Overview
MATH1251 is a Level I Mathematics course; it is the continuation of MATH1151 and is available only to students in Actuarial Studies, in BCom/BSc with majors in Mathematics, or in the Mathematics and Finance plan in Advanced Science.
Prerequisite: MATH1151
Exclusions: DPST1014, MATH1031, MATH1231, MATH1241
Cycle of offering: Term 2
Graduate attributes: The course will enhance your research, inquiry and analytical thinking abilities.
More information:
This outline contains information about course objectives, assessment, course materials and the syllabus.
The Online Handbook entry contains up-to-date timetabling information.
If you are currently enrolled in MATH1251, you can log into UNSW Moodle for this course.
For general advice, see advice on choosing first-year courses, opens in a new window.
Course description
MATH1251 gives equal weighting to two broad areas of mathematics: Linear Algebra and Calculus.
Linear Algebra is that branch of mathematics concerned with the study of vector spaces (or linear spaces), and linear transformations. Problems in mathematics that exhibit linearity are most likely to be solved, and do not exhibit the chaotic behaviour of non-linear problems. Linear Algebra can be thought of as the proper mathematical setting for the study of matrix algebra.
The Calculus strand studies topics such as differential equations and series. Most of the fundamental laws of physics, chemistry, biology and economics can be formulated as differential equations and series are needed, for example, for a more serious study of functions. It explains how an electronic calculator evaluates sin2, log3, and so forth. This strand also considers the integration of functions of two variables.