The transition from lower division to upper division mathematics courses can be quite daunting even to a very experienced student. Unlike other subjects, the difference between lower and upper division courses in mathematics can be quite overwhelming; the two main culprits being writing proofs and abstract concepts. In this course we will address these issues head-on. In particular, we will learn how to write proofs while developing good mathematical style. We will also give students more familiarity with the mathematical objects appearing in Math 104 and Math 113.

MUSA 74 is a 2-unit class which is intended for students who have no familiarity with writing proofs, and aren’t sure if they’re prepared enough for upper-division classes. In particular, we strongly recommend that the class is taken alongside Math 53, 54, or 55. We officially assume no prerequisites other than a little calculus (at the level of Math 1A), though we will also appeal to Math 53, 54, and 55 for a few examples. In order to ease the transition, we plan to focus on more of the abstract concepts found in calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations. We will delve into these concepts further by focusing on the proofs that arise when constructing these ideas. By the time you complete this course, you will be comfortable with writing proofs at the level required by the core upper-division sequence of Math 110, Math 113, Math 104, and Math 185.

We want to encourage a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. Questions, curiosity, and collaboration are all highly encouraged, and dismissive attitudes are strongly discouraged. Math is a difficult subject, and confusion is not a sign of weakness. If students would like help outside of class, they are highly encouraged to ask the course facilitators to meet one-on-one. The course facilitators also hold office hours that can be found here, https://musa.berkeley.edu/office.html.

All lectures, discussions, and office hours will be held online via zoom or discord. We plan to record all lectures and discussion sections which will be made available to you within 24 hours. Attendance is not mandatory.

Course Structure:
Monday 2 - 4pm Lecture (Attendance is not required. Zoom recording will be posted)
Friday 3 - 4pm Discussion (Attendance is not required. Zoom recording will be posted)
Office Hours (via Zoom): TBA

We plan to assign 6 problem sets in total. You will get approximately 2-3 weeks to complete each problem set. In general, you can expect to spend 5-8 hours on each assignment. The problem set is graded based on effort! If you attempt each problem then you will get a full score on that problem set. Lectures will be held on Zoom (Mondays 2-4pm) and will be centered around introducing new material. We will record each lecture and attendance is not mandatory; however, there will be a bcourse quiz on the new material. The quiz will open at the end of lecture (Monday at 4pm) and will be due on Tuesday at 4pm. Discussion sections will give you the opportunity to apply the concepts you’ve learned in a group setting. We will hold these discussion sections online using Zoom and Discord on Fridays 3-4pm. You will be required to submit your solutions to the weekly discussion problem(s) by 11:59pm on Sundays. You will also have the option to work in a group on these assignments and we will provide plenty of opportunities to help you find a group if you choose to do so. Note: We encourage students to attend the online discussion or watch the recording since we will be going over a good portion of the discussion problem solution at that time.

For more details on grading, please read through the MUSA 74 syllabus:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qRM4oHkxoHxUeFEfEMIQ19pO-a_MJbbj/view?usp=sharing