© | Dror Bar-Natan: Classes: 2015-16:

Math 475 - Problem Solving Seminar

Toronto, Academic Year of 2015-2016

$$ $Essentials $$


Course Calendar

# Week of ...  
1 January 11 Handout: $$make_page {name => 'About', title => 'About This Class'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0112', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday January 12', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160112-140202'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-01', title => 'Quiz #1 - Search for a Pattern', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-01.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 38 students): 1 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0114', title => 'Blackboards for Thursday January 14', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160114-130249'}$$.
2 January 18 $$make_page {name => 'Jan19', title => 'Handout for January 19, "Draw a Figure"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0119', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday January 19', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160119-140127'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-02', title => 'Quiz #2 - Draw a Figure', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-02.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 40 students): 1 2 2 3 3 4 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0121', title => 'Blackboards for Thursday January 21', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160121-130429'}$$.
3 January 25 $$make_page {name => 'Jan26', title => 'Handout for January 26, "Formulate an Equivalent Problem"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0126', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday January 26', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160126-135657'}$$.
$$make_page {name => 'ClassPhoto', title => 'Class Photo'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-03', title => 'Quiz #3 - Formulate an Equivalent Problem', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-03.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 39 students): 0 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 6 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0128', title => 'Blackboards for Thursday January 28', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160128-130033'}$$.
4 February 1 $$make_page {name => 'Feb02', title => 'Handout for February 2, "Modify the Problem" / "Choose an Effective Notation"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0202', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday February 2', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160202-140244'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-04', title => 'Quiz #4 - "Modify the Problem" / "Choose an Effective Notation"', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-04.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 40 students): 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0204', title => 'Blackboards for Thursday February 4', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160204-130421'}$$.
5 February 8 $$make_page {name => 'Feb09', title => 'Handout for February 9, "Modify the Problem" / "Choose an Effective Notation"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0209', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday February 9', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160209-135928'}$$.
$$nb_page {name => '1206Riddle', title => 'The 1206 Riddle', nb => '1206Riddle'}$$.
$$make_page {name => 'Feb11', title => 'Handout for February 11, "Choose an Effective Notation" and "Exploit Symmetry"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-05', title => 'Quiz #5 - "Modify the Problem" / "Choose an Effective Notation"', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-05.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 32 students): 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 9 9 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0211', title => 'Blackboards for Thursday February 11', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160211-130320'}$$.
R February 15 UofT Reading Week.
6 February 22 $$make_page {name => 'Feb23', title => 'Handout for February 23, "Exploit Symmetry"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0223', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday February 23', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160223-140309'}$$.
No Thursday class, makeup next week. No quiz this week. (I'll be at Northeastern University).
7 February 29 $$make_page {name => 'Mar01', title => 'Handout for March 1, "Exploit Symmetry"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0301', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday March 1', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160301-140118'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-06', title => 'Quiz #6 - "Exploit Symmetry"', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-06.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 27 students): 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 7 7 7 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0303', title => 'Blackboards for Wednesday March 3', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160303-125950'}$$.
Friday March 4: Makeup for last Thursday's class, 12-1 at Bahen 1210 (cancelled).
8 March 7 $$make_page {name => 'Mar08', title => 'Handout for March 8, "Divide into Cases" and "Work Backwards"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0308', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday March 8', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160308-140225'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-07', title => 'Quiz #7 - "Divide into Cases"', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-07.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 36 students): 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 10 10 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0310', title => 'Blackboards for Wednesday March 10', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160310-130211'}$$.
Sunday March 13 is the last date to drop this course.
9 March 14 $$make_page {name => 'Mar15', title => 'Handout for March 15, "Divide into Cases", "Work Backwards", Pigeonhole'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0315', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday March 15', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160315-142522'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-08', title => 'Quiz #8 - "Divide into Cases", "Work Backwards", and the Pigeonhole Principle', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-08.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 33 students): 0 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 8 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0317', title => 'Blackboards for Wednesday March 17', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160317-130048'}$$.
10 March 21 $$make_page {name => 'Mar22', title => 'Handout for March 22, "Work Backwards", Pigeonhole, "Argue by Contradiction"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0322', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday March 22', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160322-140138'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-09', title => 'Quiz #9 - "Work Backwards", the Pigeonhole Principle, and "Argue By Contradiction"', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-09.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 36 students): 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0324', title => 'Blackboards for Wednesday March 24', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160324-130353'}$$.
Friday is "Good Friday".
11 March 28 $$make_page {name => 'Mar29', title => 'Handout for March 29, "Argue by Contradiction" and "Pursue Parity"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0329', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday March 22', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160329-140157'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-10', title => 'Quiz #10 - "Argue By Contradiction" and "Pursue Parity"', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-10.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 38 students): 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0331', title => 'Blackboards for Wednesday March 31', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160331-130251'}$$.
12 April 4 $$make_page {name => 'Apr05', title => 'Handout for April 5, "Consider Extreme Cases" and "Generalize"'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'BB-0405', title => 'Blackboards for Tuesday April 5', url => 'http://drorbn.net/bbs/show.php?prefix=16-475#160405-135728'}$$.
$$framed_page {name => 'Quiz-11', title => 'Quiz #11 - "Consider Extreme Cases" and "Generalize"', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Quiz-11.pdf', external => 0}$$.
Results (of 10, median underlined, 37 students): 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10.
$$make_page {name => 'OnFinal', title => 'On the Final Exam'}$$.
Friday is the last day of classes.
F April 11 UofT Examination Period begins on Tuesday.
F April 18 UofT Examination Period.
F April 25 Our $$framed_page {name => 'Final', title => 'Final Exam', url => 'http://drorbn.net/AcademicPensieve/Classes/16-475-ProblemSolving/Final-16-475.pdf'}$$ took place on Thursday April 28, 9-12, at BN 2S.
Results (of 80, median underlined, 38 students): 12 29 31 32 36 39 40 41 46 50 53 54 55 56 58 58 58 60 62 63 64 67 69 69 69 71 72 72 73 74 77 77 77 77 77 80 80 80.
Overall course marks (of 100, median underlined, 38 students): 52 53 61 62 64 65 65 66 68 68 70 70 74 75 77 78 78 78 80 81 82 82 84 85 86 86 86 89 91 93 94 95 96 96 97 98 98 99.

Further resources:

"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself"
"师傅领进门,修行靠个人!"

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