Topics I taught this year

It’s been quite a year. We introduced a totally new mathematics degree course, redesigned from the previous version. In addition, restructures and people leaving meant there were fewer of us teaching on the maths degree. All this together means I’ve been teaching new topics aplenty this year. Now we’re at the end of teaching, I’m looking back (and definitely not just looking for things to do that aren’t the marking I must be getting on with…) and thought I would write another of those self-indulgent blog posts that are probably only of interest to me.

This year I have taught over 200 hours across level 3, level 4, and level 6. At a high level, I have taught proof and mathematical thinking, mathematical modelling and simulation, methods in various areas, research and project skills, and maths and society. More specifically, I have been covering the following topics (some in greater depth than others!) [those marked * are new topics for me to teach this year]:

• arithmetic and algebra;
• propositional logic;*
• set theory;*
• functions;
• group theory;*
• number theory;*
• graph theory;*
• probability;
• statistics;
• matrices and determinants;
• linear systems;
• vectors;*
• eigenvalues and eigenvectors;
• combinatorics;
• combinatorial game theory;
• classic game theory;
• modelling using Markov chains;
• neural networks;
• Euler’s method;
• simulation modelling* (Monte Carlo, cellular, agent-based);
• problem solving;
• proof methods;*
• mathematical modelling cycle;
• history;
• ethics (research, modelling*, AI*);
• diversity and decolonisation;*
• communication;*
• group working;
• report writing;
• research skills;
• project management;
• risk assessment;*
• programming with Python;
• typesetting with LaTeX;
• version control with GitHub;
• producing diagrams with InkScape.*

I’ve also supervised undergraduate final year dissertation projects in maths on game theory, magic tricks, cryptography, operational research, and traffic simulation, and postgraduate dissertation projects in computing on IT in retail, supply chain technologies, machine learning, and web development.

I have been teaching at universities since 2008, and this is the 29th semester in which I have taught, including the last 26 in a row. Which seems baffling, really.