do.
- Then make the sheet of notes you will use during the test. After using
the first draft when studying, you may be able to reorganize and summarize
your notes to be more useful during the test.
Return to the
Math 441 Homepage.
Most recently updated on December 5, 2014