Math
🧮 Path to a free self-taught education in Mathematics!
Install / Use
/learn @ossu/MathREADME
Contents
Summary
The OSSU curriculum is a complete education in mathematics using online materials. It's for those who want a proper grounding in concepts fundamental to all math disciplines, and for those who have the discipline, will, and good habits to obtain this education largely on their own, but with support from a worldwide community of fellow learners.
It is designed according to the degree requirements of undergraduate math majors, minus general education (non-math) requirements, as it is assumed most of the people following this curriculum are already educated outside the field of math. The courses themselves are among the very best in the world, often coming from Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc., but specifically chosen to meet the following criteria.
Courses must:
- Match our curricular guidelines the 2015 CUPM Guide.
- Be open for enrollment
- Run regularly (ideally in self-paced format, otherwise running multiple times per year)
- Be of high quality in teaching materials and pedagogical practice
When no course meets the above criteria, the coursework is supplemented with a book.
Duration. It is possible to finish the curriculum within about 2 years if you plan carefully and devote roughly 18-22 hours/week to your studies.
Cost. OSSU strives to identify free resources to reach your learning goal. However, some courses may charge money for assignments/tests/projects to be graded.
Decide how much or how little to spend based on your own time and budget; just remember that you can't purchase success!
Process. Students can work through the curriculum alone or in groups, in order or out of order.
- For simplicity, we recommend working through courses in order from top to bottom, as they have already been sorted by their prerequisites.
- Courses in Core Mathematics are the basic requirements for all OSSU Math students and provide a foundation for deeper study. Take all of these courses.
- Courses in Advanced Topics are electives. Take one course in each topic area. Then choose one topic you want to become an expert in and take all the courses under that heading. You can also create your own custom subject (we recommend getting validation from the community on the subject you choose).
Content policy. If you plan on showing off some of your coursework publicly, you must share only files that you are allowed to. Respect the code of conduct that you sign in the beginning of each course!
Getting help (Details about our FAQ and chatroom)
Community
- We have a Discord server! This should be your first stop to talk with other OSSU students. Why don't you introduce yourself right now? Join the OSSU Discord
- You can also interact through GitHub issues. If there is a problem with a course or a change needs to be made to the curriculum, this is the place to start the conversation. Read more here.
- Add Open Source Society University to your Linkedin profile!
Code of conduct
Curriculum
The curriculum is separated into two parts:
Core Mathematics
All classes under Core Mathematics are required, unless stated otherwise.
Introduction to Mathematical Thinking
Most people's views of mathematics are destroyed in school by focusing on memorization and regurgitation. But mathematicians see math as an elegant way to explain the world around us. This class covers how to think like a mathematician and solve problems.
Topics covered:
Mathematical mindset
Number Theory
Courses | Duration | Effort | Prerequisites :-- | :--: | :--: | :--: Introduction to Mathematical Thinking | 10 weeks | 4 hours/week | none LaTeX | 1 week | 30 minutes/week | none
Calculus
Calculus is the study of change (differential calculus) and accumulation of quantities (integral calculus). As the cornerstone of geometry and physics, it serves as the foundation for understanding many natural phenomena and plays an essential role in modern technology, scientific discovery, and many fields, including engineering, economics, and medicine.
Topics Covered:
Derivatives
Integrals
Infinity
Courses | Duration | Effort | Prerequisites :-- | :--: | :--: | :--: Calculus 1A: Differentiation | 13 weeks | 6-10 hours/week | high school math Calculus 1B: Integration | 13 weeks | 5-10 hours/week | Calculus 1A Calculus 1C: Coordinate Systems & Infinite Series | 6 weeks | 5-10 hours/week | Calculus 1B Multivariable Calculus | 12 weeks | 6 hours/week | Calculus 1C
Introduction to Differential Equations
Differential equations describe the science of change: the route by which natural and man-made systems move from one state to another. Epidemics, population growth, and weather patterns are all modeled using differential equations. It provides us a mathematical language to describe physical, chemical, and biological systems and their evolution.
Topics covered:
First-order ODEs
Second-order ODEs
Higher-order ODEs
Laplace Transforms
Courses | Duration | Effort | Prerequisites :-- | :--: | :--: | :--: Differential Equations | 14 weeks | 12 hours/week | Calculus 1C
Discrete Mathematics
Discrete mathematics is the mathematics of objects and ideas. It includes topics such as combinatorics, graph theory, and logic. The topics discussed here also form the basis of the field of computer science. For mathematics majors, a discrete math course is usually also a first introduction to formal proofs.
Topics covered:
Counting
Grouping
Classifying
Logic and Reasoning
Courses | Duration | Effort | Prerequisites :-- | :--: | :--: | :--: Mathematics for Computer Science | 14 weeks | 6-8 hours/week | Calculus 1C
Linear Algebra
Linear algebra is the mathematics of spatial relationships that deals with the manipulation of vectors and matrices. It provides an elegant way to consider many simultaneous equations, visualize arbitrarily-many dimensions, and explain complex phenomena in simple terms.
Topics covered:
Vector and matrix calculations
Linear transformations
Vector spaces
Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
Courses | Duration | Effort | Prerequisites :-- | :--: | :--: | :--: Essence of Linear Algebra | - | - | high school math Linear Algebra | 14 weeks | 12 hours/week | Essence of Linear Algebra
Probability & Statistics
Probability is the mathematics of uncertainty. Statistics is the mathematical framework for quantifying uncertainty in real-world data. These two related but distinct fields of study help us describe variation and uncertainty in the world around us. These courses make heavy use of discrete mathematics, linear algebra, and calculus, and serve as a first opportunity to apply what you've learned in the other core courses.
Topics covered:
Random variables
Expectation and Variance
Probability Distributions
Courses | Duration | Effort | Prerequisites :-- | :--: | :--: | :--: Probability | 14 weeks | 12-16 hours/week | Multivariable Calculus, Math for Computer Science, Linear Algebra Statistics for Applications | 14 weeks | 12-16 hours/week | Probability
Introduction to Analysis
Analysis is the mathematics of sequences and limits. Intro to Analysis is a course that builds on th
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